Forum Post: Double Dipping and taking $242,388 a year from the Taxpayers: Rick Perry's plan to starve the government by taking as much money from it as he can

Unbeknownst to most Texans, Gov. Rick Perry officially retired in January so he could draw early pension benefits worth $7,699 a month, in addition to his annual governor's salary of $150,000.

Perry's January retirement - on paper, at least - was revealed Friday when the Federal Elections Commission released the financial disclosure statement the governor was required to file as a candidate for the Republican nomination for president. The annuity brings Perry's total state government-related income to $242,388 a year.

Mike Gross, head of the 12,000-member Texas State Employees Union, said Perry's pension deal "will sit badly" with other public employees.

"People are acutely aware that there's a very strong criticism and all-out assault by conservatives on public employee pension systems. But he's taking care of himself," Gross said.

Gross said he had never heard of a Texas official doing what Perry has done.

"Regular employees who retire and return to work get their pension frozen and don't accrue additional years of service - and those people are strongly criticized as being double-dippers and trying to exploit a unique situation," he said.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/12/17/MNHH1MDUCV.DTL