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Dear Ms. Falkenberg,

It was with great interest that I read your opinion piece about Governor Rick Perry misstating that the drop out rate in Texas schools is only 10% when it is actually at least 30%.

I also understand that Governor Perry blamed this, in part, on Texas children who die being counted as drop outs, accounting for 601  students out of the 134,000 who drop out every year.

And I also understand that Governor Perry says that some of these drop outs are actually students who transfer to other states, forgetting his own tout that Texas takes in more students than leave.

I am proud that you have dispelled Governor Perry’s myth that Texas education needs no improvement.

However, I do not concur with your opinion of what caused Governor Perry to spout that 20% of Texas schoolchildren do not figure into his record of success.  I take deep issue with your assessment that Governor Perry’s motives for this misstatement is “playing games with the numbers,” or that we can blame it on “impaired judgment to short-term memory loss to feelings of grandiosity.”

No, Ms. Falkenberg. Governor Perry said that because he’s a mean ignorant son of a bitch.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Love and Fried Okra,
Juanita Jean Herownself