Rep. Steve Waldrip, UT District 8

Steve Waldrip’s a California boy who went from parking cars at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel across from Disneyland, as a senior in high school, to playing basketball at Brigham Young University and setting a record most say will stay unbroken – as well as finding a wife from Utah’s Eden in the Ogden Valley, determining he wanted to finish law school and bring her back to Utah Valley’s land of milk and honey.

Candidates.vote – So Rep. Waldrip, what was the strangest job you ever had growing up?

Rep. Waldrip – Easy. A parking attendant at the Anaheim Marriott next to Disneyland. Talk about a strange place. It had a lot of other people who worked there who were strange and you had a lot of very strange people who visited the place while parking their cars there. I couldn’t wait to get out of the place. I was so glad when basketball started again.

Candidates.vote – Working near Disneyland while going to high school and playing basketball must have been interesting considering you were so close to the Happiest Place in the World.

Rep. Waldrip. – I attended Villa Park High School just between Anaheim and Orange. We were probably the smallest enclave there and were filled with orange groves and fruit trees of all kinds. It’s really not there anymore. That’s why when I hear people say we have to slow our growth down – I’ve seen it. I’ve seen the reality of it and sometimes you just can’t stop those things. And people here need to be ready because the development is coming here.

It’s natural for us to say how do we stop it, but the more realistic thing to say is how do we work to make it work best for everyone involved.

Candidates.vote – What do you consider a good meal and do you do the cook of it? And in fact, do you do much of the cooking around the house in Eden and what are some of the other favorites we might find in the Waldrip kitchen?

Rep. Waldrip – I’m somewhat of a good cook I guess. My go to me is a steak, vegies, and a salad. I’ll cook a fair amount. You being from Utah have to know how we are known for our peaches and cream. Whether it’s in pie, a dish, whatever. We just finished eating the last of those and are going to be missing them really soon.

Candidates.vote – So what exactly is this record you hold while playing NCAA basketball at BYU?

Rep. Waldrip — I appeared in one game, took one shot, made it, and I can proudly say that I never missed a shot in Division I competition, and that I currently hold the all-time NCAA record for field goal percentage (100%). We were playing Cal State Northridge and my coach was Rodger Reid. BYU was winning so he ultimately cleared the bench and I got to play.

Candidates.vote – So you’ve got a pack of four boys, have any of them followed the old man in shooting the hoops?

Rep. Waldrip. – Well, I’m 6’ 8 “and my wife, Jenny, is 5’ 4”. So no; none of the boys got the genetic benefit of having a chance at basketball.

Candidates.vote – Is there a favorite movie in the Waldrip’s home, or a television show?

Rep. Waldrip – Right now there is a favorite television show. It’s “Chasing Mavericks” one Netflix. It’s a surfing show and follows them around to the different competitions. And yes, it’s taking us awhile to watch it, but it does take us a while to get everyone in the same room.

And as for a movie, this is mine – The Sound of Music. And yes, I know it’s nerdy and dorky, but it’s mine and I love it.

Candidates.vote – Right now people do not thing of politics or a politician very highly. What do you have to tell those people?

Rep. Waldrip – When I decided to run for office I told everyone I’d throw them out of the house! I thought politics was so distasteful, but now I’ve seen the people in it want to do the greater good. It is critical to be engage in the process.

People have learned though that it’s fun to throw rocks. Social media has given license to throw those rocks even harder.

How are you going to know if someone is telling the truth if you don’t ask them the follow up question? If you ask the follow up question of why – you can get to the why and what they are really trying to do. You can get to the truth, but you’ve got to put the rocks down!

If you ask why impeach – there are actually three or four layers to the question no matter what you believe or want to; but so often you stop at the headline. You’ll never grow as a person unless you hear someone else’s perspective.