Rick Perry, governor of Texas, a potential presidential hopeful, says he would like to do away with farm subsidies like the ones he benefited from when he was a farmer.
Twenty years ago when Perry was a farmer, the federal government gave him $9,000 in farm subsidies to leave his ground unplowed, the San Antonio Express reported Sunday. Now the Republican governor would like to get ax the program, seeing it as a waste of government money.
"In the 1995 farm bill, we must carefully but thoughtfully move our farmers and ranchers away from a subsidized system to a market-driven system," Perry said in a speech delivered in Iowa. "We must move away from government assistance to opportunity enhancement."
Katherine Cesinger, a spokeswoman for Perry, defended his statements by saying the governor is proud of his farming experience, but that he believes Washington spending is out of control and threatens every aspect of the economy, UPI.com reports.
Perry will make a clear indication about his intentions for the 2012 presidential campaign Saturday in South Carolina, advisers say.
"With President Obama's dismal economic record and Texas success in creating jobs and balancing our budget, Governor Perry continues to consider a potential run for The White House," said Mark Miner, a spokesman for Perry.
