I Still Chew My Fingernails

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton Wishes More People Knew How Little They Know

Greg Stanton, a native of Phoenix, has been mayor of his hometown since 2012. He previously served as Arizona’s deputy attorney general from 2009 to 2011 and on the Phoenix City Council from 2000 to 2009. Before taking part in a panel about Arizona and Mexico, he talked about documentaries, emergency phone calls, and running for office in a “wide-open town.”

Q:

It’s 10 p.m. in Phoenix on a Friday and you haven’t eaten all day. Where would you go?


A:

I’d probably go to Barrio Café. If I’m heading home and it’s 9 p.m., Mucho Macho Taco on 7th Avenue and Missouri. Or Pho Thanh, 19th Avenue and Camelback.


Q:

What was the last time you got a call at 3 a.m.?


A:

Maybe a few months ago. Unfortunately, if something happens in the middle of the night, it’s often dealing with the police department and it’s not a positive thing. But I keep my phone right next to me at night and I keep it on ring. And I hope and pray I don’t get a call.


Q:

What’s the most fun thing about running for office in Phoenix?


A:

It’s a wide-open town—one of the great attributes of Phoenix. There’s not much of an old-boy network here. When I ran for office the first time, I didn’t know anybody in politics. Anybody can become a leader at the top levels of this community.


Q:

What’s the biggest misconception Americans have about Phoenix?


A:

There’s still a perception that we don’t have an advanced economy, that we’re not one of the leading cities of the United States of America. Watch out, Phoenix will continue to grow and grow economically. There’s also a misperception on politics. They’ve read negative things about Arizona because of the crazy things our legislature does, and part of my job as mayor is to send a very different message. Phoenix is a warm, wonderful place, and we embrace diversity.


Q:

What’s the last book you read?


A:

The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright. I’m also just reading a book right now about Modern China, Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler.


Q:

What’s your favorite film?


A:

I love documentaries. Netflix is like a godsend to me. There’s a great documentary called The Thin Blue Line. I just love that movie.


Q:

Favorite feature film?


A:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.


Q:

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?


A:

That probably came from my mom, who always just said, “If you don’t have anything worthwhile to say, stay quiet and listen.” In this job, there’s a tendency to just talk.


Q:

What do you eat for breakfast?


A:

I make breakfast for my son Trevor every morning. He’s an early riser. For me, normally just a cup of coffee and read the papers.


Q:

What’s the strangest job you ever had?


A:

When I was in high school, I worked at Kmart at I-17 and Northern Avenue in western Phoenix. I was the shopping cart guy—to clean up shopping carts in summer. Then I was promoted to the home department, with the paint and wood, and I was totally a fish out of water.


Q:

What’s your worst habit?


A:

I still chew my fingernails. My wife would like me to break that.


Q:

What’s your biggest pet peeve?


A:

In politics, you hang around a lot of people who think they know more than they actually know. I’m certainly guilty of that, too. But the more I serve in public office, the more I realize how little I know. The world would be a better place if more people realized how little they know.


*Photo by Felipe Ruiz.