Rick Perry Uses Federal Money To Save State From Ruin While Criticizing Bailouts

William Alden wrote the following for The Huffington Post:

The nation's states face budget strains -- even one that says it doesn't.

Texas filled nearly 97 percent of its shortfall last year with Federal stimulus dollars, even as its governor has been sharply critical of "bailout" policies, CNN Money reports, citing the National Conference of State Legislatures. In the wake of the recession, Texas is one of many states that, contending with diminished revenue, have benefited from Federal support.

After facing a $6.6 billion budget hole, Texas used $6.4 billion of Federal money to help patch it, allowing the state to keep its $9.1 billion emergency fund intact, CNN reports.

But on the same day he asked for the bailout money, governor Rick Perry started a petition called "No Government Bailouts." Indeed, Perry is a consistent critic of government spending, frequently pointing to his own state as proof that budget austerity -- spending cuts coupled with low taxes -- works.

But now, with the stimulus money running out, and with the economy still sluggish, Texas is projected to run a nearly $27 billion deficit over the next two years, according to the state's own estimate.

To stave off that shortfall, lawmakers are planning cuts that include funds for Medicaid, education and child care, CNN reports.

Sadly, the people Perry tells his anti-bailout stories to will never know of the hypocrisy - or never believe it - because their sources for "news," like Fox News or Andrew Breitbart's various propaganda sites won't report on their own hypocrisies.  We saw the same thing happen with Bobby Jindal complain about lack of federal help during a natural disaster when he sat on thousands of national guard soldiers and the numerous legislators who campaigned against the stimulus attend various ribbon-cutting events funded by the stimulus.

I think Perry will continue to claim his state is riding high and when the federal money disappears, he is going to claim he is a good little conservative by cutting government programs to fill the budget gaps.  Most likely, the conservative voters will eat it up and Perry will try to ride their approval into a higher post, like senator or president.