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Republicans hate public employees. But they hate retired public employees even more. And they hate most the public employees who are still on the job while they take a public employee pension at the same time. So how will this newest revelation, of Rick Perry’s double-dipping, convince the GOP base voters that Rick Perry should rise back to the top of the primary polls again?
Mr. Perry — who isn’t stepping down as governor — nevertheless was able to officially “retire” this year for benefits purposes, a move that gives him about $90,000 more in annual retirement compensation on top of his $150,000 salary as governor.
The move may open him up to criticism from rivals, who can point to Mr. Perry’s recent suggestions that the retirement age for Social Security and the age eligibility for Medicare be raised — two government programs that many older Americans depend on to make ends meet.
Perry provides classic “everybody does it!” defense, calling his decision smart family estate planning:
“That’s a program that’s been in place for decades as far as I know,” he said at a coffee shop. “I would be surprised why someone would not take a retirement they were eligible for. That’s just kind of good estate planning in my opinion.”
(Note to NYT: Did Perry say ‘just kind of good’ or did he say ‘just kinda good??” Inquiring urban elite readers want to know.)
17 Comments
What a loser.
Did he say “lavatories” last night?
Gotta wonder where that thumb has been.
I wonder how the teahadist neo-cons here in Tejas will take this news.
Would it be wrong to speculate?
That’s a program that’s been in place for decades as far as I know,” he said at a coffee shop. “I would be surprised why someone would not take a retirement they were eligible for.
LOL. Yes, SS/MC are programs that have been in place for decades but you have no problem slashing that
Do you think these guys know they are hypocrites, or do they think that these are different unconnected things? I only ask because sometimes when you have an argument and are accused of doing ‘X” you point out that they did the exact same thing. It is not uncommon for the response to be no mine was different because of this, this and this. In reality the substance is the same, but they convince themselves it was different because the facts are not identical. Hope that makes sense.
watching the video (thanks, editor!) at the top of this post, I think Perry has just destroyed all arguments made by Kasich and Walker against public sector employees taking their deservedly earned pensions. He says it would be ‘foolish not to take what you’d earned’ which I agree with.
But this isn’t GOP orthodoxy on public employees’ double-dipping. And, for that matter, it’s not as if Rick Perry was a Texas civil servant public employee — all his public service has been elected, iirc, so he isn’t ‘retired’ in any sense that contrasts with his earlier service.
It’s one long, continuous elected public service record which he is still engaged in. Not retired from.
I can’t wait to hear Gingrich and Ron Paul on this.
Does anyone recall the days when Legacy Media really thought Perry was an unflawed teaparty/establishment GOP vessel? Wow.
Eh? Those conservatives who still like GoodHair will not be swayed by such FACTS. It’s like how those conservatives who still like Newticles can also go mental in a nanosecond about how Clinton got a blowjob from Monica.
These days, of course, Democrats can be just as blind to the hypocritical b.s. of some of “their” elected pols, but conservatives tend to lead the pack in terms of not caring about what a skeevy lying crook Rick Perry is. I doubt this factual info will have the slightest impact on his poll numbers, frankly.
Albeit, thanks for the post. It’s, uh, interesting (and completely unsurprising)…
They are Different, because they are Better.
That’s the sole basis of their Belief in their own Difference. I think.
Ah, Republicans never turn down government money. In fact, steering government dollars to themselves and their cronies is the whole reason they get into politics. They only oppose “big government” that serves the common good.
Well, he couldn’t go too much lower, but he has lots of money and I wonder if this might blunt that money’s drive back onto the playing field. There’s talk around of an ‘insurgent’ Rick Perry, that he’ll be the one to come back from the dead as Newt and Mitt try to out-nasty one another.
I don’t see it, and I think this will make Perry’s sell harder.
But your understanding of the GOP base hivemind is, I believe, right on.
You are quite welcome!
“It’s one long, continuous elected public service record which he is still engaged in. Not retired from.”
Thanks for clarifying that, Teddy. That’s what I thought, and just for the record, there are other public service positions in other parts of the country that permit this kind of double-dipping, which, frankly, I have always had a problem with.
It’s just not right. The person is getting paid twice for just showing up for work every day. And, this is exactly why some public service pension funds are up the creek, as they are in San Diego, CA, for ex.
I am totally for public servants and private sector and unionized employees getting the pensions that they were promised and/or paid into to get. But I do think this particular kind of double-dipping is probably not a sound idea financially.
Again, though, I seriously doubt anyone who loves Perry will be even slightly “upset” with him doing this. It’s only upsetting when some 99%er does it. Never forget…
Bingo! That’s a winnah! And that’s correct. And that’s also why Perry’s supporters won’t have ONE problem with this.
Retirement plans for public officials in Texas are some of the best in the world.
But, we have a sayin’ dow here….”Lower than pond scum.”
Funny, most republicans philosophy sems to be “Do as I say, not as I do.”
hmmmm… a GoodHair “come back”?? Possible, I guess, given the field of dopes, dolts & adulterous blow-hards on offer. That said, I doubt that this information would make one iota of a difference to Perry supporters. They’ll find some way to file it under ye olde: IOKIYAR.