Rick Perry strategy: Cut the fire department budget, pray for rain, call FEMA.

Rick Perry promises that as the 2012 GOP Presidential nominee he will bring the successful programs he championed in Texas to the rest of the country. Well he might want to add a disclaimer about the some of the actions he took regarding preventing and fighting wild fires. Turns out that part of his record isn't so good. Texas pleads for help as fires sear state

He noted that Texas fire district funding is capped by the state at 10 cents per $100 valuation in property taxes. Linardos said that in Lake Tahoe, Nev., where he served as fire chief, he had five times the funding. State Sen. Kirk Watson, an Austin Democrat, has proposed doubling the state funding cap.

Volunteer fire departments, which cover much of the state, have also faced a 75% state budget cut this year under Perry and the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Then again, why waste money taxpayer money on fire fighting resources when you can just pray for rain.  Texas Dust Bowl Drives Cotton Rally as Perry Prays for Rain

Withering fields in Texas, the largest U.S. grower, led Governor Rick Perry, a Republican presidential candidate and the son of a cotton farmer, to ask supporters to pray for rain to end a “monster drought” shrinking cattle herds and killing crops.

And for a backup plan for the prayer, there is always the US Taxpayer and FEMA who will come to the rescue the Texans who have lost their homes, businesses, farms, etc to the torturous Dust Bowl II drought conditions..  Obama phones Perry to discuss wildfires 

"..This call came a day after Perry reiterated his request for a Major Disaster Declaration from the federal government for response and recovery, as Texas is still battling more than 50 wildfires.

"Because so many fires are burning across the state, our resources are spread pretty thin,”

 And I am sure they will claim the wildfires were an act of God.  The same God who didn't answer the prayers to make it rain.