Texas Gov. Rick Perry Thursday announced plans to travel to San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Orange County as part of an economic development trip through the Golden State.
The trip set for Sunday through Wednesday marks the latest salvo in a development scrap with California that began earlier this week with a $24,000 radio ad buy promoting Texas’ low-tax and "sensible regulation" environment.
The 30-second spot, featuring the Republican governor telling Californians to "come check out Texas," has been running on six radio stations in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and San Diego radio markets.
“Building a business is tough, but I hear building a business in California is next to impossible. . . . See how our low taxes, sensible regulations, and fair legal system are just the thing to get your business moving to Texas," Perry
says in the ad.
Speaking at a business event this week, California Gov. Jerry Brown responded to Perry's overtures, saying, “It’s not a serious story.”
Robbed: Secret ‘Financial War’ Will Wipe Out Your Wealth, Warns Pentagon Adviser
“It’s a big nothing,” the Democrat said, noting that the number of businesses in California is on the rise. “Look, when you’ve got something good, people want to be here.”
Brown also scoffed at the relatively small ad campaign by Texas.
“If Texans want to get in the game they should start by spending at least $25 million. Then I’ll take them seriously,” said Brown.
Brown’s Office of Business and Economic Development issued a statement touting the state’s history “as a leader in start-ups and the expansion of home-grown businesses.”
“Poaching doesn’t work,” the statement said. “This is something so many governors have done before with the same ineffective results.”
A number of large corporations have established new facilities or expanded existing ones in California over the past year, including Amazon.com, Caterpillar, and Samsung.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.