Perry’s Working Retirement Sheds Light on a Perk
An obscure 1991 provision dealing with state pension benefits was only a few paragraphs long, and it escaped public notice at the time. Even the lawmakers who passed it said they did not know what the fine print accomplished until it became law.
But 20 years later, Gov. Rick Perry — and an elite group of other veteran politicians — can thank Government Code 813.503 for the lucrative pension benefits they are allowed to collect without leaving office.
Politicians’ pension records are private, so it is unknown how many are taking advantage of the provision. But any state representative, senator or ...
Comments (26)
Ken Collier via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's not a bystander in this process and when he spotted the loophole in the law he had the choice of fixing a wasteful law or cashing in. Part of being a public servant is thinking of someone other than yourself.
Carolyn F
So teachers are double dipping if they get their spouse's social security (unless they retire from a district that pays it), but the Governor of our fair state isn't? Teachers, by the way, cannot retire and then work full time at the same job immediately.
Governor Perry, just because a loophole exists, does that mean that as someone who campaigned against perks, that you should take it? You seemed to have no problem standing firm on not taking money from the Rainy Day fund because you thought it was "wrong." But funny, that money didn't go to fund your job.
Elizabeth Vernon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Rick Perry is a FIRM believer in the ENTITLEMENT SYSTEM (he is saying that he is entitled to this thing that he "earned"). Rick Perry is a huge, honking hypocrite. And, if he thinks that we think that the Legislature which is benefiting from this loop hole is going to eliminate it, he must think that we are rubes (and maybe he's right).
Ann Pittman-Thompson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If he was under the teacher retirement system, he wouldn't be able to do this indefinitely. Under that system there has to be a total break in service and one can usually work half-time or full-time for a short defined period of time. I truly don't believe he has any idea how hypocritical he is. His world is very small.
Suzanne Hardie Lander via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It definitely is inapropriate if your family doesn't need it.
Ginni Watson Robinson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Somebody tell me when it was that Perry actually worked. Depositing taxpayer money into your bank doesn't count.
Mark Pulliam via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Spoken like a typical public employee. Or worse, the moocher mentality of a welfare cheat.
MaryLou VandeRiet via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Perry is just another word for MOOCHER!!!!....
Rudy Gonzales
If Perry has a full-time job, he should not be able to receive retirement pay. This yet another example of TEA-GOP-Republican wanting to limit government and cut waste while fully taking advantage of the government in it ineptness.
jpt51
Perry is a H Y P O C R I T E!
Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Not that I think that there is anything proper with this law, I do have to say that I am now glad that Perry has decided to *milk* the system and bring this loophole to the forefront. It's been going on for years by state employees and has pissed me off for years. Perhaps now the taxpayers will become enraged enough to start hammering away at the Legislature to overturn this rule.
@Suzanne . . . in principle, it's just wrong on any level.
Kim Burkett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Unless you count talking out of both sides of your mouth and the ability to insert your head into your buttocks, Perry doesn't have any "specialized skills" that are valuable to the state of Texas that would require him to double dip. Force this hypocrite to really retire and stop turning this state into a third world country.
Cheryl Murray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thanks for another great article, Jay. I realize it's wishful thinking, but are any legislators pledging to fix this at the next opportunity?
Ronald Shenberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes, change it.
Rick Scott McGuckin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Perry- don't blame me, it's those legislators in Austin!
You suckle the government teat your whole career, turd blossom.
Jean Boling
I'm so sorry that an acting governor is so poverty-stricken that he has to take his pension early in order to "take care" of his family. I also find it hard to believe that no one was aware of this loophole until people started taking advantage of it. Someone wrote it in the first place: who?
Cath Cranford via Texas Tribune on Facebook
As he states that he would be "foolish" not to take advantage of the retirement benefits while drawing a 6 figure salary as gov, do you think he even ONCE thinks about Texans who are standing in the food bank lines and praying they can pay the rent for their families? WE are paying $10k a month for his high-dollar "digs" and our tax dollars also paying him 2 incomes would help a lot of people. Perry is totally disenfranchised from many of the people in the state. Shame on you, Perry.
Robert M. Barron II via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Typical politicians! Never fixing anything just taking the benefits. Republicans and Democrats! They are all criminals and need to go. We need term limits at all levels of government.
Nirav Patel
OUTRAGED
Merryl Redding via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Now that we know, we need to ask every candidate if they will address it. This is ridiculous!
tom brown
Perry is legitimately drawing the pay and benefits he has earned in accordance with laws. He did not engineer the laws (Bob Bullock did), to benefit himself. He is correct to take what is lawfully his. Sour grapes from political opponents aside, if a person retires from 5 jobs, s/he would be expected to, and should be able to draw earned benefits from all 5 jobs, including social security, private savings and investments. Politics is petty and constant harping on this only illustrates just how petty. Not many people give serious consideration to such 'revelations'. (Military employees draw military retirement, then earn and draw state retirement along with social security.) Give itt a rest.
T D
Tom, you're right to suggest that the hypocrisy here is a human failing and that most of us would take the money too.
But we're also "entitled" to point out the discrepancy when it involves someone who's not so tolerant of human failings in others. Someone who has made a very good career railing against those who free-ride on the government.
I'll be inclined to "give it a rest" when your friend is no longer living in a 10,000-a-month house at our expense, and resting somewhere on his own dime.
Cris Sleightholm
What an unethical man.......and he wanted to be president.
JC DemocratofTejas
Despicable that rick perry cuts welfare, education, social services, writes a book about the abuses of the federal government, claims to be a Christian, pads the state troopers with excess state funds, can't repair the Governor's Mansion because the "state has no money" to do so, yet we pay for a rental property in the gated hills of WestLake for $10,000 MONTHLY in rent, while this low life pandering, greedy, illiterate double dips state funds to live a lifestyle to which he believes he is entitled. Recall rick. He hurts Texas every time he appears in public, every time he opens his mouth. WAKE UP THE 39% that elected perry. What has he done for you? Well, unless you a a monied cronie also wanting to steal government funds and walk on the backs of the downtrodden. ENOUGH!
T. Randall Smith
Should have known that Bob Bullock's name would be in the woodpile of all this.
Jack Rips
In a time when public funds are so short and budgets have been cut to the bone so short that Perry fired 5000 teachers our Gov selfishly took advantage of a little known loop hole. He has lost all moral and ethical credibility to the people of Texas. Not only that but he owes the people of Texas for all of the security expense incurred during his failed Presidential campaign. Rick needs to head back to Paint Rock and hide under it..