Rick Perry’s Solution to Unemployment: Kill More People

Today Rick Perry proudly announced his solution to the economic/ unemployment crisis facing the country. Drilling for oil was the novel solution presented by Governor Perry. His proposal was labeled “Drill Baby Drill.”  Perhaps he got that idea from Sarah Palin since it was so successful in the 2008 election. Perry said he would create energy-related jobs by allowing new permits in the Gulf,

and he would encourage additional drilling to increase domestic oil production by 25 percent. Among other places, he would allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.   The reason that we tend to select potential candidates for President from those who have served as Governor of a state, is that serving as the Chief Executive of a state is supposed to educate the candidate, and give him experience upon which he may rely while serving as President. If Rick Perry should govern the United States as he has done while serving as the Governor of Texas, unemployment would likely be reduced by the killing of more Americans. This is no joke!

While Governor of Texas, the Texas City Plant owned and operated by BP, had a catastrophic explosion killing 15 people and injuring 170. The explosion was not the only thing about the event that was catastrophic. The human error, the failure of B.P. to follow safety standards, and failure to correct known safety infractions each constituted a catastrophic failure of both BP and the Government. The Texas City explosion occurred while Rick Perry was governor. This video explains the multiple failures of BP and OSHA that were specifically identified in a lengthy 2007 report.

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf was a well owned and operated by B.P. It flowed for three months and was the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. That explosion occurred on April 20, 2010. Eleven people were killed and 17 were injured.

B.P. was determined to be solely at fault in the explosion based on 21 out of 35 specific problems, and jointly responsible for 8 other infractions. Rick Perry’s response was that the explosion was simply an “ act of God.” He also defended BP by explaining that they had a “very good safety record.”

Based upon BP’s actual record of heinous safety infractions, and long history in Texas of death and injury, Rick Perry was a)ignorant, b)oblivious, c)corrupt, or d)all three. The fact that BP paid Governor Perry $250,000.00 to help restore the Governor’s mansion after it burned would be an indication that the correct answer is “d” “all three.”

Rachel Maddow highlighted the error in reports by Governor Perry that the state of Texas, under his administration is responsible for creating jobs. Errors included:

a. For one, state lawmakers have spent much of the year grappling with a budget shortfall that left them $27 billion short of the money needed to continue current state services. In addition, while the national unemployment rate is 9.1 percent and the Texas unemployment rate is 8 percent. Twenty-three states, including New York, have lower unemployment rates, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

b. Perry often talks about the robust growth of jobs during his tenure. But jobs grew at about the same rate during Democrat Ann Richards’ four years as governor. And they grew at a much faster rate during Republican George W. Bush’s six years in the office than they have in Perry’s 10. Even before the national recession hit in 2008, jobs grew at a slower rate in Texas under Perry than under Bush.

a. The unemployment rate in Texas has risen from 7.7% to 8.0%. Texas has done worse than the rest of the country since the peak of national unemployment in October 2009: that month the U.S. rate was 10.1% and Texas was 8.2%. Texas peaked at 8.3% last December, dropping to 8.0% in April, while the national rate has dropped a point since it’s peak to 9.1%

Texas has by far the largest number of employees working at or below the federal minimum wage ($7.25 per hour in 2010) compared to any state, according to a BLS report. In 2010, about 550,000 Texans were working at or below minimum wage, or about 9.5 percent of all workers paid by the hour in the state. Texas tied with Mississippi for the greatest percentage of minimum wage workers, while California had among the fewest (less than 2 percent). Even Mitt Romney reported that Perry’s “own state’s unemployment rate has doubled on his watch.”

Perry has repeatedly criticized the federal government for intervening in business by attempting to impose regulations designed to protect the safety of the environment and human life. He has even filed suit against the federal government for the efforts of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases.

Perry has cut funding for education and protection from fires that have taken the lives of Texans. He has ignored the extremely dangerous practices associated with drilling for oil, and when confronted with the loss of life caused by infractions, he declares the explosion to be an “Act of God.” Now he advocates more of this dangerous drilling.

Under the guidance of Rick Perry, Texas is the “killingest” state in the entire union, having executed more than four times as many prisoners as the next state. It seems that in Rick Perry’s Texas his idea for reduction of unemployment is characterized by reducing the work force. Given his lack of respect for the environment, health care, and safety considerations in business, it is clear that he is not a proponent of regulation or life.