July 8, 2005

Perry Gains Support from Police Group
that's Received Funding from His Office

By Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside Editor

Governor Rick Perry stepped into a political crossfire today when he received the endorsement of a major police group that's been accused by its chief rival of using public money to help bankroll union activities across the state.

The Texas Municipal Police Association initially planned to announce its preference in the governor's race at a later day but decided to surprise Perry by making it early when he appeared Friday at an event in conjunction with the group's annual conference that's been under way this week in Arlington. Perry hopes to corral as many endorsements as he can as early as possible in order to get a jump on Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn in the GOP primary battle for governor next year.

But the police organization's endorsement came as no surprise to leaders of a rival law enforcement group that's up in arms about the fact that TMPA has received millions of dollars in public funds from the executive branch for various training projects across the state.

Perry "owns them," Ron DeLord, president of the Combined Law Enforcement Officers of Texas, said of the governor's relationship with the TMPA.

DeLord's organization and TMPA are the two biggest police unions in Texas - and they've been competing against each for members ever since CLEAT's founders split from the police association and formed their own group in 1976. While CLEAT claims to represent more law enforcement officers than TMPA, DeLord said the police association's membership has almost tripled since it began receiving state grants from state agencies and the governor's office itself in the past few years.

CLEAT and TMPA both endorsed the Republican governor in his race against Democrat Tony Sanchez in 2006 - and there will be no surprise if Perry has the support of those groups and other police organizations by the time voters cast ballots in the March primary next year. DeLord indicated that there's no lingering animosity from his group's decision to back former Comptroller John Sharp over Perry in the 1998 lieutenant governor's campaign. According to DeLord, Perry has worked with CLEAT, given the group access and supported legislation it's advocated at the Texas Capitol.

But DeLord says the governor's office and other state agencies has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars by awarding TMPA grants that would have otherwise been divided among local law enforcement departments or groups that are more qualified to provide expertise and training in specific fields. An estimated $4 million worth of grants that TMPA has received from the state since Perry became governor has effectively taken money away from local law enforcement agencies that employ officers the police group is supposed to represent, CLEAT leaders say.

After DeLord voiced his concerns in a meeting this week with Perry, the CLEAT leader said the governor assured him that he did not want state government subsidizing union recruiting and promotional activities and would put a stop to it if it is.

TMPA's initial state grant came in 2001 from the Texas Department of Transportation for management and training for the "Click It or Ticket" campaign to encourage compliance with the seat belt and other laws designed to protect people who are traveling in cars. After CLEAT protested the TxDOT funding, Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson disputed the assertion that TMPA was a union and said the group could be valuable as a liaison with local agencies.

The transportation agency has picked TMPA for grants involving other traffic enforcement programs including efforts to curb the incidence of DWIs in the state. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission awarded funds to TMPA in 2003 to develop a program that targeted drinking by college students and others who have not reached the legal age.

The police association's most recent public funding has come directly from the governor's office for a statewide training program designed to teach law enforcement officers how to deal with family violence and sexual assault. The governor's office gave TMPA $401,842 for the project in September 2004 as part of more than $7 million in grants awarded under a federal program designed to combat violence against women. TMPA received an additional $449,753 for the project in late 2004 for that effort.

The TMPA annual meeting has been under way for the past several days - and officials for the group could not be reached for comment as a result. TMPA can respond to the charges by dismissing them as sour grapes from a rival that failed to take the initiative to compete for the public grant funding itself. But CLEAT says it hasn't sought public money because it doesn't want it, arguing that its ability to represent police officers would be compromised if it ended up competing against their agencies for limited government funds.

Perry's campaign manager, Luis Saenz, said the governor thinks TMPA and CLEAT are both "great" organizations. Saenz said Perry is happy to have the municipal police group's endorsement and hopes to have CLEAT's support as well. CLEAT doesn't expect to make an endorsement in the governor's race until its annual meeting this fall.