Texas Governor Rick Perry criticized the Obama administration on Thursday for not responding to a request for a disaster aid for the parched state, where wildfires have scorched nearly 2 million acres.

"You have to ask, 'Why are you taking care of Alabama and other states?' I know our letter didn't get lost in the mail," Perry, a Republican and frequent critic of the federal government, said after addressing a Texas emergency management conference.(2010 Thomson Reuters)

Quesiton 1.

What is the Commander in Cheifs job of Texas?

Answer 1

The Governer's military power places him or her in a position of supreme authority over the Texas National Guard and the Texas Rangers, as well as the state police in time of police emergencies.  (Janda, Berry, and Goldman [Page Number(767)]).With only a few exeptions, including Rick Perry's deplyment of Texas National guard to provide  additional support to Texas airports after Septenmber 11, 2001, this power has been used primarily with natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 and severe drought conditions that resulted in devating fires in 2006. (Janda, Berry, and Goldman [Page Number(767)]).

 

Works Cited

Janda, Kenneth, Jefferey M Berry, and Jerry Goldman. “The Texas Legislature (Commander in Cheif).” The Challenge of Democracy: American Government in a Global World. 10th ed. 2009. Ohio: Cenage Learning, 2009. 767. Print.