Once again, the Kay Bailey Hutchison campaign has been called out by its own hometown newspaper for playing fast and loose with facts. In their latest “political heat index” report, the Dallas Morning News gives Hutchison’s latest claims, about Governor Perry and gasoline taxes, three jalapeños which means “serious misrepresentation of the facts.”
The claim is that “Kay Bailey Hutchison attacked Gov. Rick Perry this week for being eager to raise gasoline taxes on Texas drivers.”
The facts, as the Morning News puts them, are that “Perry has been governor for 10 years and has made transportation one of his priorities. But never has he called directly for an increase in the gasoline tax, which has remained at 20 cents per gallon since 1991.”
Editor Ryan Rusak sums up the Fact Check column by writing: “Saying a gas-tax increase would be Perry’s “first order of business” is simply untrue. If it were true, Perry would have tried for one in his decade as governor. Beyond that, none of the statements provided by the Hutchison campaign as support for its claim includes a clear call to raise gasoline taxes. “Accessing every pot of money that is available” doesn’t mean Perry prefers gasoline taxes over tolls or other revenue, as Hutchison suggests.”
Why would Hutchison make such statements, which are so easily demonstrated to be false, as a centerpiece of her campaign on transportation issues?
Could it be that Kay Bailey Hutchison is simply not as sharp and competent as some claim?
Robert Pratt is host of the top rated Pratt on Texas radio program which can be heard at www.PrattonTexas.com
