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REYES RESPONDS TO GOVERNOR PERRY'S BORDER VIOLENCE CLAIMS
Posted by Vincent M. Perez on May 25, 2011
Washington, May 25 - Homicides in Austin increase more than 70 percent, yet Governor Perry calls border "a national disgrace"

New FBI data show Texas Capital and cities represented by Boehner, Cantor, McCarthy, and McConnell all have more homicides than Texas border cities combined 

Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX-16) released the following statement in response to Governor Perry's continued attacks on Texas border communities.  New preliminary data released by the FBI this week show that Texas' border cities remain among the safest places to live in the United States:

"Instead of pandering to TV cameras to tarnish the image of Texas's border region, Governor Perry should focus on controlling crime in the rest of Texas.  While Governor Perry falsely claims that 'drug cartels have operational control of a substantial amount' of the border to incite fear, new data released by the FBI this week confirm that border cities remain among the safest places to live in the United States.  In fact, Austin, Texas, where Governor Perry resides in his $10,000-a-month rental mansion at taxpayer expense, reported a 72 percent increase in homicides in 2010.  The city of Austin had more homicides last year than El Paso, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville combined.  All Texans should resoundly reject the Governor's fear-mongering rhetoric that harms our state's image and our ability to attract tourism and commerce to the border region.  The Governor should help create jobs in the region, not scare them away as part of his self-interested quest to bolster his national image."

(National Homicide Rate = 5.0 per 100,000 Population) 
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Congressman Silvestre Reyes is a 26-year veteran and Former Sector Chief of the United States Border Patrol.  He is the Chairman of the House Armed Forced Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, and former Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
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