Given the code and the (detail-challenged) problem description, there is a (small) chance that "the summarized code I am using" is:

1. not the actual code but instead, a summary which masks some error in OP's (presumed) actual code
   or
2. is a fragment of the actual code.

In case 1, the error might be revealed to OP at his/her console.

In case 2 both cases, the fragment doesn't pass perl -c junk3.pl:

Scalar found where operator expected at F:\_Perl_\pl_test\junk3.pl lin
+e 11, near "$query"
        (Missing semicolon on previous line?)
syntax error at F:\_Perl_\pl_test\junk3.pl line 11, near "$query "
F:\_Perl_\pl_test\junk3.pl had compilation errors.
[download]

which reveals the missing ";" just before OP's "#" at position (1 based) 82 in what I infer the OP is referring to when saying "It is just skipping over insert line like it didn't exist, "

Sometimes, an observation or question about these pragmata is not merely boilerplate nor blind kowtowing to conventional wisdom.

Update: s/case 2/both cases/ since the following statement is equally applicable in both cases.

Sometimes, an observation or question about these pragmata is not merely boilerplate nor blind kowtowing to conventional wisdom.

I agree that the example code is clearly untested and buggy (or as the OP described it, "summarized"), but the OP also wrote:

I can't get perl to give me an error. I am purposely trying to insert data for a non-existant column. So it should kcik back with an error - but it is not.

I believe a better suggestion is "Post your code", not "Please add these two lines to your program, because even though I haven't seen the code and MySQL isn't giving you the error you expect, they might magically solve your problem."

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