In an obvious political stunt, Perry sent a letter to Janet Napolitano, Director of the Homeland Security, dated three days before his official campaign launch, demanding the federal government to refund Texas approximately 350 million dollars they’ve spent to keep illegals in prison with the explanation that the federal government hasn’t enforced their laws.
The hypocrisy of Rick Perry is clear to all who are aware of his Governing record. Until the past year when he was seriously considering a presidential run, he stood together with the left on the topic of illegal immigration. Perry does not support a wall spanning the entire Mexican border, and has said Arizona's tough-on-immigration law wouldn't be right for Texas.
If that’s not enough here’s more:
In a recent interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader,Governor Rick Perry reiterated his support for the Texas DREAM Act, a bill he signed in 2001. The bill signed by Governor Perry allows illegal aliens who have lived in Texas for three years to receive in-state tuition. Due to the Texas DREAM Act, qualifying illegal aliens attending the University of Texas, for example, pay $10,000 less in tuition costs, an amount that is thrown on the backs of taxpaying citizens in Texas.
In 1996, Representative Lamar Smith of Texas authored the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Rep. Smith’s bill clearly prohibits states from offering in-state tuition benefits for illegal aliens, unless offered to all U.S. citizens and legal immigrants as well.
The Texas DREAM Act of 2001 that Governor Rick Perry signed and supports, is clearly in violation of Rep. Smith’s Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
Although credit must be given for him for attempting to prohibit cities from adopting “sanctuary” rules, being slightly better than Obama is far from good enough.
Where are his letters to the Department of Homeland Security from five or ten years ago? Where is his outrage for the Texan taxpayer money he’d used to provide illegals with subsidized education? He obviously wasn’t thinking of a presidential run in 2001 when signing the Texas DREAM Act. Fighting the people’s fight in order to win an election does not qualify a candidate as a truthful servant of the people. Quite the contrary.
Perry's game of playing conservative immediately prior and during the campaign is not only in regard to illegal immigration. As I’ve written in the past, Perry has been governor for over decade yet only found it necessary this year to pass a budget smaller than the previous one. You can love Rick Perry to no end, but if you’re ready to support Perry despite his hypocrisy than you might as well support the Romney. As long as the field is still open and other candidates have the option of joining, a true conservative shouldn't support either of the two flip-floppers. Perry obviously thought he’d get away with the publicity stunt without anyone delving into his true positions and past records. However, the voters have awoken and candidates will have to prove they’ve walked the walk, not just talked the talk.
The Republican Party’s motto has always been cutting taxes and spending. Cutting taxes is indeed necessary for the economy to flourish. However, most Republicans including Perry have only focused on the tax cuts part while skipping over the equally or more important cuts in spending. Tax cuts alone is not an effective or sound economic policy. The deficit has increased with four trillion during Bush’s two terms despite his tax cuts, since wasteful spending was not curbed.
The Republican establishment crowd is currently seeking for more of the old; a candidate who is capable of shelling out trillions at a speed only somewhat lower than Obama’s as long as the candidate will pledge to cut taxes. This reasoning is faulty since it doesn’t solve the economic troubles nor do anything to reduce the deficit. Tax cuts alone are not enough to turn around the economy since it doesn’t include anything to halt the tracks of the upwards-climbing deficit. Although tax cuts might’ve boosted the economy somewhat and possibly delayed the credit rating downgrade, it wouldn’t avoid the downgrade.
Every one of the Republican presidential candidates would fight new taxes for they wouldn’t want to face the same fate as Bush 41. Would any of them be willing and able to implement real spending cuts? It’s time to update “Read my lips: No New Taxes” to include “Read my lips: No New Spending.”
Only one individual has a record of consistently cutting spending.
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