Why Does Perry Get To break The Rules ?

You may have heard by now that Texas Governor Rick Perry has become a "double-dipper" -- someone who collects both a salary and a retirement pension from the state. Last January, the governor "retired" and began receiving about $7500.00 a month in a retirement annuity -- in addition to his $150,000 a year salary as governor.

When this became known publicly (thanks to a financial disclosure form that presidential candidates must submit), Perry's aides were quick to point out that he had done nothing illegal. A quirk of Texas law allows any person who's age and years of state service add up to 80 to retire and begin collecting their pension. They may then be rehired by the state if their boss considers it to be in the best interests of the state. Perry is not the first "double-dipper" and certainly won't be the last.

But that does not mean he didn't break the rules that are in place for retirees. Unless the governor doesn't have to obey the same rules that all other state employees must abide by, there are a couple of regulations that he seems to have ignored.

1. No employee can access his retirement pension until he has been out of government service for a minimum of 90 days. Anyone who returns to working for the state before 90 days will not receive his pension annuity. I know this is the law because I worked for the state of Texas for over 25 years, and when I retired my pension annuity did not start for 90 days.

2. There is no special right to return to government service, even after waiting the 90 days. It is up to the returnee's boss as to whether he/she will be rehired or not.

This naturally brings up a couple of questions. When did the governor retire serve the 90 day waiting period before returning to work for the state? Frankly, I don't remember him doing this at all. And when after his retirement did his bosses (the people of Texas) rehire him? Wouldn't that have required an election? I don't remember any election to restore a retired governor to power.

It seems quite obvious that Perry doesn't think he needs to abide by the rules the legislature and retirement system have put in place for state employees. Why not? Do we really want our governor to have special privileges to avoid obeying the rules and laws that everyone else must obey?