On October 3rd, 2007, Mr. and Mrs. 'Speedy’ Gonzales of San Antonio hosted a fundraiser at their home in the Dominion, on behalf of Red McCombs, for Mr. and Mrs. Francisco ’Quico’ Canseco. Mr. Canseco is the Republican Candidate for Texas 23rd Congressional District in the running against Democratic incumbent Ciro Rodriguez. A lifelong Texan, Canseco exudes a gentle confidence and a matter of fact sensibility that are quickly demonstrated through verbal sentiments of his love for and the desire to serve the people of Texas.
I was privileged to have a few minutes of conversation with Canseco during which time he elaborated on issues at the top of his political agenda. Not expecting to have more than a moment of his time, I was pleasantly surprised when he offered not only answers but also a brief rundown of issues that currently plague national headlines: Healthcare for children and elderly, education reform, and most importantly, given the geographic location of the 23rd district, immigration.
Impassioned on all topics we discussed, Canseco maintained a refreshing candor in each answer he provided. Blatantly open about his disdain for the state of our educational system, he emphatically supports removing majority’s control of the system from the Federal and State governments and returning ownership and creative authority to the educators who work daily in our schools. “Texas Education Agency needs to relinquish its hold on the school districts and let the districts determine how to meet their own needs. There is not a one–size–fits–all approach that will work for districts across the board. Each district has its own needs that should be met according to their geographic location, school cultures and overall population,” Canseco said.
Given the location of the 23rd District in Texas and its 700 miles of US/Mexico border, the obvious point of concern for many is our migratory population and immigration reform. Canseco words were from the heart when he addressed immigration reform. He makes no secret of his Latin heritage or that his parents migrated from Mexico utilizing the correct procedures and laws of entry. For many would–be immigrants, following the laws of entry into our country are laborious and frustrating at best. From these would–be citizens are born two separate groups of people: those who follow the rules and those who choose otherwise. The immigration reform bill in Congress grants amnesty to those illegal individuals who are residing north of the Rio Grande and elected not to adhere to our nation’s immigration policies. Canseco states that this bill conveys the sentiment, “Ignore our laws long enough and we will eventually forgive you.”
He, like most, does not have issue with immigration. He is proud of the fact that others, like his parents, want to experience the American dream of freedom and prosperity. He takes issue with illegal immigration and those who cheat the system by skipping through the line whose other end holds life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is the weakest and most vulnerable of our citizens that Canseco expresses concern for: the children and our elderly. “We are dealing with poverty stricken elderly who are not receiving adequate healthcare due to fund appropriation benefiting children’s health insurance programs wherein qualifying levels have breached poverty standards allowing the program to serve children of middle class income families instead of those for whom it was originally created.”
Regardless, the topic of Canseco’s concern for issues of humanity was obvious throughout the course of our conversation. Having not previously met him, I can say it was an honor to share a few moments with a political candidate whose agenda and personal concerns mirror those of so many Texans. 'Quico’ Canseco is truly a man of the people. I walked away from our conversation understanding in my heart and mind that it is his desire to not only better our country, but to better our great state through honesty, sincerity and the loyalty to its people. He desires not only to serve the State of Texas by representing the 23rd District, but also to make positive choices that will ultimately affect the quality of his life and that of his wife and children.
At the end of the day, when you look at his motivations and actions through the eyes of a husband and father, the meaning behind the actions becomes a bit clearer. Canseco is not just running for Congress. He is vying for a position that will enable him to leave our great state a bit better than he found it. He does this not only for our people, but also for his family.
