DALLAS — Evoking the spirit of pioneers and recalling his humble origins in Paint Creek, Texas, Gov. Rick Perry hailed the state's accomplishments during his record 14 years in office as he delivered a farewell address to the Texas Legislature Jan. 15.
"When I was young, we didn't have electricity or running water," Perry recalled. "Mom bathed us in a number two washtub. And we attended the Paint Creek Rural School, where some of the teachers lived on campus. I'm proud to say I graduated in the top ten of my class -- of 13 students. I can assure you none of my teachers knew they were instructing a future governor."
The valedictory was seen by some political observers as a prelude to another run for president after an aborted attempt in 2012. Perry did not talk about his future plans.
While reciting a litany of economic accomplishments - including the state's creation of more than a third of new American jobs since the 2008 recession - Perry avoided mention of the current decline in oil prices that has brought warnings of another possible downturn in the state. However, he did allude to previous fiscal crises.
"The difference between the great recession of the last decade, and the recession of the 1980's is that we have built a more diverse economy able to survive even those inevitable slowdowns," he said. "Two times during my tenure as governor we have faced major budget shortfalls, and both times we addressed those shortfalls without raising taxes. Today, the Rainy Day Fund is flush with billions in cash just four years after a $27 billion budget shortfall."
The governor, who was often criticized for his political fundraising in private industry and the appointment of close associates to regulatory boards, took credit for promoting the widespread use of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" in the state while taking a jab at his counterpart in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
"If you wonder whether leadership in a governor's office can impact economic growth, consider two states that share the Marcellus Shale: Pennsylvania and New York," Perry said. "Pennsylvania is creating thousands of energy jobs by utilizing fracking to tap deep energy reserves. On the other hand, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, recently announced a fracking ban. Two states, two vastly different approaches. One creates jobs. One appeases a political base at the expense of the people. In Texas, we have chosen jobs. We have chosen energy security and we will one day end America's dependence on hostile sources of foreign energy."
Perry acknowledged that he came to the Texas Legislature as a Democrat 30 years ago and left as a Republican, but insisted that he was a "conservative" throughout his time in office.
Texas should be in good hands with his successor Greg Abbott, Perry said.
Veering from the hard-right rhetoric of the past, including veiled threats to secede from the union, Perry quoted Abraham Lincoln and encouraged cooperation between the parties, even speaking favorably of "compromise."
"I speak to members of my own party in asking that you do not place purity ahead of unity," he said. "Ronald Reagan knew that someone who agreed with him 80% of the time was not his enemy, but his friend. Compromise is not a dirty word if it moves Texas forward. If members of this body work across party lines and put Texas first, I believe the best is yet to come."
