Glutton For Punishment

Texas Gov. Rick Perry sounds like he's set his sights on Washington yet again

Rick Perry took shots at the federal government during one of his last speeches as the governor of Texas.

Governor.state.tx.us

The Republican State Convention kicked off June 5 in Fort Worth with a speech from outgoing Texas Gov. Rick Perry, but he didn't sound like a career politician heading into retirement. On the contrary, he appeared to be setting the stage for his next campaign.

Perry's speech ran the gamut of hot-button political issues, covering education, the economy, environmental concerns and healthcare. His praise of Texas policies nearly always set up a dig at the federal government.

"The formula of higher taxes, more spending and massive debt has weighed down our economy, and puts our nation on course to the failed policies of Detroit and Greece. There is a better way, and it’s called the Texas Way," Perry said to a crowd of about 10,000 supporters.

"There is a better way, and it’s called the Texas Way," Gov. Rick Perry said.

Pointing to Texas' track record of creating jobs and building businesses, Perry highlighted the differences between federal polices and those in the Lone Star State.

"Since January, 2001, Texas has created 37 percent of the private sector jobs in America," he said. "Think about that for just a moment. We are home to one in 12 Americans, but three out of every eight new jobs in America reside in Texas."

Perry shied away from calling those figures the Texas Miracle, a phrase that has grown in popularity recently. Instead, Perry offered an alternate explanation for the Lone Star State's prosperity.

"We don’t spend all the money," he said. "We don’t tax beyond what is needed. We educate our children. We implement reasonable regulations and we stop frivolous lawsuits."

When he wasn't bashing Washington, Perry hit on education issues, calling out the success of Texas charter schools and naming KIPP Academy as an example.

"We haven’t forced students trapped in failing schools to accept a fate of mediocrity. Instead, we have approved over 200 charter schools across Texas, giving at-risk students a chance at life," he said.

Education is one of the few areas where Perry does support government intervention. "Government must do a few things, and do them well. It must fund good roads, reliable power, clean water and great schools," he said. "But government can’t be all things to all people. It can only create an environment where those who work hard and dream big have a shot at success."

Calling The Affordable Healthcare Act "federal blackmail," Perry put a positive spin on leaving millions of dollars on the table.

"Some states took the bait of ObamaCare, and expanded Medicaid. We did not," Perry said, adding. "Federal money is not free. It is the fruit of taxpayers’ labor."

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Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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