Gov. Perry: A Fair and Competitive Atmosphere Equals Success

Gov. Rick Perry today spoke about the importance of creating a fair and competitive market place for businesses at the Brownsville Economic Development Council’s (BEDC) annual membership meeting. The governor also received the BEDC's Leader in Economic Development award.

"Our state is full of bold entrepreneur leaders in Austin and economic development gurus like the folks here in Brownsville. It is on their behalf that I accept this award today," Gov. Perry said. "My message to business owners across the country and around the world is check out Texas and you’ll find a place where ideas matter, people work hard, and the government isn’t going to strangle you with high taxes."

The Brownsville Economic Development Council is a publicly-funded organization created in 1992 to help companies establish or expand operations in the Brownsville area. BEDC facilitates the development and location of enterprises into the region by guiding prospective firms through the process of zoning and acquiring permits and identifying potential suppliers. The BEDC staff offers companies the financial, job training, and site location assistance required to be successful.

The Texas economy continues to receive national attention. Last month, CNBC named Texas America’s Top State for Business. Texas was also recently named the "Best State to Do Business" by CEO Magazine for the sixth year in a row, and six of Texas' metro areas were listed as "America's Recovery Capitals" by Forbes and Moody's Economy.

No other state is home to more Fortune 500 and 1000 companies, and Texas is the nation's leading exporting state for the eighth consecutive year. Texas created more private sector jobs than any other state in the nation over the last 10 years. Additionally, Texas' unemployment rate dropped to 8.2 percent in June, well below the national average.