Well, in one of those only-in-Austin-sagas, Gov. Rick Perry has found a way to distinguish himself from Tony Sanchez, his Democrat opponent in the November election.

Rick Perry is po. That’s right, he is po folks. This certainly draws a sharp distinction between himself and millionaire Sanchez.

We were startled to learn of Perry’s financial status by reading media accounts that the Perrys filed for a hardship license for their 15-year-old daughter. Ma Perry, (Anita), put on the application that the daughter cannot wait until she is 16 to get her license because she needs to be able to drive to her summer job and public transportation is not an option.

Anita Perry noted that she and her husband were “government employees” and denying the license would create an economic hardship on the family.

So, Rick Perry is really one of us, just a regular po working stiff in state government. His $110,000-plus salary may be low for a White male, but it doesn’t exactly make him po.

State employees, who received word recently, that the budget won’t provide for them to get a pay raise in the next biennium, ought to be livid. There aren’t too many state employees in Austin who make what Perry does.

Granted, it may be inconvenient for the Governor or the First Lady to transport a teenage daughter to and from work and the other myriad things teenage girls do. But to request a license on the basis of an economic hard ship is deceitful.

One of the first lessons for the Perrys to learn about po folks is that they are a lot more honest. Which, sadly, is why many po folks are poor.

(Martin is a freelance political columnist living in Austin.)