The nation was horrified to see the disastrous fire and explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant near Waco that happened yesterday.
Going to work in Texas is more dangerous than it is in any other state in the nation. Last month Texas Governor Rick Perry expressed his satisfaction with Texas' abysmal record in workplace safety during a news conference.
Perry: Texas worker deaths unrelated to regulation
In a press conference today about his trip to lure California businesses to Texas, Gov. Rick Perry boasted of statistics demonstrating Texas’ superior job climate, but bristled when a California reporter brought up a less flattering ranking: Texas’ top position among all states for worker deaths and injuries.
After Perry touted Texas’ low tax and low regulatory burden on businesses, an Orange County Register reporter mentioned Texas’ poor record of worker safety, asking, “Can you speak to safety in your lower-regulation state?”
“I don’t think it has anything to do with the regulation side,” Perry said. “You all in California are not very knowledgeable about the energy industry” which, he said, “is a fairly dangerous workplace’ compared to other industries. He argued that worker injuries and deaths would not be reduced by better safety regulations: “It’s not because of lack of regulations.”
Yes it is because of lack of regulations Governor!
And for Governor Perry's information California has a large and long standing oil industry.
This morning Perry is expressing his concern for the victims. Will Perry be concerned enough to change his tune on lax workplace safety in Texas following this disaster? I'm not betting on it. Big Oil owns the Texas GOP lock stock and barrel.
If you live in Texas and have seen examples of hazards in your workplace say something.
Texas Watch Workplace Safety