Steve Radack (i) - Republican - Speaks: TAYLOR: How important is good leadership during times of crisis? COMMISSIONER RADACK: Good leadership is always vital during a crisis. But we must put the word “crisis” in perspective. Harris County consists of nearly 4 million residents. It is safe to say that every second there is someone experiencing a crisis in their life. It could be one of the thousands of children abused annually, or a senior citizen struggling to pay the light bill while facing a mountain of medical expenses. It could be one of the hundreds of thousands of people treated at the Harris County Hospital District each year. Leaders come in all shapes and forms. As a leader, my best work is to make sure other leaders in the community have the tools they need to help all these people 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The people of Harris County are dynamic and challenges are always present. Leaders, like those on Harris County Commissioners Court, find a way to make sure the community has the tools to deal with whatever confronts the people we serve. TAYLOR: Do you consider yourself to be a leader? If so, in what way? COMMISSIONER RADACK: I consider myself a leader because, like other elected officials, I have to step up and make sure all who serve this community have the tools to act decisively and that we set the right priorities. TAYLOR: Other than yourself, who is the most effective leader you know alive today? COMMISSIONER RADACK: Thank God there is no one person who can be put into this category. Leadership comes at all levels - inside and outside of government. Leadership is found in the teacher who spends extra time with that struggling student, the law enforcement officer who works an extra shift and misses his kid's game, the firefighter who rushes in where no one else will, the nurse caring for a sick baby, the social worker and the community center volunteer who helps a senior learn a new skill or adjust after some personal tragedy. We live in a multifaceted community with layers of problems. No one person can tackle them alone, and we wouldn't want one person to do that. We can find effective leaders everywhere. They must be encouraged and supported. TAYLOR: Why should Harris County-area voters choose you on Tuesday, November 4th? COMMISSIONER RADACK: I have had the honor and privilege of serving this community for almost my entire adult life - 11 years as a Houston police officer, four years as an elected constable and almost 20 years as the Commissioner of Precinct Three. I respect the people of this city and this county immensely and have never been shy about my views and have never been shy about doing what is best for the people of Harris County. |
Dexter Handy Speaks: TAYLOR: How important is good leadership during times of crisis? HANDY: Good leadership is absolutely necessary during times of crisis. When lives, livelihoods, safety, security, or infrastructures are at risk, a good strong leader must take control of the situation. As a former military leader I have the ability to quickly identify the critical problem areas, assess alternative approaches to fixing the problems, develop working solutions, pull together the right team to fix the problems, and make it happen. As a leader, I am also aware of communicating the solutions to the community affected, and taking measures to calm the fears of the people adversely affected. TAYLOR: Do you consider yourself to be a leader? If so, in what way? HANDY: I spent 28 years in the Air Force, having graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. I am a skilled planner, thinker, manager, and leader, as I have served as a squadron commander and as the Senior United States Air Force Communicator in an international organization. In addition, as the former Chief of the Department of Defense's Computer Emergency Response Team, I have the background and hands-on experience in resolving crisis management, project management, and people management challenges. And I can bring these perspectives learned from my assignments in Texas, Colorado, Washington D.C. and Europe to the Harris County Community. TAYLOR: Other than yourself, who is the most effective leader you know alive today? HANDY: Our current Houston City Mayor, Bill White, quickly comes to my mind as an effective leader. He took on the challenge to accept, process, and house thousands of evacuees during our adventure with Hurricane Katrina, and then turned around and guided this city through Hurricanes Rita and Ike. He saw the growth that Houston faces, and developed ways to manage it. He's fostered a labor union solution which benefits service employees. Mayor White continues to read the situation, accept the challenges, and implement credible solutions to the benefit of Houstonians. And he gets ordinary citizens involved in the process as well. He is the most effective leader I know today. TAYLOR: Why should Harris County-area voters choose you on Tuesday, November 4th? HANDY: I firmly believe Precinct 3 needs a leader who is ethical, responsive and proactive. I am running to be your County Commissioner because I have the skills necessary to take our county's infrastructure forward. I am running because I believe we can do this with an open government forum. I believe I can implement diverse transportation options; including metro-rail, light rail, sidewalks, bikeways, and mobility corridors throughout Precinct 3. I am certain I can improve our crisis response capabilities, and prevent a recurrence of the headaches we experienced after Hurricane Ike. I believe I can reduce crime by integrating our various county and city law enforcement agencies' communications networks to foster quicker response times to incidents. |
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