The results are in. Eastman, Thorne, and Wright caught fire with some of the movers and shakers but not the sheeple

It looks as though the three common sense candidates in last November's election failed to get their message out. It was probably because they did not walk the precincts—especially Birdland--and spend enough time shaking hands at the Farmer's Market, Safeway, and all the usual haunts.

Surrogates are great. There is nothing, however, like the real deal. Being everywhere (on corners and at the door) shows that there is fire in the belly to win the election first and then to govern the city. It was obvious that the other side still has fire in the belly. The newcomers appeared to desperately want to win and the mayor (with plenty of name recognition and years of service) tagged along with them and the Bernal initiative to get his vote of confidence. He played the role of kingmaker with his usual aplomb.

Message and messenger is critical for the election in two years. Mayor Tom Pico must stand for re-election once again. Counselor Kay Ayala is also up for re-election. Mr. Pico still loves the spotlight and loves the power. That said, he will run for re-election. Ms. Ayala would love to run for mayor. That is probably why she will run for re-election hoping to be in the right place at the right time to make her own mayoral run.

With the right positioning by the opposition, the mayor and incumbent will have to answer for inaction and ineptitude in several key areas. Traffic has no chance of improving and the road and street network already approved but disdained by Mr. Pico and Ms. Ayala will more likely be removed from the General Plan than built to accommodate our needs from two years ago, our needs now, and our needs two-years hence. Housing mandates will not be met. Seniors will still be looking for subsidies to stay in town close to their adult children. The final cost of the golf course will continue to mount to satisfy environmental extremists demands.

Positioning should begin right now. Counselor Jennifer Hosterman started her run for the council even before her opponents were sworn in two years ago. Counselor Steve Brozosky, though positioned to run for the council by his various appointments by Mr. Pico, used his association with Brian Arkin and the Bernal Initiative to attain and keep his high profile.

Bill Eastman, Jerry Thorne, and Bob Wright are admirable messengers with a middle of the road message. The hysteria about former police chief Eastman establishing a police state is typical of the lunatic left. So Mr. Eastman, should he choose to oppose Mr. Pico next time out, will have to assure the electorate—at their front doors—that he is not only a reasonable private citizen and candidate but that his 19 years of reasonable administration of Pleasanton's police forces will stand him in good stead to administer council activities.
City Manager Deborah Acosta McKeehan reacted like a deer caught in the headlights to Mr. Eastman's candidacy. It was widely speculated that Mr. Eastman would want to take a closer look at Ms. McKeehan's performance as the city's chief administrative officer as a payback for her role in Mr. Eastman's early retirement. Her reaction and the hysteria it generated made convincing anecdotal evidence that she had a hand in Mr. Eastman's departure--it looked and walked like a duck. Nevertheless, Mr. Eastman will have to explain what he knows about Ms. McKeehan's complicity in his leaving the police department and provide voters with his assessment.

Mr. Wright or Mr. Thorne will also have to meet and greet the public at their front doors. Mr. Thorne must assume a higher profile on the Parks and Recreation Commission. Mr. Wright, with not much of a chance of re-appointment to anything, will have to act as Greek Chorus to the council's continued left-leaning march to another elitist, socialist East Bay enclave.

Candidate Cindy McGovern, a school board member, will likely run again. She will likely have the support of counselor Matt Campbell a schoolteacher. An alliance will be a strange one. Mr. Campbell is much more conservative. Ms. McGovern wonders occasionally into the nutty left-of-center camp. She will likely have broad support from school administrators, board members, and teachers. Her good showing in the last election will, of course, stand her in good stead with the electorate the next time out. She will only need to walk a couple of more neighborhoods and she can win.

News Opinion

Mr. Sullivan, we are not Communists

To Matt Sullivan, Pleasanton Planning Commissioner, OpinionPleasanton says: we are not communists. Thank god.

His most recent letter to the various editors (not OpinionPleasanton) is a great example of how the left is singing out the same songbook. The key phases and ones that Mr. Sullivan uses are "…an appointed president…"and "or is it about ultimate control of the oil and natural gas resources in the Middle East…" The phrases themselves tip off discerning readers that what Mr. Sullivan says will be first and foremost anti-Bush and second extremist. Last, Mr. Sullivan separates himself from reality often getting caught-up in his own rhetoric. OpinionPleasanton was particularly amused with Mr. Sullivan's "This hits very close to home when your son is a high-school senior and a new federal law allows military recruiters to obtain information and contact him without your permission."

We are extremely confident Mr. Sullivan (and fellow travelers) would support the abortion clinic that refuses to report underage abortions to the parents of their pregnant clients. As far as we know, 18-year-old men are still required to register and have been for many years. Since the military is an all-volunteer force, it seems immaterial that they have your son's name. He cannot be forced to volunteer—only register.

We are now to be freed "from our self-imposed energy shackles?" We are "attacking innocent civilian populations?" We have to "address the roots of poverty, inequity and oppression?"

Mr. Sullivan's ramblings are slightly humorous and we can see how they can be laughed off as a bit whacko. But consider them from this perspective. Mr. Sullivan sits on one of Pleasanton's important commissions. Mr. Sullivan supports "sustainability" which is code for the collective assuming control of the Left's social engineering mechanism under the guise of environmentalism. To many, the message is mesmerizing—the schools have convinced the latest generation and their parents that we must protect the environment at all costs. They did not count on some of those costs being a total surrender of our freedoms and the complete change of our way of governing.

The trees are back but not the shade

Bernal Avenue is looking much better. Getting those specimen trees planted has helped considerably. We can only hope that mature trees (even larger than the specimen trees) will be transplanted in front of the gasoline station/car wash/mini mart at the corner of Valley and Bernal avenues. We will need a canopy of tree limbs and branches to hide the fluorescent signs from the station.

And speaking of trees, have these trees been counted by the consultant counting our trees and have they been programmed into the database? Or, will the city need another consulting contract to get that accomplished?

Quick Opinion

We did it our way

It was extremely gratifying not to see Pleasanton listed in a list of cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties that are being hit by drastic reductions in redevelopment funds as a result of the state's fiscal crises.

Pleasanton chose a "pay your own way" path in the late 70's. Our downtown was redeveloped with our own funds. Pleasanton can take a great deal of pride in the fact that no local taxing agencies were ever shorted by tax increment financing (taxes are frozen for most agencies while taking the excess taxes generated by the new and improved properties in the redevelopment district to pay for the district's projects.)

This concept is in the o-zone for most Pleasanton residents. Suffice it to say that Pleasanton didn't drink at the redevelopment welfare trough.

Guest Opinion

We realize that most www.OpinionPleasanton.com readers have important work and family activities that keep them away from their keyboards (formerly typewriters. But we do take typewriter written letters and convert them for electronic use. Just use our Post Office box for that correspondence.)

We also realize that many, no most, of you agree with us and that we are all preaching to the choir. We are sorry that our friends on the other side of most issues cannot bring themselves to carry on a dialogue with us for the enlightenment of us all.

We are confident that a dialogue on most Pleasanton issues would make a better Pleasanton. Politics, unfortunately, gets in the way here. The powerful prefer to divide us. That division keeps them in power and keeps only their special-interest agenda on the table.

All we can do is hope.

More importantly, OpinionPleasanton wants to provide issues and answers to office holders of the future. Properly armed, candidates who wish to unite Pleasanton for the good of the entire city will hit the road running when the next elections approach.

Finally, speaking of letters we cannot agree more with Craig A. Slicox of Pleasanton when he writes to the editor of the Valley Times that "…Whether we make the right choices for ourselves and our families should be the only factor in whether we can continue to reside here. (You can live in Tracy for a lot less.) Get focused and make the right choices for yourselves and for our community."