Rick Perry's leadership inaction

And speaking of our only Governor, someone woke Rick Perry up long enough to inform him that there's a budget going on and that he may not like parts of it.

Perry and his aides notified legislative leaders he is concerned that the rate of growth in the state budget will exceed 12 percent — one of the largest percentage increases in state history. The final version of the state budget likely will spend more than $137.6 billion.

But with House and Senate conference committee negotiators tentatively planning to send a final budget to the printer today, Perry may have waited too long to let his feelings be known.

"It's kind of late," said House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie. "I've heard (Perry is concerned about) the rate (of growth). The first time I heard that was last week."

[...]

Senate Finance Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, said he also has heard about Perry's budget concerns. But he said the information was relayed to him second-hand, and he declined to discuss it.

I believe if the wind is blowing just right, you can actually smell the leadership coming from the Governor's office. It's inspiring, isn't it?

[T]he timing of the governor's complaints coincided with a Wall Street Journal editorial that criticized Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the possible record growth rate in state spending. The editorial praised Perry for "heroically" holding the line on state spending two years ago when Texas faced a $10 billion deficit.

So Perry gets the credit when spending levels are acceptable to the Lords of Wall Street, but he doesn't get the blame when they're not. Is that a sweet deal or what?

Perry's been basically a non-entity throughout this legislative session. Not that I'm complaining, since the less he does, the better off we are, but still. For him to complain now that he doesn't like the budget is just typical. Go back to sleep, Governor. The session will adjourn soon, and you can start fundraising again.

UPDATE: Great minds think alike.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on May 17, 2005 to Budget ballyhoo | TrackBack