Taxpayer Money Supports Rick Perry’s Campaign

You’ve heard all the stories about how Rick Perry brings his own security with him – Texas State Troopers – on his out of state trips while he is campaigning. The costs are associated with plane fares, accommodations and meals while the governor is stumping in Iowa and Maine. This despite the fact that presidential candidates each rate a security detail from the Secret Service.

Word is that these costs have totaled $397,714 for the month of September alone.

But that’s not the full extent of what Texas taxpayers have been asked to fork over so that Rick Perry can continue to embarrass himself, and the state, in his futile attempt to gain the Republican presidential nomination. Today I read that whenever Perry goes out of state, like now, the Lieutenant Governor, David Dewhurst, becomes the acting governor, and gets an additional $410.96 as compensation for being acting governor. At 78 days so far this year, that amounts to a whopping windfall of $32,054 payable to the lieutenant governor.

Who is a millionaire in his own right by the way.

OK so it’s not double-dipping because Dewhurst is required to reimburse to the state his lt. governor’s pay, but the astounding difference in pay - $142,800 to be exact – means that taxpayers get back $19 of the $410.96. So his net is $30,570.

Still, the party that claims to be fiscally responsible seems to be the same party that continues to feed at the public trough while teachers, policemen and firemen are told to do more with less.