Arson suspected in Texas governor's mansion fire

[Jolie Rouge]

Arson suspected in Texas governor's mansion fire
By KELLEY SHANNON, Associated Press Writer
Sun Jun 8, 6:04 PM ET

AUSTIN, Texas - Arson is suspected in a fire that swept through the historic Texas governor's mansion early Sunday, leaving much of the 152-year-old building charred and severely damaged, the state fire marshal said.

No one was believed to be inside when the fire started at the home, whose roof buckled because of the flames and the massive amount of water used to put them out. Officials said there is no evidence any direct threat was intended to Gov. Rick Perry, who is out of the country with his wife, Anita.

"We are heartbroken by the fire that has ravaged the Texas Governors Mansion," Perry said in a prepared statement. "It has not only been our home for the past eight years, but has stood as a symbol of Texas pride throughout its history. Though it can certainly be rebuilt, what Texas has lost today can never be replaced."

All historic furnishings and heirlooms had been removed for a renovation project, but much of the wood in the Greek revival-style mansion was "completely irreplaceable" longleaf pine, said Robert Black, a Perry spokesman. Some interior ornamentation is beyond repair, he said.

Parts of the six 29-foot columns at the front of the home, a national historic landmark, and much of the front wall were charred black. In some places the original color of the brick could be seen where white paint had burned off.

"We have some evidence that indicates that we do have an intentionally set fire," said state Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado. "So we believe that we may be looking at a criminal act here."

Calling it a "devastating loss to the state of Texas," Maldonado did not provide details on how the fire may have been set or whether authorities had a suspect.

Security cameras are set up around the mansion, which sits downtown on a lot the size of a city block, and investigators were interviewing people who were nearby and might have noticed suspicious activity.

"We're going to come get the person that's responsible for causing this damage," Maldonado said.

About 100 firefighters responded when an alarm went off just before 2 a.m. The mansion has been unoccupied since the Perrys temporarily moved out last fall so the mansion could undergo the $10 million renovation. It was scheduled to be completed next year.

No injuries were reported, and there was no immediate financial estimate of the damage.

Small hot spots still smoldered more than six hours after the fire began. Puffs of smoke billowed from the building.

Braun & Butler Construction had been working on the maintenance and renovations. Among the improvement projects were an overhaul of the plumbing, removal of lead paint and asbestos — and installation of a fire sprinkler system.

The mansion was equipped with a fire alarm. A state trooper who was on the grounds as part of regular security detail heard an alarm go off, then saw flames and called the fire department, said Tela Mange, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The governor uses the mansion as a home and for official functions, such as hosting heads of state and for gathering with lawmakers and the news media.

The Perrys have been living in a rented home elsewhere in Austin during the renovation work. They were in Sweden on Sunday as part of a European economic development trip and were scheduled to return to Texas on Tuesday.

Built in 1856, the home is the oldest continually used executive residence west of the Mississippi, according to the group Friends of the Governor's Mansion, which works to preserve and show the public the historic building.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was sending in a national response team to assist the investigation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/severe_weather;_ylt=Akf3i9tVESCm41oYQHaBAlus0NUE

[Jolie Rouge]

Texas officials: Angry man set gov's mansion fire
By APRIL CASTRO, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jun 16, 2:13 PM ET

AUSTIN, Texas - Investigators said Monday they believe someone angry with the government set the Texas Governor's Mansion on fire this month, and they offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado had said last week that investigators did not believe the blaze was politically motivated, but he changed course Monday. "It is likely that feelings of anger may have motivated his crime," Maldonado said at a news conference Monday. "He may be known to get angry and express strong opinions about the government, Governor Perry himself, the death penalty, the renovation of the mansion or other political issues."

Maldonado did not say what led investigators to that conclusion. He appealed to the arsonist himself for help solving the case. "We do feel you had a message and we would like to hear from you. We're not quite sure what that message is, but please contact us," he said.

Maldonado said officials are not ready to release video footage of the alleged arsonist, but said investigators believe they are looking for a white male who was wearing a ball cap, a dark shirt, work-type gloves and blue jeans or cargo-style pants.

The suspect is probably physically fit because he was able to scale an 8-foot chain-link fence to get onto the mansion grounds, he said.

Investigators have said video footage shows a suspect in the early morning hours of June 8, standing in front of the Governor's Mansion, igniting an object and throwing it onto the porch of the historic landmark, creating a fireball and blaze that ravaged the 152-year-old structure.

Department of Public Safety troopers were on guard at the time.

Experts say the historic landmark is salvageable and Gov. Rick Perry has said he's committed to restoring the mansion no matter the cost. Texas first lady Anita Perry will likely lead the restoration effort, he said last week.

The Perrys had moved out of the mansion last fall for a renovation project estimated to cost $10 million. Antique furniture and other relics had been placed in storage. The two-story Greek Revival-style house was completed in 1856.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080616/ap_on_re_us/governor_s_mansion_fire;_ylt=AtdO73DJCzf1zGCkbtL08 HxH2ocA

[Jolie Rouge]

Gov. Perry's temporary digs costs Texas big bucks
By Jay Root, Associated Press Writer Mon May 17, 9:06 am ET

AUSTIN, Texas – With the state facing a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has spent almost $600,000 in public money during the past two years to live in a sprawling rental home in the hills above the capital, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

It costs more than $10,000 a month in rent, utilities and upkeep to house Perry in a five-bedroom, seven-bath mansion that has pecan-wood floors, a gourmet kitchen and three dining rooms. Perry has also spent $130,000 in campaign donations to throw parties, buy food and drink, and pay for cable TV and a host of other services since he moved in, the records show.

The public spending on Perry's rental comes as the state grapples with a budget shortfall forecast to reach at least $11 billion over the next two years. Perry has asked state agencies to cut their budgets by 5 percent and the Republican House speaker has begun to consider furloughs and shortened workweeks for state employees.

Ethics watchdogs, meanwhile, say Perry's campaign may have violated state disclosure laws because of the vague way he's reported what his staff calls "incidental" spending at the mansion.

"Anybody who is not offended probably doesn't know what's going on," said Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, the Texas House Democratic leader. To spend so much while asking state agencies to spend less, Dunnam said, is "just rank hypocrisy."

Perry dismissed such criticism with a laugh when asked by the AP about the costs of living in the exclusive Barton Creek Estates neighborhood in West Austin: "If that's the best cut anybody's got of leadership in the state of Texas, then bring it on."

Texas' longest-serving governor moved into his temporary home in the fall of 2007, leaving the white columned, two-story governor's mansion so it could undergo repairs. A still-unsolved arson wrecked the 1856 residence less than a year later, and officials say it will take another two years to finish its reconstruction.

His 6,386-square-foot rental sits on more than three acres and was advertised in 2007 for sale at $1.85 million. Perry's state-paid expenses at the home include $18,000 for "consumables" such as household supplies and cleaning products, $1,001.46 in window coverings from upscale retailer Neiman Marcus, a $1,000 "emergency repair" of the governor's filtered ice machine, a $700 clothes rack, and a little over $70 for a two year subscription to Food & Wine Magazine.

Maintenance on the heated pool has cost taxpayers at least $8,400, and the tab for grounds and lawn maintenance has topped $44,000, the records show. All told, taxpayers have spent at least $592,000 for rent, utilities, repairs, furnishings and supplies since Perry moved in.

By comparison, the Texas governor's mansion is wholly owned by the state — there is no rent or mortgage to pay. As currently configured, it has about 9,900 total square feet, but most is public space packed with historic artifacts. Only 2,750 square feet is dedicated to the governor's residence.

Democratic critics have said Perry and his wife, Anita, could live in a downtown apartment while the mansion is under repair. Should he win in November, Democrat Bill White, the former Houston mayor and multimillionaire lawyer challenging Perry's bid for a third full term, told the AP he would rent his own home until the mansion is repaired.

The records detailing the amount of public money spent on Perry's temporary home came from the governor's office, the State Preservation Board and the Texas Facilities Commission, and were obtained by the AP through the Texas Public Information Act. Perry's office is still fighting the release of at least 10 e-mails about his temporary residence.

The governor's staff said Perry, who earns $150,000 a year as governor, has cut back on some luxuries in response to the state's tight finances. Spokeswoman Allison Castle said he has just one housekeeper, one full-time chef — although a second chef works part time — and a mansion administrator who left and was not replaced. Along with a steward, the salaries for the five mansion employees cost taxpayers $195,770 a year, records show. The governor's security detail occupies the guest house.

Castle also said Perry and his wife lessen the burden on taxpayers by using campaign funds to pay for their expenses and reimburse the fund for their own food. For the 28 months from September 2007 through the end of 2009, the campaign-funded "Mansion Fund" has incurred costs of over $130,000, including more than $56,000 for food and beverages. Thousands more were spent on flowers, tent set-ups and other rentals, the cable bill, invitations and unspecified "services."

That spending tops more than $810,000 in all since Perry took office in 2001.

"These are non-taxpayer dollars that go for entertaining and various costs that a governor's residence would have," said Perry campaign spokesman Mark Miner. "These are the same policies that were implemented for numerous governors before Rick Perry."

Perry's aides add the governor, who has made officeholder transparency a signature issue of his 2010 campaign, has fully complied with ethics and transparency laws that govern such spending.

But Perry's state disclosure reports describe the $810,000 directed to the "Mansion Fund" generically as "Mansion Expenditures," despite state requirements that recipients of political dollars be listed by name along with a description of the goods or services they provide.

"It's a fact question on a case by case basis to determine whether the actual payee has been disclosed," said Tim Sorrells, the deputy general counsel at the Texas Ethics Commission.

Sorrells stressed that he could not specifically speak about Perry's report. But ethics watchdog Fred Lewis, an Austin lawyer and activist who for years has urged the Legislature to tighten political disclosure rules, said Perry's reports may not comply with the law.

"When you do not describe who the payee is, and do not describe what the services or goods are, it's impossible for anybody to know whether the expenditures comply with the law or whether it is an expenditure for something that the public would like or dislike," Lewis said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100517/ap_on_bi_ge/us_texas_governor_temporary_mansion


can we send the arsonist the bill ??