Can Texas Use the Rainy Day Fund to Fight Wildfires?
Hey, Texplainer: Why doesn’t Rick Perry use money from the state's Rainy Day Fund to help fight the wildfires and assist folks who have lost their homes?
Earlier this year, Gov. Rick Perry led the fight to prevent the state's Rainy Day Fund from being used to help fill the state's enormous budget shortfall for the 2012-13 biennium. After an earthquake and resulting tsunami devastated parts of Japan on March 11, Perry cited it as an example of the kind of unexpected catastrophe that could hit Texas — and a reason not to tap the state's ...
Comments (4)
A. Bryant
What is the difference in an unexpected catastrophe hitting Texas like a FIRE compared to an earthquake or tsunami? I would definately say Texas FIRES are an unexpected catastrophe! He won't spend it on education and we are at the bottom in the nation, well not completely; we are number 48th. Supercutsperry did not care, he knew he was leaving and thinks he is headed for the White House
gypsy314 ne
Texas should take care of Texans not wait for hand out from Obama the dictator. As a texan I say help Texans NOW
Stuart Greenfield
I'm quite sure that President Obama most critical task is to submit a suipplemental budget request for FEMA funds for TX. I assume he also believes that increasing the federal deficit is a better way to support Texans than for the State to access it's Rainy Day Fund. Either that or the Governor is waiting to see how much over a $1 billion will be deposited into the RDF this fiscal year.
kim edwards
Perry's comment about saving the rainy day fund for a natural disaster came in the middle of an intractable debate on how to fund the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association - TWIA - the insurer of last resort against wind damage (hurricanes) on the Texas Coast. Not many people realize that under the current legal structure, the State of Texas would actually be on the hook for billions of dollars of losses if TWIA did not have enough funds to pay out claims - hence the need to save the rainy day fund......The Legislature has tried to resolve the TWIA funding issue for the last several sessions- unsuccessfully. Luckily, Texas has not had a major storm while they bicker...... I guess that's the silver lining to no rain.......