Texans have a special attachment to our land. From the Big Bend to Sabine Pass, we are justly proud — of our mountains and rolling hill country, our winding rivers, our clean lakes, bays, and estuaries. As Texans, we are proud of our public land and protective of the private property we've worked so hard to own.

Why, then, is Rick Perry so keen on selling off our public land to individuals and foreign companies? Rick Perry is so proud of Texas he is selling it.

Recently, Texas Parks & Wildlife warned that budget cutbacks ordered by Perry might require the sale or closure of 18 state parks. Also, Parks & Wildlife transferred 12,000 acres of the Black Gap Wildlife Area in Big Bend to the General Land Office so it can be sold.

This land is some of the most beautiful and important in our state. It includes Rio Grande River canyons considered among the wildest in America. A portion of the Rio Grande that runs through Black Gap has been designated a Wild and Scenic river by the federal government. And Perry's going to sell it.

Texas land is rough, tough, and ours. The Perry Administration is acting like a bunch of spoiled children who inherited a vast and wonderful estate. But rather than working the land to earn money, they are simply selling it off for short-term pocket change. Perry is squandering Texas' resources. His people are mismanaging those resources they are not squandering.

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