SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry began his latest visit to California on a quest to lure businesses to move jobs to his state by promoting low taxes and lax regulations.
The former Republican presidential candidate started meeting with business leaders in the San Francisco Bay Area on Monday. His office said Perry will meet with leaders in the high-tech, biotechnology, financial, insurance and film industries during his three-day trip but declined to name any of the businesses he is targeting.The visit follows a 30-second radio ad that began airing last week in which Perry criticizes California's business climate."Building a business is tough, but I hear building a business in California is next to impossible," Perry says in the ad, which was paid for by a public-private marketing partnership called TexasOne.Perry's visit did not include any public events, but in an interview with the San Jose Mercury-News, he criticized California's regulatory environment and said Austin is poised to become the "next Silicon Valley," the newspaper reported."Twelve years ago, California wasn't looking over its shoulder," he told the newspaper. "They're not looking over their shoulder now -- they're looking at our backside."Some business leaders said Perry may have a difficult time persuading businesses to leave the Golden State, particularly in the talent-rich Silicon Valley, known for technological innovation.Perry's foray to California is not his first, and other governors have engaged in high-profile ploys to try to lure businesses and jobs away from states that are perceived as less friendly to business, though it's unclear how successful those efforts have been.The Texas governor is not even the only dignitary to visit this week. South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, a fellow Republican, and state agriculture officials are attending the World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., this week to recruit dairy operators as South Dakota seeks to double its herd of about 92,000 dairy cows.Last week, California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, dismissed Perry's $24,000 in radio ads as a cheap gimmick. He said California has been adding more jobs than any other state.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
