Posted on 12/16/2011 9:58:43 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Yes, he’s still governor. He’s “retired” only for benefits purposes, which means he can start collecting his pension while he’s still collecting a salary. It’s perfectly legal. Just … unhelpful.
Perry makes a $150,000 annual gross salary as Texas govenor. Now, thanks to his early retirement, Perry, 61, gets a monthly retirement annuity of $7,698 before taxes, or $6,588 net. That raises his gross annual salary to more than $240,000…
[T]he disclosure is sure to spark criticism of Perry, who has called for sweeping changes to Social Security for average workers and has railed against special “perks” that members of Congress get.
“Perry was legally able to begin collecting the employee class annuity under the ‘rule of 80.’ The combination of his U.S. military service, state service and age exceeded 80 years and qualifies him for the annuity under Texas Government Code 813.503 as amended in 1991,” Sullivan said. “Perry continues to pay into the Employees Retirement System with a 6.5 percent withholding from his state salary.”…
“I do advocate totally rethinking the safety net, personal security programs completely,” Perry said in a November 2010 interview. “Why is the government collecting your tax money for retirement and health care programs? That’s not a stated constitutional role.”
He “retired” back in January, months before he decided to run for president. Had he known he was going to jump in and take withering fire from Romney on his entitlements rhetoric, I assume he’d have waited to start collecting. But it is what it is, and it’ll be thrown in his face every time the subject of Medicare or Social Security reform comes up. I don’t blame him for his logic: He paid in, he worked hard, he followed the rules, and now he wants his money. Problem is, that’s the same attitude seniors take towards federal entitlements, and if Perry beats Obama, he’ll suddenly be the guy tasked with convincing them to relax that attitude a bit in the name of our common fiscal good. How does he rally them to take one for the team and wait until, say, age 68 to enroll in Medicare if he couldn’t wait until finishing his term as governor to start taking his own pension? When I tweeted that a few hours ago, Perry fans jumped on me by answering that Democrats will smear him and attack the GOP viciously no matter what. Which is true, but how does that mitigate the potential damage here? An enemy armed with artillery is more dangerous than an enemy armed only with rifles, and this represents a bit of artillery for them insofar as they’ll use it to try to galvanize resentment against Perry’s supposed hypocrisy. Why do you think Gingrich couldn’t resist digging at Romney’s track record at Bain? Voters remember details to which they can relate personally, like pensions and layoffs. It’s not a liability that’ll sink Perry, but yeah, it’ll be used against him. Texas Democrats are already using it, in fact.
Exit question via Ace’s co-blogger Drew: “You think Chis Chistie might show up at a few events to talk about Perry’s pensions?”
(VIDEO AT LINK)
Not that I know of. :) What would you do if you were?
They wouldn't distort anything, would they?
/johnny
“That's been in place for decades. ... I don't find that to be out of the ordinary,” Perry said of the practice. “ERS called me and said, ‘Listen, you're eligible to access your retirement now with your military time and your time and service, and I think you would be rather foolish to not access what you've earned.’”
He asked for the Money. He put in the paperwork. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb! Collect Double Dips while running for President and calling a system that steals 12% of the average workers wages every year for forty plus years and returns a paltry $1,00. per month at age 67, if he or she is lucky enough to actually live that long.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/12/16/3601100/perry-drawing-state-retirement.html#ixzz1gm2I5NEd
Well, all media distorts according to their bias and agenda.
Also big in Texas:
Heroism, Freindliness, Faith, Patriotism.
Sorry if you weren’t fortunate enough to be from here.
Texas does that a lot. Like the Land Grant Colleges.
/johnny
Eleven years of the nineteen year service WAS FOR THE JOB HE HAS NOW, not his prior service. He is still doing the same job.
I know what I wouldn’t have done: Started drawing a double-dip pension right before I declared for president. I also wouldn’t have signed a bill that gives illegals in-state tuition at my state’s colleges.
I certainly can’t speak for all Texans, but I can’t help but believe that it would be best that you stay in your own state and defend it. :)
And BTW... I was 10 years old when I saw obvious differences in stories in the Startle-Gram and things I eyewitnessed 3 different times.
Amon Carter's newspaper is and has been crap since at least the '60s.
Quoting anything from them to me is like saying you don't know anything.
/johnny
With the state pension system we have two societies, those who retire with full wages and benefits in their fifties and those in the private sector that work till they are 67 to pay for their betters who happened to be lucky enough to get a job in the government.
I have no problem with it. If you pay into a retirement plan (401k or similar) and under the rules you’re eligible to get what you earned, why shouldn’t you take it?
That's from a trust paid into by employees.
And on their web page, they say that when it's over, it's over. The state isn't obligated. The state is just managing it.
/johnny
Facts are facts.
It is called a pension.
It is managed by the State of Texas.
He asked to receive a ‘PENSION CHECK’ while doing the job that qualified him for the check and pays him a nice $150K a year and some nice benefits as well.
It looks bad and stupid, and after his first few debate performances, he can not afford to look stupid.
Do not get me wrong, I think Perry is a good guy and would make a good president. But damn this looks bad.
...twern’t impressed none.
South Carolina on the other hand has soul and sweet wimmin’ and we is gonna stomp us some Aggie fanny now that a Texas school has joined the SEC.
/johnny
From what I can tell it doesn’t appear to be a double-dip. As a veteran yourself, I’d think that you’d appreciate that your service counts toward retirement.
It's just the media, and panty knot republicans that seem to have a problem with it.
And I think that's the purpose of the story.
/johnny
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.