Governor Rick Perry has caused a stir in California during the past week. It began with a series of radio ads in which he encouraged businesses there to come to Texas, and then with an in-person trip to the Golden State to meet with business and industry leaders. But now the Texas governor is getting some flak from back here in the Lone Star State. The Democrat group Lone Star Project is running an ad in California this week during Perry's trip called "Gov. Oops," which apologizes for Perry "getting out again." The ad wraps up with a male voice in Texas drawl telling Californians, "Come to Texas, you'll love it just like we do....but don't count on Rick Perry's promises, we sure don't."
Matt Angle, director of Lone Star Project, tells KTRH his group has no problem promoting Texas, but they don't think that is the real purpose of Perry's trip. "It's a political escapade that's designed to make friends for his own campaign and his presidential aspirations, and really doing nothing to advance the interests of Texans,” he says. Angle also questions why Gov. Perry did not release any schedule of his meetings to the public, nor hold any public events while in California. "He's trying to test the waters and rehabilitate himself after his last embarrassing run for President in which he served as bad an ambassador as the state of Texas has ever had," says Angle.
Governor Perry's office says he is promoting the Texas business model in both the ads and first-hand meetings, and notes that the trip is paid for by the public-private partnership Texas One, and not by any taxpayer dollars. The governor met with business and industry leaders in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County during the four-day trek. But the Lone Star Project ad warns Californians to look out for Perry's "snake oil."
