San Diego City Council District 5 candidate Joe Leventhal announces a ‘Safer Schools’ initiative
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The race for San Diego City Council District 5 seat is in full swing.
Joe Leventhal joined us on Good Morning San Diego to announce his ‘Safer Schools’ initiative for the first time. He said the initiative is, “really simple and an example of my outside the box thinking.”
Leventhal’s ‘Safer Schools’ initiative will task community planning groups to look for ways to improve the safety to and from schools within a half mile of our city’s schools. This includes things like crosswalks, speed limits, stop signs, school safety patrol programs, and getting input from parents and school staff to make sure our kids are as safe as they can be.
If elected, Leventhal will be one of three Republicans on City Council with six Democrats, making him part of the super minority. “That’s okay. Just because I have a party label next to my name doesn’t mean I can’t work well with people across the aisle, and that’s my goal. To get something done once elected.”
Leventhal’s priorities are reducing homelessness, increasing public safety, and improving road conditions across the City of San Diego.
Some information on Joe’s background, he is a lawyer, business owner, and U.C. San Diego alumnus. Leventhal has been a San Diego resident for almost 20 years with a history of leadership in the City with his work as an Ethics Commissioner, protecting San Diego citizens and taxpayers from government ethics violations.
Joe obtained his law degree with honors from the Georgetown University Law Center while working on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide, he worked on issues such as health care and education. After law school, he served as an attorney in the White House as deputy assistant to the Vice President of the United States. He was the youngest deputy assistant to the vice president at the age of 25.
Joe moved back to San Diego after his service in the White House and joined a number of organizations in District 5 like the Rancho Bernardo Rotary, Rancho Bernardo Business Association, and the Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation.
For more information on Leventhal’s campaign visit: www.joeforsandiego.com
Leventhal sent out the following information about his “Safer Schools” initiative:
Leventhal’s Safer Schools initiative would task the community planning groups with examining the areas within a half-mile of all K-12 schools in the City of San Diego with the goal of increasing safe access to and from our city’s schools. The community planning groups would, in turn, make recommendations to the Planning Commission after soliciting parent and community input.
In particular, the community planning groups would be tasked with considering the need for: additional stop signs, other traffic signs, or traffic lights; speed limits; curb paintings; expanded opportunities for School Safety Patrols; and any other recommendations within the community planning groups’ purview. The community planning groups would also be tasked with ensuring our schools are accessible for those with disabilities.
“The safety of our children has to be a top priority in our city,” said Leventhal. “Although the City Council has little oversight when it comes to our region’s education, it absolutely has a role to play in keeping our children safe. This initiative is one step toward that end.”
Once elected to the San Diego City Council, Joe will prioritize solutions to reduce homelessness, enhance public safety, and expand road repairs. Joe believes that bold, collaborative leadership, as he’s demonstrated throughout his life, is the best way to approach San Diego’s persistent challenges.
The 5th District includes the communities of Black Mountain Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Miramar Ranch North, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Encantada, Rancho Peñasquitos, Sabre Springs, San Pasqual, Scripps Miramar Ranch and Torrey Highlands. The District’s registration is nearly evenly split between Republicans, Independents, and Democrats
