No surprise here:
Gov. Rick Perry warned Texas lawmakers Tuesday not to start making grand plans for the multibillion-dollar budget surplus and the growing Rainy Day Fund.
Addressing the state Senate on the opening day of the 2013 legislative session, Perry said special interest groups already are eyeing the excess cash as “the equivalent of ringing the dinner bell.”
“In the face of that kind of pressure, we have to remember that Monday’s revenue estimate is not a chance to spend freely but an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the very policies that made Texas economically strong,” the governor said. “It’s also a chance to put our fiscal house in order for years to come.”
Houston Senator John Whitmire criticized Perry's statement:
Perry's remarks ignore some pressing issues for the state . . .
"It's a good political speech, but the bottom line is we need to put more money into public education and deal with the dropout rate," he said, also saying, "There is not a state agency in this state that is being adequately funded."
