Bill White Comes to the Basin

Early voting started this week and candidates have been all around Texas trying to sway your vote.

Democratic candidate for governor Bill White was in Midland earlier today, discussing some pretty heated topics.

Specifically about an accusation against Governor Rick Perry about his alleged dealings with a teacher retirement fund.

Rick Perry is being accused by Bill White of raiding the state pension fund for teachers to the benefit of some of his campaign donors.

This after money from the fund was given to the donors companies.

White said that when Perry took office the teachers fund had a $5 billion dollar surplus.

Now it's over $21 billion dollars in the red.

And some teachers around the Basin think its time for a new governor to run the fund, and the state.

"We need some changes because we cant afford for all of our teachers and retired teachers in Texas, to pay the price of poor management," said retired teacher Bobbi Duncan.

And Bill White is their revenge.

White spoke about Perry's alleged corruption in dealing with the retirement fund and said,

 "I'm gonna make that illegal."

Retired Coach John Wilkins believes Perry is the problem.

"The problem is their has been no permanent annuity increase in ten years, Rick Perry has been governor for ten years," said Wilkins.

And it's not just affecting teachers.

"We're talking about custodians, we're talking about cafeteria people, we're talking about secretaries, we're talking about clerks, a wide range of people who depend on their retirement," said Wilkins.

White said this does not surprise him.

"It turns out that people who he appointed to that board have been raising money from the poeple who have been given the teachers fund to invest and they were payed millions and millions of dollars worth of fees. That kind of stuff is par for the course, its routine, its expected under Rick Perry," said White.

And one thing teachers know for sure.

"We need a new governor," said Wilkins.

"We got to protect this retirement system and we cant afford to loose it or all the children and the future of texas would be affected," said Duncan.


An investigation into these allegations of wrongdoing has happened in Austin.

A Travis County prosecutor said that they found nothing.

Perry's spokesman said that this shows bill white has no "credibility" and is a "desperate candidate" who will do anything for votes.

These next two weeks are crucial in both campaigns.