California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton, attempting to take the bull by the horns, wrote Texas Gov. Rick Perry a letter chiding him for criticizing California and urging him to march in the June 29 Pride Parade in San Francisco.
At the top of the letter, Burton quoted an Associated Press story that asserted Perry might consider moving to California after he finishes his term as governor of Texas. Then he segued to global warming, supporting homosexuality, and raising the minimum wage. The letter reads:
California Democratic Party
June 19, 2014
Governor Rick Perry
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
Rick,
The Associated Press has reported that for all of your incessant California-bashing, you may be considering a move to the Golden State after your term as Governor of Texas ends.
We don’t blame you.
California has a lot to offer. From some of the best coastline in the world, national parks like Yosemite and Joshua Tree, from Hollywood to Silicon Valley, from San Diego to the crown jewel of San Francisco, this is simply the place to be.
That said, you really ought to know what you’re signing up for here. It may not be your scene.
Here in California we don’t stick our heads in the sand or twiddle our thumbs when it comes to Global Warming. We know it’s real, and our Governor Jerry Brown is leading the way to combat the threat we all face. California signed the Climate Change Pact together with the Governors of Oregon, Washington State and British Columbia. We’re building the nation’s first high speed rail system and we passed the Global Warming Solutions Act close to ten years ago.
Then there’s the matter of you equating homosexuality with alcoholism. Rick, it will take more than marching in this month’s San Francisco Pride Parade for you to begin to walk those comments back, but if you’re planning to make the move, it couldn’t hurt to start there.
This is California, the home of Harvey Milk. We’re a national leader in the fight for equal rights and marriage equality. Our Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom threw the gauntlet down way back in 2004 when, as mayor of San Francisco, he decided enough was enough and fought to give gay and lesbian couples the right to get married (and divorced for that matter) just like everyone else.
You should also know our minimum wage is set to go up to $10 an hour here thanks to our Democratic legislators and Governor Jerry Brown.
We understand even our state’s harshest critics would love to call California home, and apparently you’re no different. We’re just saying it wouldn’t hurt to do a little research before you load up the U-Haul and head west.
Peace and friendship,
John Burton
Chairman
California Democratic Party