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Texas Democrats React To Perry Announcement

Photo by clockwerks http://www.flickr.com/photos/clockwerks/

Democrats are pointing to the consequences of massive state budget cuts as it seeks to undermine the Perry campaign's argument about economic growth in this state.

“Gov. Perry has done incredible damage to education—from kindergarten through high school and from college through graduate school," Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) said in a statement after Perry's announcement.

“He wants to eliminate Medicare, privatize Social Security, and continue to subsidize his corporate cronies, while cutting  everything that helps working Texas families," Doggett said.

Doggett is fighting to keep his seat after Democratic-leaning Travis County was split into five separate Congressional districts by the Republican dominated state legislature.

But his message is consistent with what Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Kirstin Gray said earlier in the week after Perry spokesman Mark Miner confirmed the Governor's intention to run.

“The real 'Texas miracle' is that the Governor dares talk about our jobs, after demanding a state budget that will lay off tens of thousands of our teachers and kill hundreds of thousands of jobs," Graysaid in a statement.

The Texas legislature passed a two-year budget that didn't raise taxes, but did include $15 billion in cuts to government services, including a $4 billion reduction in public education.

 

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
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