Rick Perry vs. Sheboygan Showdown?
It’s a safe bet that Texas Gov. Rick Perry won’t be receiving an invite to the city of Sheboygan, Wis., anytime soon.
Responding to criticism that Perry, a Republican who’s running for re-election, failed to take questions from the audience during a Dallas luncheon hosted by the National Association of Editorial Writers, Perry spokesman Mark Miner said:
“Perry is more focused on the Texas press than on editorial writers from Sheboygan, Wisconsin.”
Take that, Sheboygan! Sounds a little dismissive, right?
Since neither Perry nor Miner likely will ever be stepping foot in Sheboygan, here are a few facts they may not know about the city:
• Close to 50,000 people live there.
• The city covers nearly 15 square miles.
• The median household income is about $40,000.
• Sheboygan is about 50 miles north of Milwaukee along Lake Michigan.
• In August, the city’s jobless rate stood at 9.6 percent.
• The U.S. Sailing Center Sheboygan is hosting the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Championships through Sunday.
• The nearby town of Kohler—home of the plumbing fixtures giant of the same name—is revered as a golfer’s paradise.
On the city’s website, here’s how Mayor Bob Ryan sums up his town:
“Economic growth is steady. Business is good. Fishing is great. People are friendly.”
If Rick Perry ever shows his face in Sheboygan, he may not receive such a friendly welcome. But if Perry happened to wind up there, I’d like to see the governor and the mayor duke it out like two rough-and-tough Texas cowboys. Yee-haw!
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