the tindog coffeehouse

Texas Governor Rick Perry campaigned vigorously against the massive $787,000,000,000 “stimulus bill” signed into law Tuesday, but now that the funds have been approved, he’s more than willing to accept the state’s share of the money.

“As I have said during the debate on (the stimulus package), should Congress pass stimulus legislation using Texas tax dollars, I would work to ensure that our citizens receive their fair share,” Perry wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama.

Legislative leaders estimate that the stimulus bill could deliver almost $17 billion to the state budget, including billions for Medicaid, education and transportation. Lawmakers are just starting to see how the money might fit into the state budget. …

“We have begun the process today of accepting the funds,” Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said. “However, the governor only wants those funds that can be used for one-time expenditures that don’t obligate the state to ongoing costs long after the federal funding has dried up.”

Using it for one-time expenses or not, is it hypocritical for the governor to accept any of the money? After all, as he recently wrote in an op-ed piece for the Washington Times:

I am convinced that those who believe in big government have little faith in self-governance. Their philosophy says that government should do what a man can’t – or won’t – do for himself.

Perhaps I’m jaded, but I believe that the gush of taxpayer dollars issuing forth from Washington is not driven by compassion, but from an unspoken belief that Americans are not smart enough to govern their own lives, strong enough to take some risk or compassionate enough to help neighbors in need.

On the surface it certainly appears hypocritical. If you really believe that Americans are smart enough to govern their lives and strong enough to take the necessary risks to help themselves, then there should be no need for a $17 billion federal handout, right?

Of course, it’s not that simple. For Perry, who’s facing a fierce challenge from Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison for the governor’s office in 2010, it’s a no-win situation. If he takes the money, then he looks like a hypocrite and also gives Hutchison massive ammunition in what has already become a nasty primary season. If he rejects the money on principle, however, he risks coming up short on funds in critical areas such as transportation and education. Plus, he would most certainly be angering a large number of voters who stand to benefit from the money. (And if the 2006 election is any indication, Perry doesn’t have much political capital to spare.)

So what’s a conservative governor to do? I think the only option is to accept the money for one-time expenses as Perry is doing. Yeah, he might have some ’splainin’ to do to fend off the resulting criticism, but the cost of not accepting the money would be much more devastating.

Previously:
When will Kay Bailey Hutchison resign?