On January 27, 2014, Democratic Perspective caught up with Carolyn Warner, former Superintendant of Public Instruction, Senate candidate, gubernatorial candidate and Democratic National Committeewoman. “I was born a Democrat,” said Warner. “My father was a state senator. I began handing out flyers for a candidate at age nine.”
Asked how politics has changed over the years, Warner replied, “Politics used to be fun. It was serving…like serving on the school board. It was a time when your Republican friends were dear friends, like members of another religious denomination. Now people are feeling less in charge,” she continued. “The rate of change is so fast that people have lost their balance. America has become almost cancerous. Certain people in our body politic have turned on us.”
“The Republicans that we knew have fractured,” said Warner. “I think the Teapublicans are most dangerous of all. They are cloaked in hate. Without government, what do you have? Anarchy. And I’m not sure but that’s what they’re hoping for.”
However, Warner does feel that things are getting better. “The far edges are beginning to melt,” she said. “I’m beginning to see some of the real Republicans taking charge again. Like an icicle, it’s melting.”
“I’m more concerned about ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council),” said Warner. “Unlimited dollars are available to build the hate agenda. ALEC has taken control of 17 states – complete control. Shockingly it’s a 501c3. ALEC meets three times a year. They have various committees draft legislation that was initially pro-business, but is now part of the hate agenda.”
Turning to Arizona, Warner says she is encouraged by the upcoming elections. “Every Republican legislator has an opponent in the primary,” she said.
Warner is dismayed by what the Republican-controlled Arizona legislature has done to education. “I’m a mother of six and a Methodist. The Democratic Party and the Methodist belief system are almost interchangeable. The attack on the young and education is moving America into second class status.”
“The Arizona constitution says that education should be as inexpensive as possible,” she continued. “But Arizona’s funding on education is third from the bottom. Some states invest $10,000 per child more than Arizona. In Arizona, the student/teacher ratio is 21. The national average is 15. The legislature has cut $2.8 billion form education in the last 3 years.”
Warner had much, much more to say about politics in Arizona. Listen to the entire interview on podcast.