>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK TO NEW DAY. WE ARE KICKING OFF THE SERIES
THIS WEEK, INTERVIEWING A MAYOR
OF EACH CITY EACH DAY.
FIRST WE HAVE MAYOR GREG
WHEELER JOINING US FROM
BREMERTON.
BREMERTON. WE HAD HIM ON HOT TOPICS
EARLIER.
EARLIER.
EARLIER. LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS.
YOU DID KNOW THAT PIZZA WAS A
DECENT BREAKFAST FOOD.
BECAUSE?
BECAUSE?
BECAUSE? >> I SPENT MY ENTIRE CAREER IN
THE SHIPYARD.
THE SHIPYARD. SO 15 YEARS I WAS A MECHANIC
THAT SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
BREAKFAST THAT WE EAT AND OUR
KIDS EAT THAT PIZZA CAME UP IT
ACTUALLY CAME UP.
AFTER LOOKING AT THE CARBS FROM
THE BREAD AND NO PRESERVATIVES,
CHEESE AND THE MEAT, WITH THE
PROTEIN.
PROTEIN.
PROTEIN. >> AND TOMATO SAUCE.
>> AND IT HAD ALL THESE THINGS.
SO YEAH, PIZZA IS GOOD FOR
BREAKFAST.
BREAKFAST. >> [ LAUGHTER ] I LOVE THAT YOU
FIGURED IT OUT.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE MAYOR?
WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION?
>> FOR ONE THING, I LOVE MY
HOMETOWN.
HOMETOWN.
HOMETOWN. >> IT IS A PRETTY COOL PLACE.
>> IS ONE OF THE PLACES THAT
WHEN PEOPLE MOVE THERE, THEY
STAY THERE.
STAY THERE. I AM ONE OF THEM.
IT HAS TREATED MYSELF AND MY
WIFE WELL.
WIFE WELL. SO IT TAKES A TEAM SO I WILL
MENTION HER A LOT.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
SPOUSES DO SERVE.
>> YES, WE ARE IN IT EVERY STEP
OF THE WAY.
THIS WAS A GOOD WAY FOR ME AND
US TO GIVE BACK.
I WANTED TO UTILIZE MY SKILLS
AND TALENTS.
AND TALENTS. I THINK I HAVE WHAT THE CITY
NEEDED.
NEEDED.
NEEDED. ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER.
>> AND THERE YOU WERE, NEXT
THING YOU KNOW YOU ARE MAYOR.
IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR MISSION
YOU WANTED TO TACKLE?
>> YES, BUT I FIRST STARTED, I
WANTED MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR
EMPLOYMENT.
EMPLOYMENT. WE HAVE A GREAT MAJOR EMPLOYER
IN THE NAVY.
BUT I WANTED TO DIVERSIFY.
IT'S NOT A FIT FOR EVERYBODY.
I JUMPED IN KNOWING THAT WE
COULD DO SOME ZONING CHANGES
AND DO SOME TAX REFORM.
WE COULD DO STUFF WITH THE
PERMITTING PROCESS.
PERMITTING PROCESS. WE COULD IMPROVE IT AND SPEED
IT UP.
IT UP.
IT UP. WHEN I GOT IN THE CAMPAIGN,
AFFORDABLE HOUSING STARTED TO
EMERGE AS THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN
THE CITY.
THE CITY.
THE CITY. >> AND IN SO MANY PLACES.
PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I WORK FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE
CITY.
CITY.
CITY. SO
CITY. SO WE ARE WELCOMING ANYONE WHO
WANTS TO MOVE THERE FOR
EMPLOYMENT.
EMPLOYMENT. SO I WILL WORK FOR THEM WHEN
THEY COME. THERE'S A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN JEOPARDY OF LOSING
THEIR HOMES.
THEIR HOMES. SO I AM BUILDING AN AFFORDABLE
HOUSING PLAN.
HOUSING PLAN. >> WILL THEY COME FROM
ELSEWHERE?
ELSEWHERE? >> THERE IS AN INITIATIVE THAT
I BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL,
ACTUALLY TWO OF THEM, AND THEY
ARE AIMED AT PREVENTING
EVICTIONS.
EVICTIONS. AND HELPING HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS.
IT IS A LITTLE UNUSUAL FOR
CITIES TO FUND THIS KIND OF
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM. NORMALLY THERE'S A STATE
LEGISLATIVE COMPONENT TO IT BUT
I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE
CITY TO STEP UP.
SO IT WAS QUITE A ROBUST
DISCUSSION DURING THE COUNCIL
DEBATES.
DEBATES.
DEBATES. THEY PASSED IT AND SO WE WILL
BE ABLE TO HELP A LOT OF
FAMILIES MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSES.
>> THAT IS REALLY GREAT.
WE NEED ANSWERS.
ESPECIALLY FOR THE PROBLEMS
THAT WE HAVE.
IF ONE PERSON SPENT IN
BREMERTON WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
>> I WOULD GO TO ONE OF THE
LOCAL PARKS.
LOCAL PARKS. WE HAVE OUTSTANDING WATERFRONT
SCENERY.
SCENERY.
SCENERY. >> THAT IS FOR SURE.
>> WE HAVE 35 MILES OF
WATERFRONT INNER-CITY.
WATERFRONT INNER-CITY. THE FERRY RIDE IS AN EXPERIENCE.
GET DOWN TO ONE OF THE PARKS IF
YOU ONLY HAVE AN HOUR.
MAYBE CHECK OUT THE MUSEUM.
IT'S RIGHT DOWNTOWN.
THERE'S A LOT TO DO AND SEE BUT
IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, JUST
GO DOWNTOWN AND VISIT A PARK.
>> A LIGHTNING ROUND OF GET TO
KNOW YOU QUESTIONS.
WHO WOULD YOU INVITE TO A
DINNER PARTY?
DINNER PARTY? >> LET'S SEE, MY FAMILY.
>> SOMEONE INTERESTING FOR
DINNER PARTY.
DINNER PARTY. >> PRESIDENT OBAMA AND MICHELLE.
MAYBE PETE CARROLL.
>> THAT WOULD BE A COOL
COMBINATION.
COMBINATION. WHAT'S ON YOUR PLAYLIST THAT
WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE?
>> PROBABLY SOMETHING ALONG THE
LINES OF -- GOSH.
THERE'S 80s ROCK.
PROBABLY ANYTHING 80s WOULD
SURPRISE PEOPLE.
SURPRISE PEOPLE. >> WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GUILTY
PLEASURE?
PLEASURE?
PLEASURE? >> REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
FOR ME TO
FOR ME TO
FOR ME TO >> WERE YOU BORN?
>> LONGVIEW WASHINGTON.
>> DO YOU MAKE YOUR BED EVERY
DAY?
DAY?
DAY? >>
DAY? >> KNOW.
>> KNOW.
>> KNOW. AND IT'S NOT IMPORTANT THAT
>> CATS OR DOGS?
>> BOTH.
>> BOTH.
>> BOTH. BUT DOGS CURRENTLY.
>> WHAT DO YOU WATCH OVER AND
OVER IN A MOVIE?
>> PROBABLY -- CENTENNIAL.
>> REALLY?
>> REALLY? I AM SURPRISED.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND
TALKING WITH US.
LET'S DO THIS AGAIN.
>>> A NEW BOOK ON HOW THE ICONIC
MUSIC LABEL