Perry Is Owned By The Corporations

Rick Perry has jumped into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and he says he wants to bring jobs to America like he has done to Texas. That may sound like a wonderful promise, but beware of politicians bearing the gift of job creation. In Perry's case, it's not a promise most people would want him to keep.

Just look at the chart above and you can easily see where Perry's loyalties really lie. Since 1998, Perry has raked in an enormous $117,091,642 in campaign donations -- an enormous sum for a state politician who has never run for national office before. And almost all of that money comes from corporations. Nearly $12 million of that has come from the oil & gas industry (which explains why he is a sworn enemy of the Environmental Protection Agency).

As far as the jobs that have been created, they are jobs that only a corporate mogul or mean-spirited businessman could love. They are mostly minimum wage jobs with no benefits. In the last few years, Texas has created more minimum wage and no benefit jobs than all other states combined, and leads the nation in both the percentage and number of those kind of jobs. These are not jobs that anyone could support a family on, and in fact, it is doubtful even a single person could support himself/herself with a job like this.

Here in Texas we have known for years that Perry is completely owned by corporate interests. He has always sided with the corporations and against the health, safety, and financial well-being of ordinary citizens. If that is the kind of America you want, one ruled by corporate interests, then Perry is your candidate. But if you think all Americans deserve good jobs (with good benefits), safe working conditions, and clean air & water, then almost anyone would be preferable to Rick Perry.