While Perry might like to talk about the “Texas miracle,” the reality is it’s just another Texas Tall Tale. When he talks about the Texas economy, just remember that growth has been driven by factors he didn’t control - like rising oil prices and increased military spending. And those jobs he claims to have created are low wage jobs. In fact, Texas ties for the highest percentage of minimum wage jobs in the nation. When Americans look at restoring middle class security and the jobs of the future, this is hardly a miracle, it’s a recipe for more of the same.
REALITY: TEXAS’S JOB GROWTH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PERRY’S LEADERSHIP
Texas Job Growth “May Have Little To Do With Perry.” [ABC News, 7/8/11]
Major Economic Drivers Of Texas Growth “Were In Place Long Before Gov. Perry Took Office And Will Remain Long After He’s Gone.” [New York Times, 7/18/11]
USA Today Editorial: Texas’s Job Growth Is “Largely Attributable To Its Population Growth” As Well As “Factors That Have Virtually Nothing To Do With State Government Policies In Austin” Like Oil Prices And Proximity To Trading Partners. [Editorial, USA Today, 8/25/11]
* Texas’s Job Growth Is “The Result Of Hard-To-Duplicate Factors, Such As A Fast-Growing Population, And Unusually Low Wages.” [Bloomberg, 7/8/11]
REALITY: TEXAS HAS GROWN LOW-WAGE JOBS AND TIES FOR THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF MINIMUM WAGE JOBS
Under Perry, Texas’s “Employment Trends Shows Substantial Growth In Low-Wage Jobs.” [Dallas Morning News, 8/20/11]
2010: Texas Was Tied For The State With The Highest Percentage Of Minimum Wage Workers, At 9.5 Percent. [Bureau of Economic Analysis, Minimum Wage Workers In Texas – 2010, accessed 9/1/11]
REALITY: PERRY HAS GROWN GOVERNMENT JOBS FOR HIS “TEXAS MIRACLE”
Under Perry, “The Number Of Government Jobs In Texas Has Grown At More Than Double The Rate Of Private-Sector Employment During Perry’s Tenure.” [Washington Post, 8/18/2011]
* Under Perry, Government Job Growth Increased By 18.98%, While Private Sector Job Growth Increased By 7.96%. [data.bls.gov, 9/4/2011]
Since December 2007, Government Jobs In Texas Have Increased By 6.17%, While Private Sector Jobs Have Decreased By 0.66%. [data.bls.gov, 9/4/2011]
2010: Texas’s Largest Industry Was Government, Which Accounted For 11.8 Percent Of GDP. [Bureau of Economic Analysis, Top Five State Industries as a percent of Total GDP, 2010, accessed 9/1/11]
REALITY: TEXAS UNEMPLOYMENT HAS INCREASED SINCE THE END OF THE RECESSION, WHILE NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT HAS DECLINED
June 2009 – June 2011 Texas Unemployment Increased From 7.7 Percent To 8.2 Percent. [data.bls.gov, 8/17/2011]
Austin American-Statesman Headline: “Texas Unemployment Rate Hits Its Highest Mark Since 1987.” [Austin American-Statesman, 8/19/11]
* June 2009 To June 2011: While The Percentage Change In U.S. Unemployment Showed A 3% Decline, The Percentage Change In Texas Unemployment Showed A 6% Increase. [data.bls.gov, 8/17/2011]
REALITY: UNDER PERRY, TEXAS HAD THE HIGHEST RATE OF ANY STATE OF PEOPLE WITHOUT INSURANCE
2009: Texas Had The Highest Percentage Of People Without Health Insurance Of Any State In America, At 26%. [Kaiser Foundation, State Health Facts – 2009, accessed 8/31/11]
* 2009: Texas Had 6.2 Million Uninsured People. [Kaiser Foundation, State Health Facts – 2009, accessed, 8/31/11]
Under Perry, 2000 – 2009: The Percentage Of Texans Without Health Insurance Increased From 22.4% To 26.1%. [State Health Access Data Assistance Center, Current Population Survey Data – 2000 and 2009, accessed 8/31/11]
REALITY: TEXAS HAS 1.3 MILLION UNINSURED CHILDREN
2009: Texas Tied For The Highest Percentage Of Children Without Health Insurance Of Any State In America. [Kaiser Foundation, State Health Facts – 2009, accessed 8/31/11]
* 2009: Texas Had 1.3 Million Uninsured Children. [Kaiser Foundation, Texas State Profile, accessed, 8/31/11]
REALITY: TEXANS DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
2009: Texas Ranked 43rd Among States For Rate Of Physicians (Per 100,000 Population). [State Rankings, CQ, 8/11/11]
2009: Texas Ranked 44th Among States For Rate Of Registered Nurses (Per 100,000 Population). [State Rankings, CQ, 8/11/11]
2009: Texas Ranked 45th Among States For Rate Of Dentists (Per 100,000 Population). [State Rankings, CQ, 8/11/11]
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