Ads Infinitum: Perry Releases "Working For Us"

Gov. Rick Perry has a new ad going up on televisions across the state today — the same day his opponent, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, is airing an ad during the highly anticipated BCS National Championship Game featuring the University of Texas Longhorns (and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide).

The ad, titled "Working For Us," features people thanking Perry for creating a small business-friendly environment in the state.  It also highlights Perry's recent proposal for a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Legislature to increase taxes.

Here's the script:

“Thanks Governor Perry for cutting taxes for 40,000 small businesses. Every bit helps.”

TEXT: Perry signs tax break bill for small businesses, Amarillo Globe-News, 6/17/09

“The nation’s top five housing markets are in Texas. Thanks Governor Perry.”

TEXT: The Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009, Builder Magazine, February 2009

“Thanks Governor, for standing up to Washington and fighting for Texas. For protecting Main Street, not Wall Street.”

TEXT: Governor Perry calls for U.S. Governors to defend States’ Rights, Uncommon Sense, 12/26/09

“To keep taxes low, Governor Rick Perry supports a 2/3 vote of the legislature before taxes can be raised.”

TEXT: Only Governor since World War II to cut general revenue spending twice.

“No Texas Governor has cut more taxes, or vetoed more wasteful spending.”

TEXT: Perry has vetoed over $3 billion in spending, LRL – 2000-2009

“Governor Rick Perry.”

A quick analysis by the Hutchison campaign found the ad lacking on the truth front. “Rick Perry’s latest distorted ad would be more convincing if he didn’t have a nine-year record of increasing spending by 86 percent, expanding state government employees by 30,000 and using the Obama stimulus to pay for it,” said Hutchison spokesman Joe Pounder. 

Among their complaints: Perry "claims he cut small business taxes but fails to mention he raised them," was "'bailed out' by Obama stimulus dollars," and "the tax burden has increased under Rick Perry more than any other governor in the past 30 years."

For those of you also in a fact-checking mood, the Perry campaign has provided their sourcing:

“Thanks Governor Perry for cutting taxes for 40,000 small businesses. Every bit helps.”

SOURCE: HB 4765 (81st Session) raising the exemption from $300,000 in total revenues to $1 million: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/pdf/HB04765F.pdf

40,000 small businesses: http://www.window.state.tx.us/comptrol/fnotes/fn0908/relief.html

TEXT: Perry signs tax break bill for small businesses, Amarillo Globe-News, 6/17/09

“The nation’s top five housing markets are in Texas. Thanks Governor Perry.”

TEXT: The Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009, Builder Magazine, February 2009

SOURCE: “The Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009,” Builder Magazine, February 2009 http://www.builderonline.com/local-markets/the-healthiest-housing-markets-for-2009.aspx

1.    Houston, Texas

2.    Austin, Texas

3.    Fort Worth, Texas

4.    San Antonio, Texas

5.    Dallas, Texas
“Thanks Governor, for standing up to Washington and fighting for Texas.  For protecting Main Street, not Wall Street.”

TEXT: “Governor Perry calls for U.S. Governors to defend States’ Rights,” Uncommon Sense, 12/26/09

SOURCE: “Governor Perry calls for U.S. Governors to defend States’ Rights,” Uncommon Sense, 12/26/09; http://davegj13.wordpress.com/2009/12/26/gov-perry-calls-for-u-s-governors-to-defend-states-rights/

“To keep taxes low, Governor Rick Perry supports a 2/3 vote of the legislature before taxes can be raised.”

SOURCE: “Gov. Perry Calls for Constitutional Amendments to Protect Texas Taxpayers,” 1/6/10, http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/14115/  

TEXT: “Only Governor since World War II to cut general revenue spending twice.”

SOURCE: 2009: LBB report on conference committee report from May 2009 for SB1 (the budget); table on page 7 (page 12 of the pdf) shows $1.6 billion reduction in general revenue spending for the 2010-11 biennium, http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Bill_81/5_Conference/Bill-81-5_Conference_Summary_0509.pdf

2003: Fiscal Size-up from March 2008; Figure 15 on page 8 (page 35 of the PDF) shows $962 million reduction in general revenue spending for the 2004-05 biennium, http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Fiscal_Size-up/Fiscal%20Size-up%202008-09.pdf

“No Texas Governor has cut more taxes, or vetoed more wasteful spending.”

SOURCES (taxes):

Signed HB 735 in the 80th session, discontinuing the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund, saving taxpayers $600 million. SOURCE: Fiscal Note for HB 735, http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/fiscalnotes/pdf/HB00735F.pdf

Signed HB 1 in the 79th (3) special session, which gave Texans $16.4 billion dollars in property tax relief. SOURCE: Figure 3 of LBB Fiscal Size-up, 2008-09 Biennium, page 2 (page 29 of PDF) http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Fiscal_Size-up/Fiscal%20Size-up%202008-09.pdf

TEXT: “Perry has vetoed over $3 billion spending,” LRL – 2000-2009

SOURCES (vetoes): 

2001 Veto Proclamation of SB 1, vetoes totaled $555.9 million
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/vetoes/77/sb1.pdf

2003 Veto Proclamation of HB 1, vetoed $81.2 million
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/vetoes/78/HB1.pdf

2003 Veto Proclamations for HB 2425 and HB 3175, Fiscal Note for HB 2425, vetoed $200 million
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/vetoes/78/hb2425.pdf
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/vetoes/78/HB3175.pdf
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/4871/

2005 Veto Proclamation of SB 1, vetoed $1.7 billion
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/vetoes/79/SB1.pdf

2007 Veto Proclamation of HB 1 and HB 15, vetoed $646.5 million
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/vetoes/80/HB1.pdf

2009 Veto Proclamation of SB 1, vetoed $288.9 million
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/vetoes/81/SB1.pdf

Total:  $3.47 billion