Perry making use of stimulus boost
- Monday, September 7, 2009, 12:18
- Texas Politics
- 94 views
- 1 comment
By R.G. RATCLIFFE
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry rallied opposition to federal stimulus spending, but he now is the manager of one of the biggest pots of federal gold in Texas: crime grants to local law enforcement agencies.
And those grants have become an integral part of Perry’s political machine.
Perry in the past has decided what law enforcement agencies receive about $23 million a year in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants. Now, because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Perry will have an additional $90 million to hand out.
While Perry’s office is the conduit for the federal money, the governor chooses which agencies receive the money and how it is spent. The political payoff has been great.
About $6 million in Byrne grants helped Perry win the endorsement of border sheriffs in 2006. Perry last year held a news conference to promote $557,000 in grant money he was giving to the San Antonio Police Department to target transnational gangs.
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What a piece of work. Wants to secede, want take stimulus money for unemployed(nothing but a showman). Now he is recieving money from the feds and wants more. Shut him down, lets end this B.S. next primary. We urge all Independents, Democrats and Hispanics to vote for Kay Bailey Hutchsion in the PRIMARY, We have to get rid of toll road Perry. Lets make history and end it for Perry in the primary. Then vote for the candidate of choice in the general election.