Perry Isn't Driving Texas Economy: White

If Texas' economy is on the road to recovery, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White doesn't think Gov. Rick Perry should get all the credit.

"Rick Perry isn't driving the economy of Texas," White said. "If he says that, then he doesn't know what's going on. If Rick Perry takes credit for all that, and not for his own job performance and the public education system and state budget, then he's been in office too long."

But Perry's campaign spokeswoman doesn't see it that way.

"It is because of Gov. Perry's ongoing efforts to create jobs and uphold a climate where entrepreneurs and individuals are free to succeed that Texas has created more jobs than any other state over the last six months, and our largest metro areas are projected to be some of the first to emerge from the recession" Catherine Frazier said in a statement. "Not only does Bill White ignorantly suggest that our state leaders' hard work has had nothing to do with Texas' success, but he has a record of supporting job-killing policies like cap and trade, criticizes our successful economic development programs and refuses to rule out raising taxes in the upcoming session."

In an interview at his Dallas campaign office, White said he's still getting his name out in North Texas.

He's doing it one group at a time. His campaign office whiteboard had his Dallas schedule scribbled on it, which included stops with community leaders across North Texas.

White said he hasn't spent as much time in the Metroplex as he did during the primary. Instead, he spent time in West Texas, South Texas and the Valley. As the November election moves closer, White said he'll be making more stops in North Texas, including a planned event next month in Johnson County.

Don't expect to see White with President Barack Obama when the commander in chief makes two stops in Texas in August. But White said he is not keeping his distance from Obama for political reasons.

"To be honest, I don't think about it," he said. said. "The only people that ask about it are reporters -- that's the truth."

When asked how he can turn away big crowds that the president might attract -- which could help him get his name out -- White said he's concentrating on new voters.

"Because I haven't been a career politician like Rick Perry, what I think is that you ought to go and meet people you don't know rather than people you do know," he said.

White also said that while the Perry's campaign is trying to frame White as a "Washington insider," he says Perry is a little preoccupied with Washington.

"He seems more concerned about what people are doing in Washington compared to what he should be doing in Austin," White said.

White also talked about his plans for transportation. The former Houston mayor adamantly said he's against anything have to do with the proposed "Trans Texas Corridor." He also said decisions on building and funding Texas roads should come from the municipal and county level, not from Austin.

White said he's not a fan of private toll roads, but he'd allow it.

"If the voters wanted to do it using a tollway, that would be their right," he said.