Rick Perry:
Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Perry would run the country the same way he ran Texas as its Governor. His economic policies are aligned with the Tea Party branch of the Republican party. Perry's plan is based on four principles:
- Don't spend all the money.
- Have a tax policy in place that doesn’t put undo burden on the job creators.
- Have a regulatory climate that is fair and predictable.
- Have a legal system in place that doesn’t allow for oversuing.
Perry's Economic Plan:
Perry would execute his four principles with these specific actions:
- Require all federal agencies to "identify and eliminate federal waste by justifying every taxpayer dollar spent."
- Repeal Obamacare. Perry believes employer-sponsored health plans are the best way to provide health care. He points out that creating jobs will reduce the strain on public safety net programs like Medicaid, saving taxpayer dollars.
- Opposes the "Buffett Rule," which would tax millionaires at the same rate as middle income taxpayers.
Impact on the Economy:
Perry's plan to cut the budget sounds similar to a program used during the Bush Administration, during which the debt nearly doubled. Even if Perry's plan is more successful, it might not be the right time to engage in constrictive fiscal policy that could lead to government layoffs that would increase unemployment.
Perry's approach to providing health care insurance is to create more jobs. However, not all jobs provide health care benenfits. This approach doesn't help the millions who are self-employed. Eliminating Obamacare won't necessarily create jobs if the demand isn't there. Perry's approach doesn't address rising health care costs, which could ultimately government costs to Medicare.
Perry, along with fellow Tea Party candidate Michele Bachmann, would eliminate the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act because it puts too much cost of compliance on small community banks. However, deregulation of big banks was a big factor contributing to the 2008 financial crisis. (Source: MSN)
Tax Cuts Alone Don't Create Jobs:
Perry's job creation strategy is to cut taxes. This is known as supply-side economic theory, which was used successfully during the Reagan Administration when the highest tax rates were above 50%. This theory is based on the Laffer Curve, which shows that tax cuts won't create jobs when tax rates are already low.
For example, jobs weren't created in 2011, even though the Bush tax cuts were extended. Instead, unemployment stayed stuck at 9% and economic growth stalled at 1% - 2%.
Perry Calls Fed Chair Bernanke a Traitor:
Perry agrees with fellow Republican Texan Ron Paul in his criticism of the Federal Reserve's lack of transparency. Perry went even further by saying, "If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I dunno what y'all would do to him in Iowa but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treasonous in my opinion." He said that the Fed's policies are ineffective. Instead of trying to stimulate the economy by "printing money," the Fed should let the private sector create jobs. (Source: Washington Post, "Perry Renews Fed Criticism," September 29, 2011)
Perry's Record as Texas Governor:
According to Perry, no other candidate for President can match his record on job creation since Texas created 40% of all the new jobs in the U.S. since June 2009. For nine straight years, Texas has led the nation in exports to foreign countries among the 50 states. In addition, Texas population growth has resulted in increases in teachers, police and doctors. It's also increased low-wage, high labor industries such as fast food restaurants. He established incentive funds to encourage employers to create thousands of jobs and invest in new technology. And he signed budgets that invested billions more in education, as well as some of the strongest lawsuit reforms in the country – including a “loser pay” law to cut down on frivolous lawsuits." (Source: Rick Perry for President 2012)
Perry has reduced state spending, balanced the budget and still left $6 billion in the state’s Rainy Day Fund. However, he can't take full credit for this, since the Texas Constitution requires a balanced budget. Much of the Rainy Day Fund will be used in the next legislative session. Perry also signed a historic property tax cut, and a tax cut for small businesses with less than $1 million in gross receipts. However, lawmakers also expanded the state’s business tax.(Source: The Texas Tribune, How Perry's Four Principles Compare to His Record, September 17, 2011)
Perry's Background:
Rick Perry "grew up without indoor plumbing the first five years of his life, wore clothes hand-sewn by his mother, and was even bathed in a number 2 washtub as a young boy." His parents were tenant farmers. Despite this impoverished upbringing, Perry received a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University in 1972. He served 5 years in the Air Force. He was a "conservative Reagan Democrat" when elected to as a State Representative for three terms. He became a Republican before being elected Agriculture Commissioner in 1990 and 1994. He was the first Republican Lieutenant Governor in 1998, becoming governor in 2000 when George W. Bush resigned to become President. Perry has remained Governor ever since. (Source: Rick Perry for President) (Article updated September 29, 2011)
Other Republican 2012 Presidential Candidates and Policies:
- Herman Cain
- Mitt Romney
- Learn About the Fair Tax and the Flat Tax
