Perry addresses American Legion, praises Texas economy

McALLEN — Politicians in Washington wish they had taken a Texan - or noninterventionist - approach to the current economic crisis, Gov. Rick Perry told a gathering of veterans Friday at the McAllen Convention Center.

Perry addressed the Texas Department of the American Legion during its 91st annual convention. His remarks came a day after Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Schieffer made a campaign stop in the Rio Grande Valley.

"I don't want to own an auto company," Perry said in reference to the auto bailout.

Texas is home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state and is the nation's top exporter, Perry said.

The governor, who served as a U.S. Air Force pilot, praised the state's veterans and recapped benefits passed for servicemen and servicewomen during the last legislative session.

Disabled veterans are now exempt from property tax, in-state tuition has been expanded to eligible family members of servicemen and servicewomen, and tuition has been waived completely for children of deployed service members, Perry said.

"Texas has a military tradition most states are hard pressed to match," he added.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Valley is home to over 46,000 veterans.

Perry will likely battle for a third term as governor against U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican primary.

A poll released Wednesday by the Texas Lyceum - a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide leadership organization - found that 33 percent of the 267 adult Texans who responded and said they were "certain" or "likely" to vote in the GOP primary favored Perry, compared to 21 percent in favor of Hutchison.

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Spence Kimball covers general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956)683-4423.