One of Governor Perry's supporters came up with this song and video. Check it out:

A vote for Bill White is a vote to reward Barack Obama's Chicago-style politics, and make his overreaching liberal agenda easier to pass. A vote for Bill White is a vote for fiscal mismanagement and someone who is out of touch with Texans.

Get to the polls today, and vote for Texas Values, and Proven Leadership. Vote for Rick Perry!

October 21, 2010

When liberal trial lawyer Bill White ran for Houston mayor in 2003, he was asked, “Which city in the world could best serve as a role model for a future Houston?”

Bill White answer? “Chicago.” [1]

The video “Bill White’s Chicago Way” is available at www.YouTube.com:

“Liberal Bill White’s admiration for the Chicago Way was evident when he steered a contract following Hurricane Rita to a company he had a financial relationship with, then profited from a private investment in the company,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “While Houston mayor, Bill White met with two other followers of the Chicago Way, then-Senator Barack Obama and his future chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.”

The Associated Press has reported, “Barack Obama, before he became president, leads a list of luminaries who met with White in Houston during his six years leading the nation's fourth largest city, according to mayoral calendar records provided to The Associated Press by Perry's campaign. Former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and former Democratic presidential candidates Bill Richardson, John Edwards and Wesley Clark also made the list. There is a phone call with Caroline Kennedy and a meeting with Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who later became White House chief of staff.” [2]

SOURCING

[1] “Campaign notebook,” Houston Chronicle, 11/2/03

[2] “White's schedule included politics, too,” Associated Press, 10/9/10, http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/whites-schedule-included-po...

October 20, 2010

Liberal trial lawyer Bill White could not even rate President Barack Obama’s job performance on Tuesday, delivering a “windy, Harvard-lawyer explanation” rather than denounce policies that would be harmful to Texas.

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “But in a moment that might be a metaphor for White's campaign, viewers also saw him called out by moderator Christy Hoppe of The Dallas Morning News for turning a simple ‘lightning round’ question into a windy, Harvard-lawyer explanation of why he wouldn't rate President Barack Obama on a scale of 1 to 10. ‘Mayor White,’ Hoppe interrupted, ‘this is a lightning round.’” (SOURCE: “White may be lucky debate wasn't better watched,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10/20/10, http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/10/19/2560594/white-may-be-lucky-debat...)

“It’s not surprising that Bill White has chosen not to criticize President Obama considering he shares his liberal values and supports his policies,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Bill White met with then-Senator Obama in the Houston’s mayor’s office, advised his campaign on energy policy, wrote a memo explaining how to sell cap-and-trade to the public, traveled to the White House to promote the $787 billion stimulus, and said he supported the goals of Obamacare. Bill White’s support for President Obama and his liberal policies is completely out of touch with Texas values.”

October 14, 2010

“Bill White’s latest false attack ad from his trial lawyer friends is nothing more than an attempt to divert attention from the fact that Bill White profited from a company he had a financial relationship with in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “In order to respond immediately, the state of Texas used general revenue funds for expenses incurred in response to Hurricane Ike, funds that were later reimbursed by the federal government and returned to the state’s general revenue fund and appropriated by the Texas legislature.”

From H.B. 4586 passed by the 81st Texas legislature:

SECTION 6. PRESERVATION BOARD OR HISTORICAL COMMISSION: RESTORATION OF THE GOVERNOR ’S MANSION. Out of reimbursements received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for expenditures that were paid for with funds transferred from the Health and Human Services Commission to the Department of Public Safety during the state fiscal year ending August 31, 2009, an amount not to exceed $11,000,000 is appropriated for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act, in addition to other amounts appropriated for the state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2009, for costs associated with the restoration of the Governor’s Mansion. The appropriation is to: (1) the State Preservation Board, contingent on the enactment and becoming law of S.B. 2307 or similar legislation by the 81st Legislature in regular session that imposes responsibility on the State Preservation Board for the preservation and maintenance of the Governor’s Mansion; or (2) the Texas Historical Commission, if the 81st Legislature in regular session does not enact S.B. 2307 or similar legislation that becomes law that imposes responsibility on the State Preservation Board for the preservation and maintenance of the Governor’s Mansion.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/pdf/HB04586F.pdf#navpa...

S.B. 2307 became law May 27, 2009.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=SB...

October 13, 2010

Liberal trial lawyer Bill White’s top fundraiser was a constant presence in the Houston mayor’s office under Bill White, even participating in an official review of the city’s legislative agenda, according to Bill White’s official mayoral calendar.

As Associated Press analysis of Bill White’s calendar reports, “White's top Houston fundraiser, Herb Butrum, appears more than 140 times during White's tenure as mayor.” [1]

Specifically, on Nov. 3, 2004, Herb Butrum met with Bill White and the city’s director of government affairs in the mayor’s office to review the city’s legislative agenda. [2]

“Liberal Bill White never lets an opportunity to make money pass him by,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Allowing his top fundraiser to review the city of Houston’s legislative agenda in the mayor’s office is just one more example of Bill White’s willingness to profit from public service. Bill White’s history of unethical behavior also includes providing $10 million in incentives to a Boston company whose CEO made a maximum political contribution to his campaign weeks later, steering a contract to a company he had a financial relationship with following Hurricane Rita, and earning millions from a company under investigation by Congress while serving as mayor.”

The Houston Chronicle recently reported, “City Council approved White's plan last year to provide $10 million in incentives to a Boston company for a downtown development. The company's CEO contributed $3,400 to White's Senate campaign a few weeks later.” [3]

October 7, 2010

Texas Watchdog has released a new report titled, “Bill White's city of Houston travel forms missing business purpose, other details.” (Full report below and online at http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2010/10/bill-whites-city-of-houston-travel-...)

Included in the report is a $1,609.50 plane ticket Bill White used to travel to Washington, D.C., from Jan. 18-20, 2009. The airfare was purchased on Nov. 5, 2008, the day after President Obama was elected, and his inauguration was Jan. 20, 2009. [1]

Bill White’s official mayoral calendar reveals that while in Washington from Jan. 18-20, 2009, Bill White met with one of President Obama’s top fundraisers and held political meetings to benefit his campaign for the U.S. Senate. [2]

“Bill White needs to explain his political travel while mayor of Houston,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Throughout this campaign, Bill White has tried to re-invent himself, leaving questions unanswered about his business and political past. Bill White needs to come clean and apologize to the people of Houston for using the Mayor’s office as his own personal travel agency.”

On Jan. 19, 2009, Bill White met with Kirk Rudy, a top Obama fundraiser who helped introduce President Obama during an August 2010 fundraiser in Austin. [3, 4]

The night before, Bill White attended a dinner organized by his chief political fundraiser that the Houston Chronicle described like this: “There are other more intimate Texas-related happenings in the coming days, and one of the more interesting is a Sunday night dinner hosted by a handful of Texas couples at the swank Hay Adams Hotel. It’s been billed as everything from a salute to the Texas congressional delegation to a thank-you for Obama supporters from Texas. We hear, however that the underlying purpose of the gathering for around 100 is a salute to Houston Mayor Bill White and his wife, Andrea, as he tosses his hat into the ring for the U.S. Senate seat expected to be vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison.” [5]

October 6, 2010

Liberal trial lawyer Bill White yesterday said it is “bizarre” to expect him to release his taxes for his years in public service. (0:45 mark of video available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsur_8PZHhE)

On Aug. 24, Bill White admitted, “It is the public's business how I made money during the years I was Deputy Secretary of Energy.” (Video available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj22wO912Lg&hd=1)

Bill White has also admitted that he reported no taxable income in 1995 and even received a $24,200 refund despite earning an annual salary of $133,600 while serving in the Clinton Administration until August. [1]

“It’s just like a liberal trial lawyer to think it’s bizarre for the public to want to know how he made millions of dollars during his years in public service and why he didn’t pay taxes in 1995,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Bill White’s comments continue to demonstrate a candidate who is completely out of touch with the working men and women of Texas. Bill White should come clean with the people of Texas and release his tax returns for his years in public service.”

Bill White has a long and suspicious history of hiding the contents of his income tax returns.

On March 8, Bill White refused to release his income taxes when asked by the Houston Chronicle. [2]

On March 17, the Houston Chronicle reported that Bill White earned $2.6 million while mayor serving on the board of BJ Services, a company under investigation by Congress for lying to the EPA. [3]

On March 19, Bill White released only his 2009 tax returns, revealing he earned $83,000 from his former employer, the Wedge Group, in 2009. [4]

On June 8, when Bill White released his 2004-2008 tax returns, he admitted to the Associated Press that he earned more than $500,000 after investing in BTEC, a company he steered a taxpayer contract to following Hurricane Rita. The Wedge Group, which paid Bill White $81,854.65 in 2005, was the majority owner of BTEC at the time. [5, 6, 7]

On July 18, the Dallas Morning News reported that Bill White admitted he made millions from Frontera Resources, the company he formed to exploit his Washington contacts and do business in the Middle East. In 2003, Bill White said he hadn’t made a penny from Frontera. [8]

On July 19, the Associated Press reported that Bill White made profits from Frontera as far back as 1997. [9]

October 1, 2010

In a desperate attempt to avoid responsibility for the Houston Metro-gate scandal, liberal trial lawyer Bill White is falsely claiming “he didn't have anything to do with procurement at the agency.” [1]

Bill White’s official mayoral calendar includes a Metro procurement meeting held in the mayor’s office featuring Metro’s CEO and its Vice President for Procurement on Nov. 18, 2005. [2]

“When liberal Bill White was confronted with evidence that he reviewed an illegal contract that has jeopardized a $900 million grant and will cost $40 million to cancel, he falsely claimed he wasn’t involved with Metro procurement,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “When making this false statement, Bill White must have forgotten the Metro procurement meeting he held in his office with Metro’s CEO and its Vice President for Procurement.”

The Houston Chronicle previously reported: “A Feb. 26, 2009, calendar showed White meeting at the Metro headquarters with [Metro Chairman David] Wolff and others to ‘review Metro contract.’ Metro held a special meeting on March 4, 2009, to award the contract for the rail cars to a limited liability company owned by the Spanish firm Construcciones y Auxilliar de Ferrocarriles, also known as CAF.” [3]

On Jan. 23, 2004, Bill White appointed one of his largest campaign donors, David Wolff, to serve as Metro’s chairman. David Wolff and his wife contributed $15,000 to Bill White’s 2003 mayoral campaign, and since then have contributed an additional $35,000 to Bill White’s campaigns. [4, 5]

In his final days as mayor, Bill White begged Mayor-elect Annise Parker not to change Metro’s leadership. [6]

Days later, White accepted a $7,500 campaign contribution from David Wolff and a $7,500 contribution from Wolff’s wife. [7]

September 20, 2010

As details of the Houston Metro-gate scandal continue to emerge, liberal trial lawyer Bill White has yet to explain why he approved an illegal contract that will cost the agency at least $40 million.

“Liberal Bill White’s involvement in Metro-gate is documented by his official mayor calendar,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “The tab for the illegal behavior of Bill White and his hand-picked Metro leadership is at $40 million and counting.”

This weekend, the Houston Chronicle published a new report on Metro-gate titled, “On ex-chief’s watch, Metro derailed expansion plans.” (Full article below.)

The Houston Chronicle has previously reported:

A Feb. 26, 2009, calendar showed White meeting at the Metro headquarters with Wolff and others to "review Metro contract." Metro held a special meeting on March 4, 2009, to award the contract for the rail cars to a limited liability company owned by the Spanish firm Construcciones y Auxilliar de Ferrocarriles, also known as CAF.

September 17, 2010

During a radio interview Thursday, liberal trial lawyer Bill White referred to an unnamed “self-employed business” that he says lost him money in 1995 after he resigned his position as Deputy Secretary of Energy in the Clinton Administration.

Bill White said, “In the other half of the year, when I was out of government, I lost money, in my business, with a self-employed business. And so then I got a refund.” (Audio available at “Special interview with Bill White,” Trey Ware show, 550 KTSA, http://www.ktsa.com/pages/6305528.php)

“Bill White did not incorporate Frontera Resources until three days before Christmas in 1995, yet his campaign admits he did not pay taxes that year despite earning a six-figure annual salary serving as Deputy Secretary of Energy until August,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Was Bill White involved in another mystery business venture in 1995 that he has kept hidden from the public? Since Bill White refuses to release his taxes, the public has no way of learning the truth about Bill White’s shady business dealings or the accounting tricks he used to avoid paying taxes.”

Bill White resigned as Deputy Secretary of Energy on Aug. 11, 1995, but did not file articles of incorporation for Frontera Resources until Dec. 22, 1995. [1, 2]

The Deputy Secretary of Energy, a Level II position of the Executive Branch, had an annual salary of $133,600 in 1995. [3, 4]