The Absentee Governor

Rick Perry is no longer running for president. When he quit, some of us dreded his return to Texas -- afraid he would once again train his incompetence on running this state and make the state even worse off than it already is (and believe me, it's a mess). But it looks like we need not have worried. It looks like Perry has every intention of continuing his absence from his office and his duties. The Dallas Morning News (a conservative-leaning newspaper) found the following:

A review of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's official state calendar conjures an image of an absentee governor.


In the first 16 days since abandoning his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, Perry has been to his office just three times and stayed no longer than three hours each time, The Dallas Morning News ( http://dallasne.ws/A3DNwz) reported in Sunday's edition.


Citing Perry's own state calendars, The News reported Perry has barely returned to his Capitol office in Austin after spending almost six months away campaigning for the presidential nomination. In 11 of the days since, his schedule shows no state meetings, phone calls or other events. In the five days thereafter, he is shown engaging in 10 hours of state business spread over three days.


One day, he taped a message for the El Pasoan of the Year. He toured a racetrack under construction near Austin another day.


Perry may be leaving state policy to his minions and focusing more on politics. Although he keeps a separate political schedule not reflected on the public record, The News reports that interviews show he has spent time since returning to Texas calling financial and political backers to thank them for their support of his presidential campaign.


On Feb. 9, Perry went to Washington, D.C., to address Republican members of the Texas congressional delegation and a conference of conservative political activists. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to travel to Arizona to support Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign.


Perry receives a salary of nearly $133,000 per year as governor and a state pension of $7,700 per month.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. As a citizen of Texas (and considering his incompetence and pro-corporate right-wing political ideology), I would much prefer paying Governor Perry to do nothing than to attempt to do his job. But it is rather sad to note that his absenteeism is a marked improvement over his attempts at governing.