Making an Impact

The suit, filed against Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott... accuses Abbott of targeting minority voters in his prosecution of the provisions in a "deliberate campaign to suppress the minority vote."...

The group behind the lawsuit is the Lone Star Project
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9/22/2006)

The Democrats at the Lone Star Project say U.S. Attorney General Al Gonzales and U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton in San Antonio blew their chance to bring justice to the Texas Youth Commission sexual abuse case.
(Houston Chronicle Blog, 3/15/2007)

David Dewhurst has said most Texans don't have much sympathy "for someone who that can't fill out a two page [health insurance] application every six months".

The Democrat-supported Lone Star Project in Washington reported this week that Dewhurst failed to file necessary forms at least six times in recent years.
(San Antonio Expres News,, 4/12/2007)

The Justice staff memo was obtained by the Lone Star Project ...The story broke the same day the U.S. Supreme Court was considering legal challenges to the plan brought by Democrats and minority groups.
(Houston Chronicle, 12/3/2005)

The Texas chapter of the NAACP, along with the Lone Star Project, have analyzed the amicus brief filed by the Justice Department and have concluded, justifiably, that the Voting Rights section of the Justice Department is now controlled by partisan political appointees.
(Roll Call - Donna Brazile, 2/28/2006)

Using the Lone Star Project as an information clearinghouse for all things DeLay. The organization "particularly became relevant as the unethical activities of Tom DeLay came more to light."
(The Fix – Washington Post,3/6/2006)

What's more, the relevant 73-page memo "has been kept under tight wraps" since then. That memo is now publicly available, here in PDF at the Lone Star Project.
(Hotline, 12/2/2005)

Rick Perry Airs Misleading Ad
Facts Dispute Perry Claims

Last week, Rick Perry began airing a television ad bragging and taking credit for everything from tax cuts to teacher pay. The Lone Star Project analyzed the ad and found that it simply does not stand up to close scrutiny. Perry's comments are consistently deceptive and incomplete.

A video "fact check" of the Perry ad can be viewed below. We have also included a written transcript of the Perry ad with each claim "fact checked" by the Lone Star Project.

Perry Ad Fact Check

Click for the Lone Star Project Fact Check Video

Claim 1 - Deceptive
Rick Perry: A fifteen billion dollar tax cut and more money for our schools. We kept our promises to you. The average homeowner will receive a two thousand dollar tax cut.

Fact: The average Texas homeowner will receive only a $150 property tax cut this year.
Source:
"[John] Sharp [Perry appointed Chairman of the Texas Tax Reform Commission] said the owner of an average home, which he described as appraised at about $118,000, would save about $150 in property taxes in the first year." (Source: Austin American-Statesman, Friday, May 26, 2006 )

Claim 2 - Deceptive and Incomplete
Rick Perry: Every teacher will receive a well deserved pay raise.

Fact: Texas Teachers will still be paid $4,000 less than the national average.
Source:
Average Salaries ($) of Public School Teachers, 2004-05
National Education Association

Rank	State	Average Salary
	U.S. AVERAGE	47,808
33	TEXAS	41,009

(Source: National Education Assn. Statistical Ranking of the States http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/05rankings-update.pdf)

Claim 3 - Deceptive
Rick Perry: We closed corporate loopholes
Fact: Big banks, insurance companies and large landowners will receive more than $800 million in tax cuts.
Source:

Texas Legislative Budget Board
Tax/Fee Equity Note HB1 and HB3

	Change in Liability Under HB 1 [in $ Millions]	Change in Liability Under HB 3 [in $ Millions]	Net Change in Liability Under HB1 and 3 [in $ Millions]
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	-961.6	160.1	-801.5

(Source: Texas Legislative Budget Board
Tax/Fee Equity Note HB1 and HB3)

Claim 4 - Deceptive and Incomplete
Rick Perry: and created new protections to keep taxes low.

Fact: Texas has the 8th highest sales tax rate - higher than New York, Michigan and Massachusetts.
Source:

Federation of Tax Administrators,
State Sales Tax Rates
January 1, 2006

Rank	State	Tax Rates
40	NEW YORK	4
29	MASSACHUSETTS	5
14	MICHIGAN	6
8	TEXAS	6.25

( Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Unemployment
Rates for States Apr. 2006)

Claim 5 - Deceptive and Incomplete
Rick Perry: And we're protecting our job climate. The best in the nation.

Fact: Texas unemployment ranks 38th - worse than Oklahoma, Alabama and West Virginia.
Source:

Unemployment Rates for States Monthly Rankings
Seasonally Adjusted April 2006
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Rank	State	Rate
13	ALABAMA	3.6
17	OKLAHOMA	3.9
19	WEST VIRGINIA	4.1
38	TEXAS	5.1

(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htm)

Rick Perry: Lower property taxes, higher teacher salaries, and the largest tax cut in history. That's good for Texas.

Summary: Claims made in Perry ad are consistently deceptive and incomplete.

Check the Lone Star Project Sources for Yourself

Claim 1

Austin American - Statesman

CAMPAIGN WATCH

Friday, May 26, 2006
Expect $1,350 in savings for average home, Sharp says
The owner of an average-value home will save about $1,350 in school property taxes over the next three years, former Comptroller John Sharp said.
Gov. Rick Perry tapped Sharp to head a commission that authored an overhaul of state taxes, which lawmakers passed in their recent special session. That overhaul reduced school property tax rates by one-third over the next two years while expanding the business tax and increasing cigarette taxes.
Sharp said the owner of an average home, which he described as appraised at about $118,000, would save about $150 in property taxes in the first year and about $600 per year over the next two years. His explanation splits the difference between Perry and Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who is running for governor.
Perry says in television commercials that the average homeowner will save $2,000 over the first three years. Strayhorn said this week that the average homeowner would save about $598 in that time.
The gubernatorial rivals came up with different figures by using different average home values and different assumptions about how far school district tax rates would inch back.
- Jason Embry

Claim 2
Average Salaries ($) of Public School Teachers, 2004-05
National Education Association

RANK	STATE	20004 - 05 AVERAGE SALARY
1	CONNECTICUT	58,688
2	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	58,456
3	CALIFORNIA	57,876
4	MICHIGAN	56,973
5	NEW JERSEY	56,682
6	NEW YORK	56,200
7	ILLINOIS	55,629
8	MASSACHUSETTS	54,325
9	RHODE ISLAND	53,473
10	PENNSYLVANIA	53,258
11	ALASKA	52,424
12	MARYLAND	52,331
13	DELAWARE	50,869
14	OHIO	48,692
15	OREGON	48,330
	U.S. AVERAGE	47,808
16	MINNESOTA	46,906
17	INDIANA	46,591
18	GEORGIA	46,526
19	HAWAII	46,149
20	WASHINGTON	45,724
21	VIRGINIA	44,763
22	VERMONT	44,535
23	WISCONSIN	44,299
24	COLORADO	43,949
25	NEW HAMPSHIRE	43,941
26	NEVADA	43,394
27	NORTH CAROLINA	43,348
28	ARIZONA	42,905
29	SOUTH CAROLINA	42,207
30	IDAHO	42,122
31	TENNESSEE	42,072
32	FLORIDA	41,587
33	TEXAS	41,009
34	KENTUCKY	40,522
35	ARKANSAS	40,495
36	WYOMING	40,392
37	UTAH	39,965
38	MAINE	39,610
39	NEBRASKA	39,456
40	NEW MEXICO	39,391
41	IOWA	39,284
42	KANSAS	39,175
43	MISSOURI	38,971
44	LOUISIANA	38,880
45	MONTANA	38,485
46	WEST VIRGINA	38,360
47	ALABAMA	38,186
48	OKLAHOMA	37,879
49	MISSISSIPPI	36,590
50	NORTH DAKOTA	36,449
51	SOUTH DAKOTA	34,040

(Source: National Education Assn. Statistical Ranking of the States http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/05rankings-update.pdf)

Claim 3

Texas Legislative Budget Board
Tax/Fee Equity Note HB1 and HB3

	Change in Liability Under HB 1	Change in Liability Under HB 3	Net Change in Liability Under HB1 and 3
	[in $ Millions]	[in $ Millions]	[in $ Millions]
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing	-86.8	98.3	11.5
Mining	-256.7	-22.1	-278.8
Utilities & Transportation	-387.5	265	-122.5
Construction	-30	191.3	161.3
Manufacturing	-502.2	916.2	414
Wholesale & Retail Trade	-280.1	136.3	-143.8
Information	-270.8	508	237.2
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	-961.6	160.1	-801.5
All Other Services	-262.4	1,133.60	871.2
Total Taxes on Business:	-3,038.10	3,386.70	348.6

(Source: Texas Legislative Budget Board
Tax/Fee Equity Note HB1 and HB3)

Claim 4

Federation of Tax Administrators,
State Sales Tax Rates
January 1, 2006

Rank	State	Tax Rates
50	ALASKA	none
49	DELAWARE	none
48	MONTANA	none
47	NEW HAMPSHIRE	none
46	OREGON	none
45	COLORADO	2.9
44	ALABAMA	4
43	GEORGIA	4
42	HAWAII	4
41	LOUISIANA	4
40	NEW YORK	4
39	SOUTH DAKOTA	4
38	WYOMING	4
37	MISSOURI	4.225
36	NORTH CAROLINA	4.5
35	OKLAHOMA	4.5
34	UTAH	4.75
33	IDAHO	5
32	IOWA	5
31	MAINE	5
30	MARYLAND	5
29	MASSACHUSETTS	5
28	NEW MEXICO	5
27	NORTH DAKOTA	5
26	SOUTH CAROLINA	5
25	WISCONSIN	5
24	VIRGINIA	5
23	KANSAS	5.3
22	NEBRASKA	5.5
21	OHIO	5.5
20	ARIZONA	5.6
19	ARKANSAS	6
18	CONNECTICUT	6
17	FLORIDA	6
16	INDIANA	6
15	KENTUCKY	6
14	MICHIGAN	6
13	NEW JERSEY	6
12	PENNSYLVANIA	6
11	VERMONT	6
10	WEST VIRGINIA	6
9	ILLINOIS	6.25
8	TEXAS	6.25
7	MINNESOTA	6.5
6	NEVADA	6.5
5	WASHINGTON	6.5
4	MISSISSIPPI	7
3	RHODE ISLAND	7
2	TENNESSEE	7
1	CALIFORNIA	7.25

Claim 5
Unemployment Rates for States Monthly Rankings
Seasonally Adjusted April 2006
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Rank	State	Rate
1	HAWAII	2.8
2	FLORIDA	3.0
2	SOUTH DAKOTA	3.0
4	WYOMING	3.2
5	NORTH DAKOTA	3.3
5	VERMONT	3.3
5	VIRGINIA	3.3
8	IDAHO	3.4
8	NEBRASKA	3.4
8	NEW HAMPSHIRE	3.4
11	MARYLAND	3.5
11	UTAH	3.5
13	ALABAMA	3.6
13	IOWA	3.6
13	MONTANA	3.6
16	DELAWARE	3.7
17	CONNECTICUT	3.9
17	OKLAHOMA	3.9
19	MINNESOTA	4.1
19	NEVADA	4.1
19	WEST VIRGINIA	4.1
22	MAINE	4.2
23	ARIZONA	4.3
23	COLORADO	4.3
23	NEW MEXICO	4.3
23	NORTH CAROLINA	4.3
27	GEORGIA	4.6
27	KANSAS	4.6
27	MISSOURI	4.6
30	PENNSYLVANIA	4.7
30	WASHINGTON	4.7
32	LOUISIANA	4.8
32	WISCONSIN	4.8
34	CALIFORNIA	4.9
34	INDIANA	4.9
34	MASSACHUSETTS	4.9
34	NEW YORK	4.9
38	ARKANSAS	5.1
38	ILLINOIS	5.1
38	NEW JERSEY	5.1
38	TEXAS	5.1
42	RHODE ISLAND	5.4
42	TENNESSEE	5.4
44	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	5.5
44	OHIO	5.5
44	OREGON	5.5
47	KENTUCKY	6.1
48	SOUTH CAROLINA	6.6
49	ALASKA	7.0
50	MICHIGAN	7.2
51	MISSISSIPPI	7.7

NOTE: Rates shown are a percentage of the labor force. Data refer to place of residence. Estimates for the current year are subject to revision early in the following calendar year.
Last Modified Date: May 19, 2006

(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htm)

The Lone Star Project is an activity of the Lone Star Fund.

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