Mark Rush this week told the Sentinel he is running for city council in Rancho Cucamonga’s District 1 “to give the voters a choice for change between the existing city council member and myself.”
So far, the two candidates in the First District are Sam Spagnolo, who has been on the city council since 2004, and another challenger, Jon Hamilton. “I will represent the residence in District 1 in Rancho Cucamonga with a plan going forward of reducing overdevelopment, which will reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in our city,” Rush said.
Rush said he believes his professional experience and abiding and active interest in issues impacting the city qualifies him to hold the council position he is seeking.
“As a retired telecommunications engineer and planner, I have experience in managing, planning and working on large projects in coordination with municipalities.” Rush said. “As a long time resident of Rancho Cucamonga, I am familiar with local issues and have attended numerous city council meetings.”
He is favorably distinguished from Spagnolo, Rush asserted, by the consideration that he is not tied into the city establishment nor the firefighters union. Spagnolo was a fireman with the city’s fire department and its predecessor, the Foothill Fire District for 35 years.
“The current city councilman for District 1 has been there a long time, and as far as I’m concerned, the city is progressing in the wrong direction, and he is part of that decision-making team,” Rush said. “I am a longtime resident with a diverse background, and with no ties to special interest groups, offering a different prospective on how this city should progress and plan for the future.”
A major issue facing the city, Rush said, is too-aggressive development.
“This city is developing at such a rapid rate, that it seems every available acre is being developed into high density dwellings and warehouses, which are contributing to the increased traffic, reduced air quality, and the increased use and price of water as the demand goes up,” Rush said. “You can only develop as far as the available resources and infrastructure can accommodate.”
Moreover, Rush said, the city’s growth has not been balanced.
“The lack job of opportunities for our residents and graduating students is also a problem,” he said. “They need to commute out of the city to find jobs that pay a wage allowing them to live here. These factors diminish the quality of life here.”
Rush offered a relatively simple formula for redressing the city’s problems. He said city decision-makers could make a major stride toward rational land use policy “by not approving every proposed development that requests a permit, and requiring those that do get approved provide a more environmentally conscious design to help curb the problems I mentioned. By eliminating high density developments and warehouses, you reduce auto and truck traffic. This also improves air quality and water consumption. By providing incentives to high tech, medical and professional businesses to build here, we can attract higher paying jobs for the residents and graduates from Chaffey College. They can then find jobs here and afford to live here.”
There would be no costs affiliated with the solutions he is advocating, Rush said.
“The city will not have to pay anymore for these changes then the current way we do business,” he said. “The benefits would be an improved quality of life for the residents of Rancho Cucamonga.”
Rush said he possesses experience that would provide him with the foundation upon which to function as an effective council member.
“I’m a former vice president of the Associated Artists of the Inland Empire, and the Rancho Cucamonga Democratic Club,” he said. “I’m also an active member of the Sierra Club.”
Born and raised in Riverside where he attended Ramona High School, Rush served in the Army and first moved to Rancho Cucamonga in 1980, but moved to Highland in 1989 before returning in 2000, making him a 29-year Rancho Cucamonga resident.
He attended and graduated from Chaffey College, receiving an Associate of Arts degree in general studies and an Associate of Science degree in physical sciences. He subsequently attended and graduated from the University of Redlands with a Bachelor of Science degree in business and management.
He is currently retired, with two daughters and four grandchildren.
-Mark Gutglueck