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~ SoozDuring the last slash-and-burn legislative session, presidential contender and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) approved draconian budget cuts for everything from education to Medicare. But one area where he didn't mind being extravagant with taxpayer money was financing family vacations, tours to promote his book, and campaign events.
The Houston Chronicle reports that Perry used at least $294,000 of Texas taxpayers' money for numerous personal trips, and has no plans to reimburse the state:
At a time when state budget reductions were used to help offset a multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall, taxpayers were billed in excess of $294,000 in security detail expenses for out-of-state trips by Gov. Rick Perry or his wife, according to records released by the Department of Public Safety.
Destinations included the Bahamas in January for a family vacation and trips to Amsterdam, Madrid and New York by Anita Perry alone – visits that Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said were for economic development.
Perry traveled to locales including New York, Washington, California and Las Vegas for events such as promotion of his anti-Washington book, Fed Up!, speeches, duties related to his then-chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association and meetings with business leaders or potential supporters for his presidential bid.
Perry's campaign pays for the travel costs, but the tab for his security detail is picked up by the state. Perry's flimsy excuse for using taxpayer funds to finance these trips: “I'm going to be promoting Texas no matter where I go.â€
~ Sooz
