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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Free Food

Food Bank to host summer food giveaway at UNT Dallas campus

Photo by Michael Martin

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Two Dallas organizations are partnering on a big summer food giveaway: The North Texas Food Bank is joining forces with the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) with a mobile food distribution event at the UNT Dallas campus on Friday, July 18.

UNT Dallas and the NTFB already host a drive-through mobile pantry each month, but this one is specifically focused on children who are out of school for the summer.

Each participating family will receive about 60 pounds of food, including fresh produce, to help fill the gap left when school-provided meals are unavailable.

So far this year, the monthly mobile pantry events at UNT Dallas have provided approximately 140,000 pounds of food to more than 1,500 families and 7,000 people. Long lines usually form on University Hills Blvd. well before the gates open.

UNT Dallas has partnered with NTFB since 2020, hosting monthly mobile food distributions on campus. Each event is supported by student, faculty, and staff volunteers, providing relief to campus and community members. The university also operates the Trailblazers Care Pantry, an on-campus resource that provides groceries, hygiene products, and a Career Closet for students preparing for interviews or internships.

A recent Feeding America study found that Texas has the highest number of food-insecure people of any state, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks third in the nation. Within NTFB’s 12-county service area, nearly 744,000 people, including more than 250,000 children, don’t always know where their next meal will come from. Over 60 percent of that population lives in Dallas County.

The July 18 food distribution is first-come, first-served, and no ID or pre-registration is required. Participants must arrive in a vehicle, as this is a drive-through-only event. It'll run from 8-11 am, or while supplies last, at the UNT Dallas campus in southern Dallas, at 7300 University Hills Blvd.

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