Interview: David Brooks, McKinney City Council candidate

by Staff of McKinneyNews.net

McKinneyNews.net is under the opinion that the best questions are questions least expected.

McKinney’s upcoming city council election (May 9) finds no less than three contestants vying for the council’s At-Large seat. McKinneyNews.net sat down with each candidate – Curtis Rath, David Brooks, and current District 1 council member, Gilda Garza -- in an effort to divine who these candidates are not necessarily as politicians, but as thinking human beings capable (hopefully) of contending with nuance and ambiguity.

McKinneyNews.net is under the opinion that the best questions, i.e., those that elicit something of substance pertaining to one’s character and intellectual capabilities, are questions least expected. After all, presumably anyone can make a good impression with enough preparation and rehearsal. (Remember, Skinner, with relative ease, trained pigeons to play Ping-Pong.)

While the questions generally follow the same trajectory, McKinneyNews.net did not hesitate to deviate from the prearranged script when candidate answers warranted a follow-up question (or two).

McKinneyNews.net explicitly does not endorse political candidates. In deference to the alphabet, Garza’s and Rath’s responses will follow Brooks’ interview on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

McKinneyNews.net: So, what do you do with your time?

Brooks: I’m a banker. I’m the chairman and CEO of Independent Bank Group which is a bank holding company with approximately 20 locations between North Texas and Austin.

McKinneyNews.net: Erich Fromm said, “One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often.” What saddens you?

Brooks: (Pauses at length) Well I think I’m saddened by the struggles that we have as human beings to try and improve our situation -- our family situation and the situations of those around us. I’m currently saddened by the economic struggles that many of our friends and neighbors and community are facing -- people who lose jobs or are struggling with their family in some way. Those are some things that make me sad. And I think serving is an opportunity to try and do something about that.

McKinneyNews.net: What’s your political persuasion – and do you think you’re able to accommodate opposing political opinion?

Brooks: I’m a conservative by nature. I prefer less government and lower taxes. I’m a fiscal conservative. With age comes some wisdom and some maturity -- broader prospective on life as you deal with struggles. You see, there are a lot of different pathways to get to where people are trying to go. I was on a college campus for four years (2000-2004) as the chief financial officer at Baylor. That was a time where I was exposed to a lot of different philosophies and views and in that environment I had to build consensus around a transformation vision that we were implementing at the school with all this diverse population of stakeholders. I believe I was challenged and changed by that situation in that environment where I had to be a consensus builder.

McKinneyNews.net: McKinneyNews.net realizes global warming is beyond the purview of city council decisions. But then again, council members certainly must grapple with issues pertaining to ecology and conservation. So, with this huge prelude, what’s your take on global warming?

Brooks: My take on global warming? (Long pause.) I suspect that the research on global warming is not as conclusive as the most aggressive environmental groups would say it is. For instance, Al Gore says the questions have been answered, so don’t ask them again. In Gore’s view, there’s severe global warming and we’ve got to deal with it. My view is it is an issue that needs to be discussed and further researched. I’ve seen – I was in Ecuador last fall doing some mountain climbing and we saw the glacier that has been receding for the last two decades (at this point, Brooks picks up a large picture book and points directly to the glacier). In my view, there is evidence that would indicate there is something going on globally and that it’s very possible that we could have a global warming issue or problem. I think it bears further research and discussion. I don’t know the answer. But I’m open. Some of the fixes for global warming -- the downside could severely limit the quality of life or growth of certain nations.

McKinneyNews.net: How do you know when you’re in possession of the truth?

Brooks: I think there’s a sense that first you have to have some core values of what is right and what is wrong to build upon. Then based on those core convictions you then weigh the evidence that you can touch, feel, smell, see – your senses – and then add upon that research and the thoughts of people you trust and then you ultimately, based upon that, can put yourself in position to make a decision. If you have to have absolute hard evidence for every decision you make, then how do you know you’ve met the right person to marry? Part of maturity is understanding no one is in possession of absolute truth.

McKinneyNews.net: What makes a great leader?

Brooks: I believe what makes a great leader is the willingness to look at an issue or problem to try to understand all that you can around that issue and then to strike out in a direction and hopefully build a consensus in that direction. If I’m a great leader in the bank, I’m looking at our footprint and I am assessing based on many variables how do I 1) build value for shareholders and 2) make this a great company to work for and 3) provide the greatest products and services for our customers.

McKinneyNews.net: Who’s your hero?

Brooks: Mother Teresa. Let’s do that. She’s someone who lived out her beliefs and in our culture today many of us have difficulty matching our beliefs and our core values to the life that we lead. Mother Teresa loved and valued people and lived in a place where there is the greatest imaginable need for a person like that.

McKinneyNews.net: Where do we fall off track in regard to this radical humanism?

Brooks: (Sigh and shakes head) I think it’s our fallenness (the fall of man) that leads us to grab what the world has to offer and comprise our core values. There’s a physician I know who’s very successful financially and he lives by the motto, “We will live simply so that others can simply live.” And he lives that out by living in a very humble residence driving very older and utilitarian vehicles and they give away almost the vast majority of their income.

McKinneyNews.net: What role does past experience play in one’s perception of reality and one’s notion of Truth?

Brooks: My past growing up in a career Air Force family with a father and mother who had no post secondary education, but who valued education led me to hunger for education and for success and accomplishment. That in turn is why I am passionate about education because I really view education as the great equalizer; it’s the way that someone from a broken home or being raised by their grandparents – low socioeconomic status – can rise up out of that and make a better life for themselves in our country. It’s what I love about our country.

McKinneyNews.net: What do you think your greatest strength is and can you give us a concrete example of how you have used this strength in business?

Brooks: My leadership ability and my willingness to take a risk.

McKinneyNews.net: How would you apply this as a member of council?

Brooks: The city is going to face numerous challenges over the next three years; I believe it’s pivotal time for the city. So navigating the economic downturn, preserving the quality of life while we grow and economic development -- my leadership will allow me to assess the information and lead to making good decisions for the city of McKinney.

McKinneyNews.net: What are three critical issues that our city faces?

Brooks: I think it all falls under “the quality of life issue.”

McKinneyNews.net: Is indigent health care an issue in Collin County?

Brooks: Yes. Clearly it’s an issue. McKinney probably sees more of it than any other city in Collin County. I don’t know what the solution is.

McKinneyNews.net: Do you think a developer such as mayoral candidate George Fuller – or maybe a guy like downtown developer, Don Day -- should run for city council? Some might say there’s a rather huge conflict of interest.

Brooks: I know what the concern is and I’ve heard a lot of it. I think it’s difficult for an active developer to be on city council. It is possible: It just requires a lot of transparency and a lot of clarity in the government. So, if you fully disclose all your positions and holdings and step out of the discussion around any issues related to that then I think it’s possible. But it’s hard. It’s a very high bar.

McKinneyNews.net: What annoys you most about politicians?

Brooks: (Laughs) A willingness to say and take whatever position they think is popular. You can call it governing by polls or what’s politically expedient.