Rick Perry's Real Texas Miracle

Time for another humorous look at the state of Texas politics today.

Rick Perry, when he isn't scheming with his cronies in the Lege, has been flirting with the Republican primary voters hot and heavily.  He has been touting what he and other call the "Texas Miracle" and I am pretty sure that he doesn't mean the precise makeup of his hair care product regimen.

He points out to all the jobs he created in the face the great recession as proof positive that a steady diet of lax regulation, low taxes and fervent pro business environment are the keys for economic prosperity.  But as Tip O'Neill was fond of saying, "You are entitled to a difference of opinion, but not your own set of facts..." and Slick Rick certainly has a problem with the facts.

In a recent article in  Fiscal Times by Merrill Goozner, the truth of the state of the Texas economy becomes clear, it isn't the land of milk and honey.  Beginning with W, or as Molly Ivins christened him, Shrub,(Shrub : The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush) Texas began a race to the bottom, see how far they could go toward privatizing everything.  Such brilliant ideas as No Child Left Behind, got their start right here in the Lone Star State, and boy have the standardized testing companies showed their appreciation for getting all that extra business.

Sadly today, Texas is slipping in education, and with another $5 billion cut from that budget, maybe they can finally achieve Perry and his cronies goal of finally getting that coveted 50th place ranking in education.  Texas is the only state that ranks in greatest number of citizens among the wealthiest and living in poverty, with more headed to the latter group monthly.

While Rick Perry may boast of all the jobs that have been created here, we are nowhere close to North Dakota in unemployment rate or job creation. Also with a future where the Texas labor pool will gradually become less well educated, companies that came here to tap into a well educated workforce will leave and take their jobs with high salaries to other states who can provide an educated workforce.

When and if Slick Rick announces his intention to run for President in 2012, we should all remember that when he speaks of a Texas Miracle, he is really talking about him still surviving as Governor.....but as Kinky Friedman said, the job of Governor of Texas is so easy, George W Bush could do it.