Let’s Be Honest About Gov. Perry

I hope you find relevant the latest article on Voices Empower.com 

 By Donna Garner photos by Alice Linahan

Texas Governor Rick Perry

Right now is the vetting season in politics. This is the time for us to make sure that our country does not make the same mistake twice in voting for a President who has not been properly vetted. 

We citizens are doing the right thing to look at each candidate’s background, voting records, policies, preferences, philosophy of life, and personal positions on important issues. Then after taking a truthful look at a candidate’s full profile, we can make our decision as to whether we believe he or she would make a good President. 

Those who are criticizing researchers who are uncovering the facts behind various candidates are actually repeating the same mistake that occurred when researchers tried to educate the public about Obama and his disastrous positions during the run-up to his Presidential election. 

Those researchers were vilified; and the American people were so star-struck by Obama (who has turned out to be the essence of the “Manchurian candidate) that they voted with their emotions instead of with logical, informed reasoning. The United States is now having to live out the disastrous consequences of that wrongful, emotion-based decision at the ballot box.   

Voting blind is not a smart thing. It is like throwing dice and hoping the right numbers come up. 

I have grown concerned as of late about the blind acceptance that some people want to direct toward Gov. Rick Perry and his record.  Because I published an article that told the “good and the bad” about Gov. Perry (11 positives and 11 negatives), I have been criticized by people on my side of the aisle who have said that my efforts will end up helping Obama get re-elected. (I have posted my article at the bottom of this e-mail.) 

I presented 11 positives about Gov. Perry knowing that the liberal news media certainly would not focus on his good points, and Gov. Perry definitely does have some strong attributes. 

However, Gov. Perry also has some weaknesses; but what does our side have to hide?  If we really have the best candidate in Gov. Perry, then what have we to hide about his record?  If Gov. Perry is the best person for the Republican nomination, that is great; but we who live inTexas and know certain facts about him (both positive and negative) have the right and the responsibility to share this information with the rest of the country. 

Again, we need to remember that this is the vetting season; and our goal must be to put forth the very best candidate possible to defeat Obama. What we do not want is for our candidate to “flame out” in the last couple of weeks leading up to the November 2012 election because at the last minute, voters find out unfavorable information about our Republican candidate.  

We also do not want to support a Republican nominee for whom we feel no “fire in the belly.”  To overcome Obama’s series of overreaching decisions that are meant to build up his voter base (e.g., his obvious catering to labor unions and the LGBT community, his recent decision to grant “amnesty” to illegals — all of whom are sure to flood the ballot boxes in the Nov. 2012 election) and to overcome the cheating by the Democrats that is sure to occur at the polls, our side is going to have to produce twice as many votes for our candidate than are technically needed to win.   

We Republicans must feel “fire in the belly” for our candidate so that we will get out and walk the blocks and get every possible voter to go to the polls with us.  We have to produce a huge groundswell of support for our candidate. We must not choose another limp candidate such as John McCain for whom many in this country felt no connection and no real passion.    

The time to lay out the truth is right now, and we are not being disloyal to the Republicans, conservatives, and independent voters by making sure that fact-based information is shared across the country with the voting public. 

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Photo Courtesy of Ray Myers, Kaufman County Tea Party

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT 

FACT — ISSUE #1:  Gov. Perry did sign HB 1403 in June 2001 (after having been passed by the Texas Legislature).  HB 1403, referred to as Texas’ version of the DREAM Act, allows illegal immigrant students who want to attend Texas colleges/universities to pay in-state tuition rates if they will first sign an affidavit promising that they will apply to become permanent residents as soon as they are eligible. 

The catch is that no agency or organization was designated in HB 1403 to follow up and make sure the affidavits and the promised actions are taken by the illegals. 

When pressed about the lack of follow-up on the affidavit provision, Gov. Perry said the Texas Education Agency does the follow up.  However, Suzanne Marchman, a spokesperson for the Texas Education Agency, said the TEA oversees K-12 public education and has no authority to audit colleges and universities to make sure the illegals are following through with the provisions of HB 1403. 

Spokespersons from the two largest universities in Texas — Texas A&M University and TheUniversity of Texas – both said that they have no designated authority to verify the affidavit mandates. 

Allowing these illegals to pay in-state tuition rather than out-of-state tuition is a huge savings for them: The base tuition set by Texas statute is $50 per semester credit hour for in-state tuition at four-year universities and $327 per semester credit hour for out-of-state residents. ( Texas colleges/universities are allowed to set their own tuition rates in addition to the state statute amounts.) 

Not only do illegals get to pay the lower in-state rates, but their admittance can deny enrollment seats for legal residents. 

As Republican State Rep. Debbie Riddle told the Houston Chronicle on 1.12.07, “What we are doing is grossly unfair to people who are here legally…It gets down to the question: Are we going to continue rewarding people who cut to the front of the line and are not here legally.” 

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FACT– ISSUE #2:  Gov. Rick Perry told a child questioner in New Hampshire on 8.18.11 that Texas public schools teach creationism alongside evolution.  

Nowhere in our new-and-improved Science standards (TEKS) that were passed by our elected Texas State Board of Education in March 2009 is the word “creationism” or “Intelligent Design” used.  

What the Science TEKS do say is this:  “In all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations so as to encourage critical thinking by the students.” 

After Gov. Perry’s gaff this week, his spokesperson, Catherine Frazier, clarified what he should have said:

Creationism could be discussed in the classroom as students are taught about evolution. It is required that students evaluate and analyze the theory of evolution, and creationism very likely comes up in that process…Teachers are also permitted to discuss it with students in that context. Schools are also allowed to teach biblical history as an elective and creationism is part of that teaching, too. 

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“The Good and the Bad About Gov. Perry” By Donna Garner