ELECTIONS / THOUSAND OAKS COUNCIL : Rush Runs Low-Key, Low-Budget Race, Is Concerned About City’s Youth

The first thing Ramaul Rush did when he reached the podium at a recent forum for Thousand Oaks City Council candidates was ask for a silent prayer for the victims of the Oklahoma bombing.

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From a more seasoned politician this might have seemed a contrived move, but delivered in Rush’s serious, almost ponderous voice, the gesture appeared completely sincere.

The other five candidates for the open council seat have run before or are so politically active that their candidacies were more or less expected.

But not Rush, a virtual unknown whose only political experience stems from volunteering on two city panels: the Social Services Funding Committee and the Building and Safety Appeals Board.

A dignified man who speaks slowly and deliberately, the 45-year-old Rush signed a statement promising that he would spend less than $1,000 campaigning for the June 6 special election.

Two other candidates, John Ellis and Ekbal Quidwai, plan to do the same. But Trudi Loh and Mike Markey have already raised $12,597 and $15,977, respectively, and Lance Winslow, the sixth candidate, has nearly $5,000 for his campaign.

Since Rush plans to spend next to nothing, he won’t be turning up on cable television commercials, he won’t be printing glossy brochures and he won’t be posting eye-catching signs on street corners.

His political style is so low-key, he almost appears disinterested.

But longtime friend Joan Best, a real estate agent who met Rush more than a decade ago when he was looking for a house in Thousand Oaks, said Rush is simply a shy and reserved man. “He just is a very private person, very quiet,” she said. “But if you ask him his views, he certainly is not shy about telling you them and what he wants to do.”

Rush is also intensely loyal, Best said, the type of person who follows through on commitments. Which might explain why he passed up an opportunity to woo some of Thousand Oaks’ toniest voters last week. The Westlake Joint Board was holding a candidates’ forum in North Ranch, and Rush was invited along with the other hopefuls.

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But he declined because of a previously scheduled meeting of the Social Services Committee. Nothing groundbreaking was on that night’s agenda and attendance was hardly mandatory; Mike Markey, another council candidate who also is a committee member, skipped it in favor of the forum. But to Rush, the first commitment took precedence.

“I have a prior obligation to the committee,” Rush said simply.

Another opportunity to address the public came this week, at the St. Paschal’s Baylon Church forum Monday night. Given 10 minutes to make the kind of self-introduction politicians love, Rush opted for short and sweet, taking only about half that time.

“Based on the fact that my last name is Rush, I’ll rush right through this,” he joked to the audience.

All this might lead the average voter to think Rush doesn’t care much about winning the race. He begs to differ. It’s just that he decided not to run a traditional race, instead preferring to do it “my way.”

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“If I never run for another office again, as long as I feel I’ve run the way I want to, I’ll be satisfied,” he said.

Rush said he joined the race because he was frustrated with the council’s bickering.

“One of the biggest reasons I got into this race was I was just tired of watching personality conflicts as a taxpayer,” he said.

But Rush is diplomatic enough to give the four-member council some credit.

“They have made every effort to make sound policy decisions,” he said. “But it’s time for fresh ideas, a new face and a more harmonious council.”

Rush does not provide specifics about what he would do as a council member, although he said that what he wants most is to preserve the current quality of life. He said he would not fall on one side or the other of the often-divided council.

“Each issue coming before the council I would want to consider individually,” Rush said. “I would review all the information and facts and then make my decision.”

Rush moved to Thousand Oaks 13 years ago from Los Angeles, where he was born and raised. He attended San Jose State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in sociology. He holds a teaching credential and taught sociology briefly at West Valley College in Saratoga.

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Rush also earned a law degree from Northrop University in Los Angeles, although he has never practiced law. “My feeling is that they have enough attorneys out there practicing,” he said. “I just really wanted the basic background.”

He combines his sociology background with legal expertise on a daily basis, working as a juvenile court dependency investigator in the San Fernando Valley. Roughly translated, that means Rush has the difficult task of evaluating whether children in trouble should remain with their families or be placed under court supervision.

During a recent interview, the health-conscious Rush nibbled on a light lunch of grilled vegetables and salad and talked about his job.

“I’ve seen a lot of difficult things,” he said. “Kids committing homicide, gang shootings, child abuse. I don’t like to characterize it as depressing, but it can be frustrating.”

Best admires her friend for working in such a demanding field.

“Anyone who can do that and not have a nervous breakdown--” she said. “Really, that says a lot for a person, if they are in that kind of job and stick it out. That says a lot.”

Rush said his experience working with the public would be a valuable asset for him as a councilman.

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“It would be useful because I have been involved in real-life situations,” he said.

Seeing abused children, delinquent children and young criminals has made the candidate concerned about protecting the youth of Thousand Oaks and providing them with things to do after school.

“We need to look at the youth programs,” Rush said. “I’m concerned, since delinquency is escalating in the Conejo Valley. Law enforcement is doing its job, but we as a community may not be doing our job. We have to become pro-active.”

Programs at the teen center in Thousand Oaks may not have widespread appeal for all young people, he said.

“If you’re in a gang, you’re in a gang,” Rush said. “Why would you go to a teen center? We need to shape some programs for these kids.”

He suggests getting youngsters more involved in sports, such as basketball and soccer, and says the city should push for more athletic fields.

Rush and his wife, Cynthia, have an 11-year-old son, Renau. They live on Avenida de las Flores in central Thousand Oaks in a home with a “humongous” back yard. Rush, who gardens on the weekends, says mowing the lawn and trimming the hedge are “mental therapy,” helping him blow off the stresses of the week.

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He doesn’t do much straightforward relaxing. “It’s just my nature,” he said. “I can’t stand idle.” But he does have one passion: watching CNN.

“I am a person who is information-oriented,” Rush said. “Give me CNN or ‘Crossfire.’ It’s the message in all the madness I see on television.”

His wife and son watch television in a different room, leaving Rush alone with the news of the day. Rush became interested in CNN after deciding that television dramas and movies had become too violent. On a typical day, Rush wakes at 5 a.m., does a few exercises to get the adrenaline going, then flips on the news.

As he explains: “I always want to know what is going on in my environment.”