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State rep asks Gov. Perry to repay Texans for GOP primary expenses

Updated: Monday, February 13 2012, 09:19 AM CST
A Texas state representative has asked Gov. Rick Perry to repay taxpayers for travel expenses related to his unsuccessful GOP presidential primary bid.

State Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, sent a letter to Gov. Perry’s office Monday morning welcoming him back home after dropping out of the Republican presidential race.

But after the pleasantries she made an admission that she too was a fiscal conservative, and a suggestion, that Gov. Perry put his money where his mouth is and repay the $2,692,376 he spent, according to Rep. Farrar’s letter, in his out-of-state campaign that was charged to Texas taxpayers.

She also asked him to return the $92,376 in retirement pension he received last year, something that is legal to do in Texas but has irked many.

Rep. Farrar’s letter asked him to use that money directly on essential public services like education, infrastructure, health services for the young and elderly, and disaster relief. All of those state services had budget cuts in the last legislative session.

When asked for a response, Gov. Perry's office said, "Not a dime of the governor’s political travel was borne by Texas taxpayers. Gov. Perry is governor no matter where he goes and the Department of Public Safety has a policy of providing security for governors and their families everywhere they travel, as they have back several administrations. These policies are determined by DPS and not the governor’s office. It’s unfortunate that we live in a day and age where security is an issue. We respect and appreciate the officers who provide security for the Governor and First Lady and other state officials, just as they’ve done for decades."State rep asks Gov. Perry to repay Texans for GOP primary expenses