The North County Times is cycling through their candidate profiles for the upcoming elections and I will post them below so that readers can make an informed decision. If a candidate in the Inland Empire would like me to post information about their campaign, I will do my best to be fair and balanced.
All posts containing candidate profiles or event/campaign releases will be posted free of any commentary on my part.
Chuck Washington
Chuck Washington is not good at being retired.
Back in 2005, he retired from Delta after 18 years of being a commercial pilot. In March, he went back to work flying as the first "rehired retired pilot" at Delta Airlines ---- no joke.
In 1999, Washington left Murrieta politics behind after serving on that city's council for four years, including a stint as its mayor. Just four years later in 2003, Washington was elected to Temecula's City Council and last year served as the city's mayor ---- making him the first person in California, possibly the nation, to hold the key to the city of two separate towns.
Now he has the support of his wife, Kathy, and his adult daughter, Lindsey, to seek a second term on Temecula's council, and Washington says he plans to remain an active public servant if re-elected this November.
Washington, 55, is one of five candidates vying for two seats on the Temecula City Council. Also on the Nov. 4 ballot are Albert Abbott, 29, office manager; Rita Hernandez, 73, retiree; Mike Naggar, 46, incumbent and businessman; and James "Stew" Stewart, 47, business owner. Council terms are for four years.
Washington identified three main issues he will focus on during his campaign and, he hopes, his next term: traffic, higher education and youth, and health care.
He doesn't shy away from saying that much of Temecula's traffic is because of the city's success as a place where people want to live, shop, work and visit. But he also knows there is a need to create better traffic flow for drivers and to reduce the amount of time commuters spend in their vehicles.
"In the early 1990s, we had people directing traffic on Rancho California Road," he recalled. "That was a time when there were fewer cars on the road, but traffic congestion was worse. In the intervening years, there have been improvements to managing the traffic."
He said two projects that will alleviate congestion are the planned extension of Overland Drive on the west side of Jefferson Avenue that will connect to Diaz Road. He said a similar project on the drawing board involves the creation of a series of bridges and roads that will connect Rancho Way in the Rancho California Business park to Ynez Road on the other side of Interstate 15.
"The larger picture is to position ourselves to secure resources to get those things done," he said in terms of planning, clout in the region, funding abilities and acquisition of rights-of-way.
As for addressing the community's health care needs, Washington not only wants to make sure the Temecula hospital, which was approved in 2006, is built ---- but he wants to foster the development of urgent care facilities in the city and see the newly formed Cal State San Marcos nursing program flourish in Temecula.
Washington said he will remain focused on reaching more young adults and delivering the academic resources they need.
"With the issue of higher education comes the question of how do we create a nurturing environment for our youth as they grow, so they have the best opportunity to reach their fullest potential?" he said.
While at the forefront of exploring youth issues in 2007, chairing the city's Youth Master Plan committee, Washington said he's not yet ready to disengage from his focus on Temecula's predominantly young population ---- especially teens and those in their 20s. Washington, a former Navy pilot, has his Facebook and MySpace pages ready to reach out to demographics who many times aren't actively involved in local politics.
"Being a city leader is not all 'bricks and mortar' projects. It's being out in the community," Washington said. "The job is so in-depth, it just fills your life. I just want to keep going while I have the energy and passion. It fills me with that good sense that I've done something right.
"I'm running again because the job is fun and rewarding to do, and there are things that still have yet to be done."
Contact staff writer Nicole Sack at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2616, or nsack@californian.com.
Chuck Washington
-- Age: 55
-- Occupation: Pilot
-- Civic involvement: Incumbent, Temecula City Council since 2003, Murrieta City Council 1995 to 1999, past vice chairman, Boys & Girls Club board of directors; past president, Habitat for Humanity; past vice chairman, Economic Development Corporation, past chairman: Western Riverside Council of Governments; past board member, Inland Empire Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; Families First Award 2008; Temecula Citizen of the Year 2004; Murrieta Citizen of the Year 1995; Kiwanis Citizen of the Year Temecula Valley, 2000; PTA Honorary Service Award Recipient.
-- Web site: www.chuckwashington.org
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