How Rick Perry Became A Millionaire

Business Insider ^ | Aug. 29, 2011 | Grace Wyler

[BarnacleCenturion]

On the campaign trail, 2012 presidential hopeful Rick Perry plays up his humble roots as a dryland cotton farmer from rural Texas. He rarely, if ever, mentions that he has become a pretty savvy real estate investor during his more than 25 years in office.

The Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that Perry's income has soared as he has climbed the political ladder in Austin, thanks largely to a handful of lucrative real estate deals that have made him a millionaire.

When Perry was first elected to office in 1985, as a state representative from Haskell, he and his wife Anita were far from rich, reporting a total income of $45,244. To save money, the future governor shared an apartment in Austin with two other state lawmakers, while his wife worked as a nurse.

[svcw]

So Perry saw opportunities,took the risk, invested and they paid off and now he is rich....I do not get why that’s a negative.

[jennychase]

Perry and Obama think alike.

[palmer]

Since this wasn’t published a year ago, you’ll have to come up with a new reason why this isn’t a smear piece.

[lonestar]

The way the Austin area has grown in the past 25 years, Forrest Gump coulsd have become a millionaire in real estate investments.

[tje]

This is an attempt to make him look corrupt. Wasn’t that a talking point or something?

[deport]

To save money, the future governor shared an apartment in Austin with two other state lawmakers,

---

Isn’t that the way it’s done with most state legislators especially those states that meet only for 140 days every two years? It would be common to find legislators that shared living quarters on a part time basis I’d think.

[piytar]

“So Perry saw opportunities, took the risk, invested and they paid off and now he is rich....I do not get why that’s a negative.”

On the left, because he’s not Obama, Clinton, or some other marxist. On the right, because he’s not sufficiently libertarian for the Paulians, not sufficiently middle of the road for the MittBots, not suffificently anti-illegal for some conservatives, and not Palin for the Palinistas (of which I’m a nominal member, but I’d happily vote for Perry, too).

PS The charge about illegals has some merit, but mostly is the fault of the fedgov and Texas having to deal with the inevitable consequences of fedgov policy. His DREAM act has some radically different limits than the proposed fedgov one, too, but none of the Perry haters cares.

[piytar]

“Isn’t that the way it’s done with most state legislators especially those states that meet only for 140 days every two years? It would be common to find legislators that shared living quarters on a part time basis I’d think.”

Huh? Seriously, what? First, only Texas has such a restricted legislative schedule. Second, no, adult legislators usually don’t share living quarters.

Was there some /sarc here? If so, I for one missed it.

[Grunthor]

So he’s smart too? Win friggin’ win, baby!

[SlightOfTongue]

PERRY = NAU

[ken21]

some po’ folks resent others working and making money.

[DouglasKC]

hmmm...sounds a lot like crony capitalism doesn’t it?

[Louis Foxwell]

Taking advantage of political position is corrupt. This is the very crony capitalization Sarah is railing against.

[freespirited]

So Perry saw opportunities,took the risk, invested and they paid off and now he is rich....I do not get why that’s a negative.

OK I'll try to offer a little insight.

To the left, the only acceptable ways to make money are with intellectual pursuits. So people who get rich from practicing law or writing books are admired. Those who get rich selling toothpaste or real estate are considered robber barons who profited from inside info and connections.

All we can do is laugh at them.

[Soul of the South]

Show me the politician of any party who has been active at the high levels of state elected office or at national level for 25 years who isn’t a millionaire. Obama’s net worth was $1.5 million when he was a US Senator from Illinois. Today it is approaching $10 million.

Lyndon Johnson arrived in Washington with nothing and retired a wealthy man with a large ranch. Richard Nixon’s circumstances were modest when he was Vice President (remember Pat’s cloth coat and Checkers the dog). As President he had vacation homes in Key Biscayne, FL and San Clemente, CA. Bill and Hillary had nothing when they moved to Arkansas yet they were millionaires by the time Bill became President and have made several fortunes since he left office. Somehow our Congressmen and women support homes in DC and the home district on salaries below Obama’s $250K “rich” and many amass fortunes of several million dollars through wise “investing”.

The reality is once you have political power, those who need access to that power will make sure you invest your money wisely. The entire system is corrupt. All of the politicians of both parties are part of the same system - Perry, Palin, Clinton, Obama, Biden etc. No matter how modest they start, or what they claim to be, they all seem to become very wealthy while “serving the people.” Don’t believe for a minute that whoever becomes President from the Republican field doesn’t owe a few favors.

[svcw]

So taking a risk, investing and getting rich is crony capitalization, who would have thunk it.

[Liz]

HOW STATE GOVERNORS GET TO BE MILLIONAIRES
Gov Rick Perry partnered with Rudi Giuliani to fix the deal for Texas roads

REFERENCE Bracewell & Giuliani Firm Advises Cintra in First Privatization of Toll Road in Texas

DALLAS (March 1, 2007) Bracewell & Giuliani LLP (Texas-based law firm with global connections) advised Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A., a Spanish transportation company, in its successful bid to develop Texas State Highway 121 into a toll road through Collin and Denton counties.

The award to Cintra, approved by the Texas Transportation Commission, is the first privatization of a Texas toll road.

Bracewell is acting as project counsel to Cintra with respect to the 50-year concession from the Texas Dept of Transportation. Cintra will pay a $2.1 billion upfront and annual lease payments totaling $700 million. "Cintra was awarded this project because of its proven expertise and competitive proposal," said Thomas O. Moore, partner with Bracewell & Giuliani. "This is the largest transportation deal of 2007. This is one of only five deals in the country."

SOURCE http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1803916/posts

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TEXAS Gov Perry rapped for paving way for construction of Trans-Texas Corridor
One News Now ^ | August 24, 2007 | Chad Groening
FR Posted on 08/25/2007 by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Texas Governor Rick Perry is being called to task by an author and investigative journalist for vetoing bills that would have blocked construction of the controversial Trans-Texas Corridor.

Dr. Jerome Corsi has been one of the leading voices warning the American public about the consequences of the Trans-Texas Corridor, which will be part of a superhighway -- purported to be four football fields wide -- that will allow Mexican trucks to enter the U.S. and traverse the core of the country all the way to Canada.

The best-selling author asserts that Governor Perry cleared the way for construction to begin in his state when he vetoed several bills passed by the Legislature that would have stalled the project.

"Governor Perry has been 100 percent gung-ho in building this road," says Corsi. "The Legislature voted a two-year moratorium, it voted a redefinition of eminent domain -- [and] Governor Perry vetoed them. [On] at least one of those measures, he waited until the Texas Legislature was out of session so it couldn't even override his veto."

Corsi says it is unfortunate that there has been political pressure to get the project started. "The Federal Highway Administration's lawyer wrote letters threatening the Texas Legislature to cut off federal highway funds if they got in the way of this Trans-Texas Corridor," he says.

Corsi believes the same pressure will be applied on other states, like Oklahoma, to go along with the project. He suggests that would mean a loss of more American jobs and could pose a threat to U.S. sovereignty.####

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Perry also endorsed 2008 prez candidate Giuliani
even though Giuli had no decent hair to speak of.

[Cheetahcat]

Where there is smoke there is Fire!

[freespirited]

hmmm...sounds a lot like crony capitalism doesn’t it?

Not to me.