Perry is Jetsetting for Texas, Maybe America Too [Politics]

Add to the list: he sure travels like a candidate. According to the Texas Tribune, Rick Perry's hefty traveling schedule has raised some eyebrows recently, especially as the governor has been unofficially roped into the running for the 2012 presidential election. The Tribune's nifty "Perry Tracker" estimates Perry will have made close to 50 stops in 21 states by November.

The Tracker keeps tabs on Perry's flights, most of which are paid for by Texans for Rick Perry, his state campaign organization. Perry can also accept in-kind donations from private funders, and Texas state laws prevent the public from accessing information about that money and how much of it is spent. The only restriction is that Perry may not accept gifts during the state legislative sessions that occur every other year.

And not just those numbers are locked away. The Tribune states that his flights and accommodations may be paid for by private citizens and organizations, but Texas taxpayers are footing the bill for Perry's security detail (via the Texas Department of Public Safety). And while they are required by law to submit a lump sum for Perry's charges, the Department, citing "security reasons," refuses to provide an itemized list of expenses.

The Texas Supreme Court recently sided with the Department, and the legislature passed a law sealing security expense reports for officials like Perry for 18 months.

Mark Miner, the governor's spokesperson, insists that Perry is out there pounding the pavement (and maybe the golf course) on Texas' behalf, not his own.

Keith Elkins from the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, has argued that Texans have the right to know where their tax dollars are going. His organization is just obtaining records from Perry's 2009 trips, one of which According to records obtained by this organization, for a 2005 trip to the Bahamas (where Perry reportedly discussed school finance), the security charges covered by taxpayers included a golf cart and scuba diving equipment.

According to Miner, Perry, who "hasn't made a decision" about 2012, requires only the "bare necessities" on his trips.