It looks like our favorite teabagging Governor, who claims to detest goverment so much, has found a legal, if highly unethical (in my opinion) way to add $92,000 to his annual salary, claiming he is retired.
Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry claimed his retirement benefit from the state last January and has padded his salary with an additional $92,000 in taxpayer funds, financial disclosures filed in the presidential race show.
Under state law, Perry, 61, is eligible for retirement through his 25 years in public office coupled with his five years of military service. The supplemental pay boosted his state-paid gross income to $242,000 annually.
He was able to retire and continue in office through a quirk in state law provided for statewide elected officials. And while the double-dip benefit is available for other state employees, Perry has signed laws as governor that make it more difficult for others, especially teachers, to take advantage.
So, on top of his annual salary of $150,000 as Governor, he is douple dipping into the state retirement system to the tune of $92,000 annually, for a total payout of $242,000 per year? He is also making the taxpayers pick up his $10,000 per month rent to live in a mansion, while the governor's residence is being renovated after a fire. All while slashing the state budget to make up for a $23 billion shortfall, with education taking the brunt of the cuts, and thousands of teachers having been laid off across the state. The money quote from Texas Democratic party chairmain Anthony Gutierrez:
“Somehow this Republican budget doesn’t have room to pay teachers, but they can give Rick Perry a $100,000 pay raise,” Gutierrez said. “If Perry wants retirement benefits, he should do us all a favor and actually retire.”
While this double-dipping is technically legal, Perry has made it much more difficult for other state workers to take advantage of the rule, while happily collecting his extra $92k. For such a hater of government, Perry has ironically lived off the government his entire life, with over 25 years in public office. I guess hypocrisy knows no bounds when you are a teabagging Republican running for president.