My Interview with Andrew "Cas" Castanuela Republican Candidate for State Senate

Native Texan, Andrew "Cas" Castanuela took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for me. I wanted to know exactly what his goals were and where he stood on several issues. He graciously accepted my interview and here is what he has to say.

I have looked at your bio and know a little about you, but tell me what do you think influenced your decision the most to run for U. S. Senate?

Cheryl, this is a question that I have often asked myself even after I have made my decision. There are a many contributing factors but I think it all started with the last election. As far as I was concerned in the history of our country there was never a more deserving person to be president other than George Washington in John McCain. As a veteran he sacrificed for what he believed for his country and his principles. He was a Republican but also one that would push the envelope regardless of party affiliation. I saw on the other side an over whelming majority to elect a person who was the least deserving and we ended up making the election about race versus experience. Elections should not ever be based on race to include my run for this office. I want people to vote for me because they believe in what I stand for not what I look like.

Running for Senate was not a goal of mine but more had to do with my military leadership training. If you see something that is wrong do you let it go or do something about it. This is what was more of my decision to run for office.

Why are you running for Senator?

To make a difference, unite and protect the people, and set an example to our political leaders of who is in charge regardless of economic status.

What made you decide to run for office?

The fear of loosing our Constitutional Rights such as the right to bear arms.

You spent 20 years in the Air Force. What were your experiences with the military and how does it affect your decision to run for a government office?

I was very fortunate in my military career in reference to exposure of the different echelons of leadership and politics. Trust me when I say that there is politics in the military. I had the opportunity to create programs that improved the lives of Air Force members and their families at each installation I was stationed at. I had written a grant that synergized the Department of Defense and Department of Agriculture to focus on at risk youth by using community programs and Center for At Risk Youth via the Cooperative Extension. I could go on but the real question is how does it affect my decision to govern.

First, government is designed to govern people and I have been working with people my whole life. To represent people you have to understand them and I have worked with almost every kind of person. From people who have made unwise decisions about their lives to people who have been focused on their priorities and responsibilities. Because we have values and principles that we believe in is what distinguishes the good leaders from the ones who need improvement. You have stand up for what you believe in regardless of it is going to cost your re-election. People can say many positive and negative things about George W. Bush but you have to admire that he stood his ground and that is just the Texas way!

Once you are elected, what is your plan of action?

(Laughing) Well, the hardest thing is having to leave Texas as well as attending those state dinners which you may not see me at a lot. Congress or Washington has a strong reputation of networking and negotiating to get something accomplished. I am not afraid of networking and negotiating as long as I don't have to sell the house in the process but it is important to understand who is in charge. My first plan of action is to reform our tax system. I am tired of the government using it to unfairly focus on certain tax brackets to pay more or less than the other. Our tax system penalizes our businesses which affect our employment rate as well as tax revenue.

If people are not working how do we expect them to pay taxes for all the programs that the government thinks we need or even want. You can't squeeze blood from a rock so why do we think we can squeeze the tax payer to pay more taxes when they aren't working. The Robin Hood theory is sweet but remember it is a fable. The goal is that we all have to pull our share, rich and poor in order to get out of this economic crisis and there is going to be pain.

What are your qualifications for the position you are running for?

I have had this questioned presented to me in another fashion, such as "Why don't you start off with something local and work you way up?" The reality is that the qualifications to run for the Senate are in Article I of the U.S. Constitution which state "No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be chosen." This alone qualifies me but unfortunately our society has developed a perception that to be in federal government you must have worked your way up.

My question is that if you reflect on all the individuals who have followed this path, how did they turn out? Politics is a burecracy with different levels of power and prestige and the goal of most politicians is to hopefully reach the big enchilada; the presidency. The problem is that in order to get there you have to sell your soul to the devil almost and throw your mother under the bus...figure of speech. When our country was founded we did not have professional politicians. I mean, Benjamin Franklin was a drunk, publisher, and inventor. So why have we limited our system of government to a process that corrupts good men and women who have good intentions but are influenced to pay back their debt to people who got them there.

How do you plan to improve our state and our government when you are elected?

The separation of state and federal powers is pretty clear in the Constitution. I prefer that states have the power of choosing how to run their government programs versus federally mandating them to jump through hoops in order to get funding. States should get their share of the tax revenue and implement their programs. This puts the citizen closer in contact with their local representative to ensure they are representing their interest versus somebody a thousand miles away. The federal government steps in only when there is a dispute among states such as the right to conceal a weapon across state lines. This is where maybe a federal law would assist in ensuring interstate travel without restrictions since the 2^nd Amendments states we have the right to bare arms.

You come from a family of 6 kids and you have 6 kids of your own. You obviously are very family oriented. Do you think that is something that is important to your campaign? Why?

Family is important but should not be the center of my campaign. My reason is this, I have six children, five girls and one boy, and they range from 22 to 5 years old. I do not want to have them be or act like something they are not. I want them to develop their own individuality with influence from political perceptions.

My kids are going through the same stages of development like every other kids in America to some extent. Why should they have to pretend they are something that they are not. With that said does not mean I let them run wild. For every action their will be a consequence and that consequence can be positive or negative but definitely a consequence. This is how life is regardless of who you are. My job is to be just as good as of parent I can be regardless of what I do for a living.

After 9/11, there was a national feeling of pride in our country and togetherness that had been essentially dwindling in the past, do you feel we ,as a nation, are falling back into that pattern?

This is interesting that you ask because I use this event in our history to teach clients about change and values clarification. Our country has changed but then again it was going to happen regardless as the events turned out in the world. Based upon my experience all change occurs and last for about 3-6 months and then we go back to our old selves.

DiClemente talked about the stages of change and that the hardest stage was the maintenance stage. The reason being is that after you have decided to make a change you have to stick to it. Well, this is where we lack the motivation to continue with change. How many people say they are going to lose weight as part of a New Year's Resolution and do a good job at the beginning but after three months they are back to where they started?

Change is not easy but finding something to believe in and motivate us canjust need to believe again and where better than to start with the Lone Star State.

Tell me about what your platform includes.

This was difficult because there are so many things I could put on my website regarding my platform so for now I just focused on the major items such as defense, economy, tax reform, term limits, health care reform, right to bare arms, foreign trade, and the sensitive issue of abortion. (www.casforsenate.com)

We know that there are many platforms you could have chosen. Why did you choose those particular platforms?

I chose defense because it is the building block for everything we have in this country. If we cannot defend ourselves then nothing in our country really matters. People are sacrificing their lives so that we can continue to bicker back here.

The economy was chosen because that is what our citizens are focused on at this time. I have been approached by many individuals who tell me that they just cannot make ends meet regardless of the money they make. They have to pay gasoline, daycare, mortgage, bills, taxes, and food and have nothing left over. If our elected officials would stop trying to push legislation on health care or other social programs and focus on our economy then we can say they are doing their job. People want jobs not hand outs!

Tax reform is where everything starts from working at McDonalds to running IBM. Taxes are where we pay into a system to assist in running our government. If our government does not have any tax revenue then it cannot implement any program in our country. It is vital that the tax system is beneficial to business because when it all come down to it, we all work for some business or another or we own our own business.

You are a LCDC. (Licensed Cemical Dependancy Counselor) How do you think that particular job prepares you for being a Senator?

I think this goes back to what I said earlier about being involved with all types of people; rich and poor, black and white, Christian and Wican, etc. The one thing that we all have in common is that we are all looking for pleasure in our lives and Senators are no different. They can be addicted to power and money which effects their decision making process. For me, those two things mean nothing to me. I imagine myself at times if elected coming back home and doing all the things that I do now because that is who I am. Hanging out with family and friends and talking about how things are going. You see, for me it is not about being part of the elite in America but how can I make America better for others to have the opportunity that I have. So, in a nutshell, by working with all types of people and what they have endured reminds me of what our priorities are for our country and our state.

How long have you been an LCDC?

I filed for reciprocity in 2002 as a LCDC for the State of Texas and was a certified drug and alcohol counselor (CADAC) with the Air Force prior to that. I have been working in the Mental Health Field since 1988. I have worked outpatient and inpatient mental health and substance abuse programs, Family Violence Programs, Drug Demand Reduction Programs, and Special Needs Programs.

What do you like the most about your job?

Point blank, helping people! I have so many people who have lost faith in themselves and in their higher power and the opportunity to find or redefine themselves is spiritually rewarding.

I tell my clients often that as long as I have been doing my job I have not cured one person and of course they look at me in amazement. After I explain that I have no control over what they choose to do or not do and I am a mere instrument to reflect on their choices then they understand that they have the power to make a difference and not me.

As a LCDC, how do you see the future of America as far as the War on Drugs? Do you think the US has gotten lax since the Reagan era on really fighting this war or have they gotten tougher?

It is funny you ask because I will be attending a Symposium on the Drug Issues regarding our Boarder next week in Austin. The drug war is the same but the like economics is as long as there demand there will be a supply. We spend a good portion of the Office of National Drug Control Policy on cutting the supply but Americans continue to increase their demand. We have increased the budget to fight the issue and decreased it but what has been constant is the demand. Emphasis should be placed more on working on the demand to include treatment for offenders. We need to focus on prevention but not any crazy money program prevention programs that don't really focus on the issue.

It's obvious to me that in your current career, you have a genuine love for people and helping them. Running for Senate you will be doing the same thing in a different capacity. How do the two go hand in hand?

People are people! It doesn't matter who they are, where they are from, who their daddy or mommy is but what they want in life. My goal is to assist people achieving their potential and as a Senator my goal is to providing the opportunity for my constituents to achieve their potential without any obstruction from my part.

There was a quote I use to hang on my desk and I forgot who said it but in summary he stated that the fallacy of American Management is that we are trying to understand how to motivate our worker when in reality it is all you have to do is stand aside. American workers motivate themselves we just got to give them the tools to succeed.

Change has been the word of the year. If you can change just one thing as Senator, what would it be?

There are many, many things that cross my mind but I think it all starts where it all started in reference to a lame duck government and that is Congress. I would want to eliminate all the rules that both houses have instituted which clutter the ability to present and approve a part of legislation. I mean we have so many subcommittees and procedures that bog down our ability to govern. How can we expect our elected officials to pass legislation when there are as many rules and procedures as there are tax laws? I know this is a stretch but I would say that I am not far off.

You credit faith, family, and the military to making you the man you are. Any other influences?

I would say that this is pretty much it. I mean I have a very strong belief in God and I feel that this is his campaign and not mine. Family is what we have and should have when all else fails and the experiences I had in the military, both positive and negative, have provided me some wisdom to who I am now. There are always friends such as my high school music teacher who believed in my as I competed at state competition and many other friends who I have share great memories over my life but when all is said and done it is still the same three. I think as I continue on this campaign that the military part will be substituted but it would be with something similar.

You don't come from money. You are not a typical candidate for Senate. Do you think this will hurt you or help you?

From a traditional political perspective it will hurt. I mean if you read the papers on elections they all talk about how much money they have raised and without money you can't really campaign which is a pretty world for market yourself. At the same time it can be very positive because 99% of America is not part of the elite which make over 1 million dollars a year. Now the elite 1% control over 33-37% of our wealth but that doesn't matter on Election Day because the person who makes $7.45 an hour has the same vote as the person who makes $100,000,000 a year. Thanks to the internet it gives aperson like myself the opportunity to compete without needing $10,000,000 in my campaign account. It makes it easier if we all had free press but that is another story.

So many people have been disillusioned by the promises of current offices not coming into fruition. As Senator, how do you plan on changing that?

With all due respect, I have not power or authority in changing it. The best I can do is just be who I am and what you elected me for. The Toltec Indians in ancient Mexico believed that you should live your life by four principles; be a person of your word, don't assume anything, don't take anything personally, and do your best. This is all I can do when I get elected and if it sets the standards for others to follow then they have that option.

How does your family feel about your candidacy?

The kids are excited and like any major project I get them involved and share the responsibility such as having my younger girls work my computer or internet projects. My wife is still making the adjustment and trying to understand what it will involve. She was born and raised in the Southside of San Antonio and is true Texas Woman. She works hard, is independent, the rock of our family, and outspoken when need be. The rest of my extended family was shocked at first and not for sure I was serious. Now they are behind me 100 percent. I come from a very big family so we laugh and say that we have a lot of votes among our family.

So, tell me, how did you spend your weekend?

I spent this last weekend working with some at-risk youth and taking them to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, TX. They had a blast but we got home pretty late like 3:30 in the morning. I spent the weekend trying to recover but can't say I succeeded.

I also spent it studying for my final's exam which I made an A in both classes. My weekend are usually campaigning, doing homework, and trying to fit in some family time like traveling out of town or trying to visit my daughter in Austin.

If I could I would enjoy some fishing, golfing, hiking, cruising, cooking out, tubing, entertaining, anything really to just get a mental break.

Do you do that often?

As far as the campaigning, studying, and family time...yes!

What do you think is the biggest problem facing America today?

The economy!! People can't afford to make ends meet and others can't even get a job. This is all created not by one party but by both parties but we continue to want to blame the other party as though it will make things better. We need to step up and start making some hard decisions and get people back to work! The American people don't care who is to blame they just want results. It reminds me of the movie "Madagascar" where the head penguin tells the other penguins, "Don't give me excuses show me results".

How do we fix that?

I really had a hard time with this one only because whatever is proposed needs to be viable versus just something that is idealogical.

I strongly support the 15% flat tax across the board to provided relief for the tax payer as well as closing all the tax loop holes that big money is using to their advantage. With this in mind a flat tax at this point would be harmful due to the lack of tax revenue that it could generate compared to what we are currently receiving. The big issue is that we are spending way too much money and not collecting enough.

So the first thing we would need to do is cut spending. The United States spends 3.9 Trillion dollars a year to run their programs and only collects 2.4 Trillion. We have to control spending.

The next step would be to freeze all tax brackets for the next two years. This would ensure that the money we collect will be constant for the next two years to sustain us through our transition period. The last phase is implement the flat tax so that people and businesses can begin to enjoy their earnings.

Being from Texas, you know prison over-crowding is an extreme issue. How can we fix that problem and what can be done concerning the issue of prisons being rehabilitory vs. punishment?

We have really lost focus regarding our Texas Penal System. We have gone to a majority of punishment system versus a rehabilitation system. I believe that some of this is also based upon our legal system and the different levels of sentences given for the different crimes committed.

If elected, any plans to go further up the political ladder?

No way Jose! I know if elected I would be the first Hispanic in the history of our state to ever hold such a high position in government and this would create buzz like Julian Castro being elected Mayor of San Antonio.

Like I stated earlier, politics is a buracreaucy and I am not a fan of buracreacy. I enjoy my simple life in my small town and going further would serve no purpose for our nation. I am not a career politician nor do I want to be which is why I support term limits.

Is there anything else you want to add or let the voting public know?

Well, it would be that our society has been bombarded with propaganda from all sides and we have lost faith in what we believe in to the point that we don't even see the significance of voting. There are men and women dying and sacrificing in all parts of the world so that we have the opportunity to exercise our fundamental right and responsibility. By not voting we are making a statement that their life is meaningless and we really need to check ourselves. I believe I have adopted the motto for my campaign, Make A Difference not a Division!

I would like to take this chance to thank Andrew Castanuela for giving me his time. In his bid for Senate, he has received little attention from the media. However, his bid for Texas State Senate should prove to be an awakening for the people of Texas.