2010 TRUSTEE RUNOFF A WATERSHED ELECTION AT TSC

By Juan Montoya
The late Henry Sanchez, who had served as in the Texas House of Representatives for Cameron County from 1967 to 1975, used to scratch his right forefinger raw with his left hand as he railed against the legislation that created the "partnership" between the University of Texas System and the Texas Southmost College in 1991.
The fungus infection in his hand was not the only thing that drove Sanchez nuts. It was the bill passed through the halls of the Texas Legislature where he once roamed the hallways that teed him off.
"There is no money in the bill," he would say to whoever would listen. "They're going to eat our lunch. If people found out what they're doing, boy are they gonna be hot."
Until his sudden death in Feb. 25, 1995, Sanchez referred to the 1991 legislation that created the partnership a "ripoff" of TSC taxpayers.
"They're (UT System) getting everything for nothing," he would say. "They don't have to pay for any of the buildings. The local people are going to be subsidizing them. And we won't even get any oil and gas revenues. This is not a good deal."
The legislation that created the unholy alliance that resulted in the hybrid institution (UTB-TSC) was carried by Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio and State Representative Rene Oliveira in 1991.
Ideally, it called for an autonomous university which would be in partnership with a community college. Then- TSC trustees endorsed the concept, as did The University of Texas System Board of Regents.
The Brownsville luminaries who steered the idea through Austin were Mary Rose Cardenas, Michael Putegnat, Mervyn Mosbacker, Dr. Homer Peña and Dr. Juliet Garcia.
They were assisted by Dr. Joe Stafford and Dr. James Duncan of The University of Texas System.
Many legislators in Austin questioned the concept. However, the major selling point to those skeptics up north was that the state would not be required to acquire or build a college campus; the existing campus would be leased by UTB from TSC.
Also, neither TSC nor UTB would share in income from the Permanent University Fund (PUF), a source of gas-and-oil royalty income shared by the other seven UT System schools and the A&M System. The leasing of these lands creates millions of dollars that could not be used by either UTB-TSC or UTPA.
"They're selling you down the river," Sanchez would say.
The 1876 Texas Constitution dedicated about one million acres of land to create the PUF. Through the dedication of additional land and the investment of revenue from mineral production on PUF land, the PUF now includes 2.1 million acres, primarily in West Texas, as well as $10.3 billion in investments.
When UTPA and UTB joined the UT System, they were be funded in part by the Higher Education Assistance Fund (HEAF) distributed by the Texas Legislature.
But now, in the face of decreasing revenues from the HEAF and mandated 5 percent cuts by all UT System institutions, many are questioning the initial assumptions that brought about the partnership in the first place.
"Even the HEAF is being reduced because of the state deficit," said Anthony Gray, administrative assistant to Oliveira. "There is even talk of universities reducing costs by another 10 percent. Even then, they still won't cover their costs." Looming in the horizon, according to Gray, are calls by local districts such as TSC, to issue more bonds (debt).
But given the much-publicized excesses by the UTB-TSC administration (a $640,000 mural, since anulled) and other costly ornaments to enhance students' "university experience," the success of that strategy might be a hard sell today.
Why is a higher education so important in the Rene Oliveira's district?
The 2000 Census indicated that the poverty rate here hovers at 38 percent compared to a 15 percent rate in the rest of the state. And the number of poverty households with children hovers at 41 percent compared to a statewide average of 16 percent. Also, income levels in Oliveira's district averaged $9,269 compared to the Texas average of $19,617. And the percentage of residents with a BA was 11.4 percent compared with a 23 percent statewide average.
The 51 percent of residents in the district who reported dropping out in 2000 compared to a 24.3 percent average for Texas.
Local taxpayers, who expected the UT System to honor its lease and rent obligations, have seen the oil-and-gas-royalty rich system go more than $10 million in arrears on its payments. And with tuition fees for TSC the highest among community colleges in the state, they are questioning the wisdom of that fateful relationship forged back in 1991.
Kiko Rendon, challenging 12-year incumbent Rosemary Breedlove for her position on the board, makes no bones about his stand.
"We've got to make college education more affordable for local students," he said. "The scholarship fund established by the trustees, including my opponent, in 2007 by doing away with in-district tuition boosted tuition costs by 39 percent in one vote. Then the trustees are using the $3.2 million to subsidize the scholarships for UTB, too. We've got to change some of these things."
Will local residents in the TSC district come out to vote and change the makeup of the board, rein in the administration and change the direction of our community college? We at Rrun-Rrun encourage you to vote starting June 1 and do just that.