Rick Perry Doubled Texas’ Debt, Then Balanced Budget Through Accounting Gimmicks

Rick Perry Doubled Texas’ Debt, Then Balanced Budget Through Accounting Gimmicks
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/07/06/261752/perry-budget-accounting-gimmicks/

Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Republican lawmakers completely failed to keep their promise not to “kick the can” down the road when it came to solving the largest budget shortfall in the state’s history. That’s according to a new Associated Press report, which concludes that Perry and the GOP legislature largely balanced the state’s budget through flimsy accounting gimmicks that do nothing to secure Texas’ financial footing.

The self-professed fiscal conservatives resorted to tactics like delaying a $2.3 billion payment to schools by one day to technically push it into the next fiscal year and keep it off the books of this budget. They also “found” $800 million by ordering the state’s accountants to forecast a faster increase in land values to show more property tax income:

Gov. Rick Perry signed a budget that was balanced only through accounting maneuvers, rewriting school funding laws, ignoring a growing population and delaying payments on bills coming due in 2013.

It accomplishes, however, what the Republican majority wanted most: It did not raise taxes, took little from the Rainy Day Fund and shifted any future deficits onto the next Legislature.

I ask because
1) Gov. Perry could probably be a front-runner for the GOP nomination if he chose to pursue it,
2) Democratic messaging has been known to bungle on important issues,
3) ergo someone should start taking this issue seriously before next October