bills still rolling in
Texans paid $3.7 million, or enough money to hire more than sixty teachers, so Governor Perry could run for President, 1200 WOAI news reports.
As a sitting governor, Perry is entitled to round the clock security protection by the DPS whether he's in Texas or anywhere else around the country.
The DPS has filed a request for an additional $104,000 in reimbursement for travel, fuel, meals, lodging, and other expenses as a fleet of DPS officers traveled with the governor during his five month long campaign.
The DPS spent $1.8 million on overtime expenses.
The number of DPS officers who traveled with the governor, and specifics on what they spent your money on, are not required to be released to the public under a law approved by the 2011 Legislature and pushed by Governor Perry.
Perry's office points out that taxpayer funded security is routine for a sitting governor, and says George W. Bush also had taxpayer funded DPS officers providing security for him when he ran for President in 2000.
Perry is entitled to the taxpayer funded security because he is the chief executive of a state. Candidates for President who are in Congress, like Michelle Bachmann, or candidates who held no office at the time of their campaigns, like Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, and Mitt Romney, are required to foot the bill themselves for their security.
President Obama, of course, is protected by the Secret Service, as was former First Lady Hillary Clinton when she ran for President in 2008.
