Letters Letters (February 13, 2004)

Planning takes time

Editor,

Thanks for featuring the views of Bob Nickeson on the Bernal property. Based on his guest opinion, I am anticipating that five years from now, the Bernal Park will be on Design #22, Task Force #6, and Design Competition #3. Tessie Wagner-PeaseRaven Road City shouldn't fight Wal-Mart battle

Editor,

The Wal-Mart superstore saga will continue. At the end of your story about Kohl's (Jan. 30), it was noted that Wal-Mart would soon present an expansion proposal to the Planning Commission.

It seems that Alameda and Contra Costa counties want to disallow any expansion. Our councilperson Jennifer Hosterman seems to agree for both our city and regionally. She, as our local conscience for ecology, has branched out. Business and labor unite to defeat the devil. Ms. Hosterman met recently with representatives of both Safeway and their unions. This to explore ways to block Wal-Mart?

This is the Safeway that just approved a rather huge stock option bonus to senior executives and that seeks to short sheet their workers. And then the unions, who state through advocates that the Wal-Mart situation is not a labor issue but has to do with open space and the fact that their members have to drive long distances in heavy traffic to get to work. Let's get real here. This alliance will dissolve shortly.

Councilwoman Hosterman has thrown a support leg over both sides of a fence here. If she had more legs and more fences, she might straddle them all. It is an election year.

In a situation, city officials must consider issues for the city and not personal bias. It is not a council member's job to regulate business conflicts.

Historical fact. Today's commercial and industrial darlings are tomorrow's dogs, especially in recent years. When Wal-Mart's customers and vendors become disgruntled, they will vote with their feet. The employees will do the same, or organize. Who knows? However, the city should opt out.

Currently in Southern California, the big three retail grocers, Safeway included, are involved in terrible labor strife with their 70,000 union workers over wages and benefits. A hundred-plus days now. The same contracts are due for resolution later this year in our part of the state. A strike or lock-out, who knows? Is there a correlation between Wal-Mart and the large retail market chains and unions in the future? You bet.

Maybe we all don't care about big retail markets, Wal-Mart or unions, but it is quite possible that citizens might start planning where to get our groceries later this year. City Council members included. Gerry BrunkenPaseo Del Cajon Waterworld increased crime in Concord

Editor,

I was surprised and disappointed when I read Pleasanton Weekly's Feb. 6 editorial supporting the waterslide expansion as a "cost-free opportunity" for Pleasanton. I did what Pleasanton Weekly should have done - research.

The proposed expansion would create a water park with an annual attendance that's projected to be about 70 percent of Concord's Waterworld. So, I contacted the Concord Police Department and asked them for a listing of all emergency responses they made to Waterworld in 2003. The list they provided was alarming. It included everything from vandalism and loitering to battery, grand theft and burglary! This list also included numerous calls that the police had transferred to the Concord Fire Department for dispatch.

In my opinion, this list is "the tip of the iceberg." It only shows calls dispatched from the Concord Police Department's Northern Field Office to the park. It doesn't include incidents handled by police officers already at the park, it doesn't include incidents handled by Waterworld's in-park security, and it doesn't include police calls dispatched to homes and businesses in the neighborhood around the park (when people are kicked out of the park for drinking or fighting, where do you think they go?). So much for claims that building a large water park in Pleasanton will not increase crime!

Just look at Concord's experience with its water park and ask yourself who will be paying Pleasanton's additional police and fire costs for California Splash. How far does Pleasanton Weekly think the $40,000 in sales tax revenue will go toward these expenses?

Not only is this expanded water park going to cost Pleasanton valuable funds that could be better spent on more important projects, but it's also going to increase crime in our community. When the City Council members vote on this project March 16, they have an opportunity to keep this from happening to Pleasanton - let's just hope they don't let us down. Gary SmithLiberty Drive Keep water park intimate

Editor,

I must add my voice to the opposition to the proposed water park expansion. I am a resident of Oakland who has often made the trip to Shadow Cliffs with my children because of its intimate, family-oriented atmosphere. We have been able to rely on my small children and their guests to be within voice range at the existing park. We have been happy to make the trip to a safe park, safe in that the water slides are at ground level, and not fear-inspiring as the elevated slides are at parks such as Raging Waters in San Jose.

I am writing based on personal experience. I also strongly echo community concerns over the environmental impact of the proposed park.

If the goal is to have a place for the young people of the Tri-Valley area to congregate, I suggest that a less expensive/less harsh environmental alternative would be to provide direct bus service to water park facilities in San Jose or Concord. Debra KayOakland End fields struggle

Editor,

I have two children very active in sports, a girls in soccer and softball and a boy in soccer and baseball. It is always an issue with their teams struggling to find fields for games and practices. With the incredible amount of youth that we have in Pleasanton, it is necessary to have these fields developed for these sports not just for the various league play, but for the youth that just want to get a game together for fun. Youth in Pleasanton don't have enough outlets as it is. They need more fields to put together games in their free time. I would suggest that we stop spending money and implement what the majority of the people in Pleasanton want. If Pleasanton is going to survive as a city, it needs to ensure that families want to come here because of the sports programs that are available with plenty of fields available - we don't want to lose to Danville. Thanks for listening. Carol GarrityPleasanton Boycott CBS, McDonalds

Editor,

For anyone who was offended by the CBS Super Bowl halftime show, I encourage you to take action by not watching CBS or MTV. You can refuse to patronize any Viacom related company (see www.viacom.com). You can even stop eating at McDonalds until they remove Justin Timberlake as a spokesperson. Exercising economic power is an effective tool towards influencing corporate behavior. Carl PalowitchCorte Madrid

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