There’s some first-class snark in this press release I got from the Texas AFL-CIO today. The speaker is Texas AFL-CIO President Becky Moeller.
In light of the state’s historically huge budget shortfall and new cuts that will place hundreds if not thousands of state employees on the brink of losing their livelihood, the Texas AFL-CIO stands ready to offer Gov. Perry an opportunity to trade down. We are offering this modest but perfectly comfortable substitute for the extravagant $10,000-a-month, taxpayer-funded rental mansion beset by coyotes.
In keeping with the reality faced by Texans in tough economic times, Gov. Perry might find that using taxpayer dollars to live like an ordinary Texan, rather than like a king, sends a better message.
We are offering the use of this h for $1 a year, compared to $10,000 a month plus many other expenses at the rental mansion. If Gov. Perry accepts our offer, we will work out furnishings, connections and any reasonable details to make certain the building is comfortable for temporary living.
Although it was just delivered, we have tried to bring some homey touches to the manufactured home you see here. Among the amenities, Gov. Perry will find Food and Wine Magazine, a 50-year-old stuffed German shepherd from my personal collection that is not a coyote, and a short-term supply of hair product.
As the Governor well knows, it’s hard to beat this location. The home is within a short walk of the Capitol and in view of the people’s Mansion. The Republican Party of Texas folks next door can join the Department of Public Safety officers across the street in keeping an eye on the place.
The fire at the Governor’s Mansion was a tragedy that has kept the governor out of our neighborhood far longer than anticipated. But we think it is a continuing mistake for Texans to spend an additional $600,000 – and counting – in mansion rent when the state could easily have bought the governor a very comfortable temporary home in that price range, then sold it at little net cost.
The place is a single-wide trailer, which they had parked in front of their headquarters. Not surprisingly, Perry turned them down. Whatever I may day about the dollar amounts involved, there’s no arguing with the AFL-CIO’s math here. People who actually care about managing costs think of stuff like that, unlike our Governor.