Former State Representative Ted Carpenter is running for Treasurer. I haven't been following Ted since he left the Legislature, but according to Google, he's moved into a nice...shall we say "facility"...near the Capitol. Ah yes, the state mental hospital on lovely Asylum drive just minutes from the Capitol...come to think of it, this explains a lot.
That might explain the other night when he came to our District meeting with the other Treasurer candidates and started talking about how he was involved with some solar power project. He seemed quite proud and had a bunch of newspaper reprints to give to any who might be interested. I was "What the heck does this have to do with running for State Treasurer?"
Posted by: Obamanation | March 18, 2010 at 02:38 PM
Ted was a low key but very solid and conservative member of the Legislature. Before that he served honorably on the Phoenix Fire Department for 25 years, and once won the firefighter-of-the-year award for saving a kid's life, with a broken rib to show for it.
It is true he was instrumental, along with others, in getting the Deer Valley school district to make the most of current subsidies and switch an entire high school to solar, with four or five more campuses to come. I also volunteered time on that project, and it will save us taxpayers of the district several millions over the 25- year life of the equipment.
What does that have to do with State Treasurer? I wasn't at the meeting but I heard about it from several who did attend and I suspect the point he was making was that he had volunteered time to save local tax money. That's probably a trait we would admire in a Treasurer.
Not to make too much of it, but whoever created the Google site took a cheap shot that could be aimed at anyone who has served in public office. Ted is good natured and probably will laugh it off as coming with the territory. Still, I'm disappointed, Greg, that you put it on your blog.
Posted by: David Cantelme | March 18, 2010 at 03:49 PM
Ted Carpenter has no more chance of being elected Treasurer than he had of becoming Governor during the last election cycle. Everyone who knows him, understands that he uses the "Clean Elections" funds to buy his kids computer equipment and supplement their incomes by paying them to make campaign calls and hang up his signs.
Posted by: Thanks a-latte | March 18, 2010 at 05:40 PM
Say what you want about Representative Carpenter but the truth is it's this guy who is the real scumbag in the Treasurer's race http://dougduceyissleazy.blogspot.com/
Posted by: RBHayes | March 18, 2010 at 08:36 PM
Greg
I have never posted on your site, but after seeing some of the posts, me and the guys at the assylum are wondering which side of the fence the crazies are on.
Ted Carpenter
Posted by: Ted Carpenter | March 19, 2010 at 03:58 AM
I was at a District 6 meeting once, where Ted claimed teachers only worked about 6 hours a day and less than 180 days a year. That should win the support of the teachers' union in any run he has for state office.
Posted by: ron | March 19, 2010 at 09:56 AM