Seriously, Rick, not the same. Not the same at all.

Time for some adventures in parsing: On Friday, when explaining to the Associated Press why he was asking Gulf Coast residents not to head back to areas ravaged by Hurricane Ike, Gov. Rick Perry said, “I absolutely understand they want to get back to their homes … I’d like to get back to the mansion.”

Seriously, read that one again.

Does someone want to explain to the governor the difference between sleeping on a cot in one of the hanger-like exhibition rooms at the convention center, with 1,300 other evacuees and potentially all your worldy possessions in whatever bag you could stuff as you fled the storm, and living in a three-story West Austin mansion with a heated pool and a cabana, courtesy of the state, valued at over $1 million? A West Austin mansion that he had been living in for over half a year -before- the governor’s mansion fire?

This article appears in September 19 • 2008.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.