Coming from a law enforcement and military family I know what its like for families of Officers & Military personnel. Not knowing if they will come home and especially the criticism from the recent defund the police movement. At a young age I joined the Covina Police Explorers program; from attending the Explorers Academy, and learning from my Explorers advisors I got a deep understanding, and respect of how great policing can transform A community. That transformation doesn't happen by defunding the police, but rather making our police force stronger in both manpower and technology. Manpower such as more sworn officers and social workers to help aid in nonviolent and mental health calls. We are vastly understaffed with 1 officer to every 570 residents. In the 21st century new technologies are emerging everyday changing the way we police, our officers need to be on the cutting edge of those technologies so they don't fall behind. One great technology I’ve seen, and is being used by more then 1,200 departments across our country is the use of drones (UAVs). Drug bust are great but that is still not going to prevent a criminal from breaking into your home or stealing your Catalytic Converter. With more manpower and better technology we can stop those thefts right in their tracks. Covina has the highest crime rate compare to cites that surround us, it's time we give our officers the support they need to conduct safe and reputable calls of service. As someone who not just worked with our Covina police officers, but learned from them what they need. We don’t need to defund our police to transform our community, we need to give our police the tools they need to transform our community. We are not the city of Los Angeles, the city of Minneapolis, or the city of Ferguson, we are the city of Covina our police force is not rooted in corruption with bad cops. It’s rooted in honor, integrity and service. As always putting people first -Joe Rodriguez

For years I have helped the residents of Covina, getting things done behind the scenes while the credit went to careered politicians, now it’s time to bring that work to the light. Just recently the city elections went from an at large election to districts. All of our current city council were against this move but I feel it gives our residents the square deal we so desperately deserve when it comes to representation and accountability. I have worked hard with the Stamp Out Smoke Covina Coalition for years with a city ordinance that would make multi-unit housing in Covina smoke free! These efforts are still on going, and I’m proud to say the city council finally heard us, and agreed to move forward exploring the ordinance. It has taken our leaders a while to listen to us and was slowed by bureaucracy, however if elected I will act fast and cut the red tape. Throughout the pandemic I have always put people first, from volunteering at food banks, doing welfare checks on Senior citizens, providing families and children with avenues of resources helping with at home learning, teaming up with our hospitals making sure people don’t delay their care, helping small businesses stay open and bring in more local consumers, and even help relocate the homeless that occupy our beloved Covina park to more permanent housing.There is nothing I won’t do to help my fellow #american I’ve been called a maverick since I do things my way. If there isn’t a path to success I often create my own. Being the maverick that I am I can attest that I am beholden to no business or entity, but rather to my fellow Americans. Covina has always been that shining city on a hill. A slice of America everyone aspires to have. Now that shining light is fading and our America has left. With an ongoing pandemic still and a global conflict in Europe hitting close to home we need leaders that will come to the call of duty when our fellow Americans needs them. When elected I will build a unified vision for the future of Covina that will withstand for years to come ensuring we are always putting people first.

One of my favorite things about the industry I choose to have a career in is getting to create great culinary creations and pair them with beautifully made wines. I have seen big business deals being made over a meal and a glass of wine. For those who don’t know it is hard to start a business in the restaurant/culinary field. Most restaurants don’t make it pass the first year and you don’t see an immediate return for the first two years because of all the upfront cost to get started. The past two year have been especially hard on our small businesses and restaurants. Some closed their doors never to open again, others defied orders to close. Our businesses shouldn’t have to break the law to keep people employed, that is not the American way. As a businessman that has competed with others in the global economy becoming the first Latino sommelier for the Qantas lounges in North America, I know how to attract business both big and small. By not just offering tax incentives, but also cutting the cost for businesses, we can help local businesses stay local while giving new business owners a jump start on their dream. Cutting cost is a first step in the right direction to bring businesses back to Covina however we still need to address the unemployment rate in the city as well. The Covina unemployment rate sits at 11.8%, The national rate is 6%. The job market only increased by 0.7% last year in Covina. When our economy reopened that number should have been way higher. This just concludes that our businesses didn’t open. To combat the unemployment rate in our town while still putting people first I propose a tax incentive for businesses who hire Covina residents, thus lowering the unemployment rate, while also keep revenue local.