Recent disclosures about the activities of State Board of Education (SBOE) member Rick Agosto have changed my view of Tony Cunningham the man who challenged him for that seat in 2006. Three years ago when the Express-News Editorial Board was researching the candidates for the District 3 SBOE seat we had a difficult time locating the two candidates running for this important seat that represents an 11-county district that stretches from Bexar County down to Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley. Both Agosto and Cunningham are from Bexar County but local party leaders had no information about them. And perhaps more worrisome they were difficult to contact by phone.
Agosto had no phone number listed with the local Democratic Party or secretary of state and the address he listed was with a mailbox rental business. The candidates did not respond to letters inviting them to visit with the editorial board.
Cunningham may not have been qualified for the job and had no real idea what it is that the SBOE does but at least he was upfront about on why he was running for the office. Quite simply the man was unemployed and he needed a job.
There is something to be said for honesty.
Cunningham hung up when an Express-News writer called him. During a live candidates debate on public television Cunningham kept telling the moderator he would get back to her later on the questions he could not answer.
Not exactly what one would expect from candidates who want to manage the multi-billion Permanent School Fund (PSF) and make decisions on the education of the more than 4 million public schoolchildren.
It took a while but the newspaper finally managed to make telephone contact with both candidates shortly before the election.
The conversations however did little to instill confidence.
In a rare move the editorial board chose not to endorse either candidate because they did not exhibit the qualities necessary for the position.
Cunningham who ran as a Republican was unemployed at the time and was disappointed when informed the job did not pay.
He said he had planned to use the SBOE post as springboard to higher office maybe judge or railroad commissioner. Cunningham has an associates degree in electronics from St. Philips and didnt realize that judges must have a law degree.
Agosto a former manager for the Permanent School Fund said he had been groomed for the job by former board member Joe Bernal of San Antonio for seven years and wanted to offer his financial expertise to the board.
He claimed he had no ties to the public school fund.
In recent weeks however Texas media reports have stated that Agosto played an instrumental role in giving a lucrative SBOE contract to a company his business was courting and that he accepted thousands of dollars in gifts from a bidder and did not report the gifts on financial-disclosure statements.
Agostos actions are probably within the law but they sure dont pass the smell test.
Given the controversy the SBOE members have generated over the years it is difficult to imagine that anyone would want to do anything that could raise questions about managing the PSF.
Agosto did not appear to be a good choice for the office when he first ran and he has done little over the last three years to foster public confidence in his ability to continue serving on this important public board.
His seat is up in 2010; surely there are more qualified candidates in this 11-county SBOE District 3 region than we saw in 2006.
Dont forget this is not a paying position.
