Rick Perry in California to Lure Businesses to Texas

LM Otero/AP Photo

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is on a four-day recruitment trip to California this week, trying to lure Golden State businesses to set up shop in the Lone Star state.

The trip, which began Sunday, will take Perry to San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Orange County, but the recruitment started last Monday when Perry made an ad buy in California inviting Golden State businesses to enjoy the tax and regulatory benefits available to them in Texas

"Building a business is tough, but I hear building a business in California is next to impossible. This is Texas Governor Rick Perry, and I have a message for California businesses. Come check out Texas," Perry says in the 30-second ad. "There are plenty of reasons Texas has been named the best state for doing business for eight years running. Visit texaswideopenforbusiness.com and see why our low taxes, sensible regulations and fair legal system are just the thing to get your business moving to Texas."

When Perry began making his overtures to California businesses last week, California Gov. Jerry Brown said the attempt didn't amount to much.

"It's not a serious story, guys…you take a little radio ad, all you guys run like lapdogs to report it," Brown said. "It's not a burp, it's barely a fart."

The attempts may not be registering on Brown's radar, but California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom seemed to have a different idea about the effectiveness of Perry's campaign. He told a radio station last week that Perry is "getting in our heads."

"Perry's getting exactly what he wanted," Newsom told KQED Thursday. "He's getting all kinds of press up and down the state, and why? Well, because he's leaning in. He's in the game. He's getting in our heads."

This isn't the first time Perry and his Texas administration have tried to lure other states' businesses and residents to Texas. Last month, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott ran advertisements in New York State, welcoming any New Yorkers who wanted to protect their Second Amendment rights to move to Texas after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo started his new gun-control push.