How do the SCF conservatives feel about Rick Perry?

[mrveggieman]

Sorry for the duplicate posts.

[pghin08]

In the end he kept his promise and balanced it without raising taxes. There are a lot of states that received stimulus money plus raised taxes and they are still in just as much trouble as they were before.

I give him credit for at least using the money to accomplish something. All they have done with stimulus money here in WV is repave roads and put up signs telling us that the funding came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

I understand that, but he railed against the stimulus, then used it to his political advantage. There were a couple governors who rejected the stimulus money. Balancing a budget with emergency stimulus (aka taxpayer) money isn't really a huge accomplishment to me. If someone gave you $100,000, would your wife congratulate you for not exceeding the family's yearly budget? Probably not.

I'm not saying that other people didn't do far worse, you're right, some states sucked up the stimulus at a rapid pace and were left with massive problems still. I just don't see Perry balancing the budget as a big deal. I'd trust a few other Republicans' financial savvy (Gary Johnson and maybe even Romney) before Perry's.

[AUTaxMan]

Don't know enough to have formed an opinion.

[tutall]

I understand that, but he railed against the stimulus, then used it to his political advantage. There were a couple governors who rejected the stimulus money. Balancing a budget with emergency stimulus (aka taxpayer) money isn't really a huge accomplishment to me. If someone gave you $100,000, would your wife congratulate you for not exceeding the family's yearly budget? Probably not.

I'm not saying that other people didn't do far worse, you're right, some states sucked up the stimulus at a rapid pace and were left with massive problems still. I just don't see Perry balancing the budget as a big deal. I'd trust a few other Republicans' financial savvy (Gary Johnson and maybe even Romney) before Perry's.

Here is my opinion on the stimulus... The pie was set and put into play... Congress set aside a dollar amount and divided it up between the states.... If a state chooses to not take the money it isnt like the money goes back in the pot and gets spent on something actually needed.... It would have been passed to another state... If I was in a state that rejected money I would be ticked... All the federal dollars you pay in suddenly end up in New Jersey to build a road that you could have benefitted from... Just my opinion but if Perry would have rejected the money the same people yelling now that he took and spent it would be yelling that he rejected money that could have helped his state.

[pghin08]

Here is my opinion on the stimulus... The pie was set and put into play... Congress set aside a dollar amount and divided it up between the states.... If a state chooses to not take the money it isnt like the money goes back in the pot and gets spent on something actually needed.... It would have been passed to another state... If I was in a state that rejected money I would be ticked... All the federal dollars you pay in suddenly end up in New Jersey to build a road that you could have benefitted from... Just my opinion but if Perry would have rejected the money the same people yelling now that he took and spent it would be yelling that he rejected money that could have helped his state.

I agree with you 110% The money was there for a reason. I just don't think it should be seen as a big accomplishment (as I'm sure he'll champion it as) to balance the state budget using stimulus money. I think he absolutely did the right thing in using it though.

[tutall]

I agree with you 110% The money was there for a reason. I just don't think it should be seen as a big accomplishment (as I'm sure he'll champion it as) to balance the state budget using stimulus money. I think he absolutely did the right thing in using it though.

In a case of the lesser of two evils though... I am glad he decided to use the money to balance the budget instead of most states who blew through it and are still in debt today.

[pghin08]

In a case of the lesser of two evils though... I am glad he decided to use the money to balance the budget instead of most states who blew through it and are still in debt today.

Absolutely, I'll definitely give him that.

[Star_Cards]

I knew nothing of this guy until really this past week and a half or so, but after seeing some video of him (and not really anything about his political opinions) I think we are looking at the GOP nomination. You can usually tell who will get the nod just by their look and demeanor. I've always thought that a lot of people vote with that in mind rather than the actual important stuff. Of course I could be wrong and he could have a crazy misstep or something but that's how I see it.