A friend returned from a weekend in the country and reported that the natives are incensed that Rick and Anita Perry are renting a house for $10,000 a month or thereabouts while the Governor’s Mansion is being refurbished. He says the home folk are really hot about it. They see Perry as an out-of-control spender. I confess that this reaction never occurred to me. I decided that the temporary quarters weren’t worth blogging about.
To be rational about it, (1) they have to live somewhere; (2) the Mansion can’t be inexpensive to operate, and (3) if I’m going to criticize Rick, there are more pressing matters to complain about, such as the community college veto. So what if they live in a $1.5 million house in a gated community? Where are they supposed to live–in a double wide? He’s the head of state. He has to entertain. He has to have security. Apparently this is not the view in rural Texas. Out There, he’s seen as puttin’ on airs.
