Ross Perot

Henry Ross Perot, known to most as Ross Perot (prior to 1992, generally known as H. Ross Perot by the public) (born June 27, 1930), is a billionaire American businessman from Texas best known as a candidate for President of the United States (in 1992 and 1996). Perot founded Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 1962. He later left the company, and founded Perot Systems with a similar ethos.

Early political activities

In the same year that Perot organized the rescue mission in Iran, Texas governor Bill Clements requested his assistance developing policy to reduce illegal drug use in the state. Perot lead the Texas War on Drugs Committee that proposed five laws, all of which were passed by the legislature, intended to reduce illicit drug operations in the state.

Related Topics:
Texas governor - Bill Clements

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In 1982, he was called on again, in an effort by the new Texas governor to improve the quality of the states' public education, and ended up leading the effort to reform the school system, which resulted in major legislative changes. The best known of Perot's proposals which were passed into law was the "No Pass, No Play" rule, under which it was required that students have passing grades in order to participate on sports teams. The intent was to prevent high school sports from being the focus of the schools funding, and to emphasize the importance of education for the students who participated in sports.

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Beginning in the late 1980s and continuing in the early 1990s Ross Perot began speaking out about what he described as the failings of the United States government. Perot asserted that the United States "had grown arrogant and complacent after the War " and was no longer the world's greatest nation. Instead of looking into what was to come, he argued, America was "daydreaming of our past while the rest of the world was building its future." He said:

Related Topics:
1980s - 1990s - Government - War

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:"Go to Rome, go to Paris, go to London. Those cities are centuries old. They're thriving. They're clean. They work. Our oldest cities are brand new compared to them and yet ... go to New York, drive through downtown Washington, go to Detroit, go to Philadelphia. What's wrong with us?"

Related Topics:
Rome - Paris - London - New York - Washington - Detroit - Philadelphia

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In Florida in 1990, retired financial planner Jack Gargan funded a series of "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" newspaper advertisements denouncing U.S. Congress for voting for legislative pay raises at a time when average wages nationwide were not increasing. Gargan later founded "Throw the Rascals Out", which Ross Perot supported.

Related Topics:
Florida - 1990 - Jack Gargan - U.S. Congress

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Although generally conservative in political ideology, Perot was not a fan of President George H. W. Bush and vigorously opposed the United States's involvement in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War. He urged Senators to vote against the war resolution and began considering a Presidential run.

Related Topics:
Conservative - President - George H. W. Bush - Persian Gulf War

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