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Don’t rename Happy Valley
Regarding Gina Piper’s opinion to change the name of Happy Valley to Equestrian Estates, I would like to say that actually having grown up on Happy Valley Road, I find this offensive. I love the name and I am sure there are many others that do also. Even the nickname Chicken Alley brings many fond memories.
If you ask me, I actually find the name Equestrian Estates a little bit uppity. Hopefully this never happens.
— Shirley Martin
Rebuttal to ‘Beware those selling heritage’
The Aug. 8 article “Beware those selling heritage” reads like a Marxist playbook — portraying heritage as a manipulated fantasy. That distorted view ignores what commonsense Americans know: Our heritage is made up of both triumphs and failures, and together they form the backbone of our city, state and national identity.
No honest American claims that our past is flawless. But instead of tearing down monuments, erasing traditions or rewriting the past to suit an agenda, we should preserve the truth — the good and the bad — so future generations can learn from it. Cancel culture, rooted in Marxist ideology, seeks to replace our genuine history with a politically altered version designed to undermine our shared values.
Our heritage is more than a “curated narrative”. It is the legacy of hard work, sacrifice and moral principles handed down from our ancestors — principles that continue to guide us today. Erasing or distorting that legacy does not make us stronger; it makes us weak and easier to control.
Americans must reject any attempt to recast our history in service of ideology. We should take pride in our heritage, honor our traditions and keep them alive for generations to come. The truth — our full, unvarnished history — belongs to the people, not to those who would rewrite it for political gain.
People who forget their heritage lose their identity.
A nation that erases its past has no future.
Our history is not for sale — and it will not be stolen.
— David Ott
PG&E outages
It was interesting to read that the recent outages in Pleasanton were the result of a “breaker-level outage”. I received a voicemail message from PG&E on Aug. 11 that their team believed the outages were caused by birds. It would be nice if their story was at least consistent.
— Paul Luce
Fun time at Brilliance
We had a great time at the Brilliance at the Bankhead Gala event Saturday night! It was a privilege to attend and can’t thank Embarcadero Media Foundation / Pleasanton Weekly enough for the tickets!
It was a perfect night to be dining alfresco on a delicious meal listening to the very talented East Bay Jazz High School All-Star ensemble (one of the causes we donated to). Perusing the silent and live auction items, I think that a couple hundred thousand dollars were raised! There were two $25,000 donations and some live auction items raised tens of thousands of dollars.
After a decadent dessert / intermission LeAnn Rimes performed, backed by her trio and the Livermore-Amador Symphony. She has a beautiful and powerful voice that filled the Bankhead with joy and hope. The audience loved her (especially the very vocal fans behind us!).
This event got me thinking about the Firehouse Arts Center and Embarcadero Media. Both are also very worthy causes that if you could get people out and together maybe the generosity would also flow! I know that in today’s world there is so much uncertainty and unknowns ahead but deep down people really care (and can be very generous).
Thanks again for a wonderful evening,
— Rick and Kathy Schneider
Appreciation for Nibert
Councilman Jeff Nibert’s recent letter, “The public servant as trustee” (Pleasanton Weekly, Aug. 15, 2025), offered a thoughtful explanation of the trustee model of representation.
He explained while community input is essential, our elected officials are also called on to use their own judgment and experience to make decisions they believe will best serve the future of Pleasanton — even when those decisions are not the most popular today.
This helps remind us of the principles guiding our local government. I appreciate Councilman Nibert taking the time to share these reflections.
— Jeff Safire
Our founding fathers’ view
A response to Jeff Nibert’s statement: “This is how the founding fathers envisioned our republic.”
The founding fathers were far from eager tax-raisers — they were cautious, principled, and deeply skeptical of taxation, especially the kind that felt arbitrary or unfair.
“No taxation without representation” was the rallying cry of the revolution. They saw taxation as a tool of tyranny when imposed without consent. The constitution gave congress broad powers to tax, but with checks, taxes had to be uniform to voluntary transactions. and serve the public good.
Indirect taxes like tariffs, duties and excises were preferred. These were seen as fair because they applied voluntary transactions. Internal taxes (like those on property or income) were frowned upon.
The founding fathers explicitly rejected income taxes. It was not even considered in the constitution because most people did not earn wages in the modern sense. When a progressive income tax was introduced during the Civil War, it was repealed soon after.
The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 was a direct response to a federal excise tax on distilled spirits. It showed how sensitive Americans were to federal taxation — even under Washington leadership.
Raising taxes, be it sales tax, (Measure PP) was misrepresented with its insertion on the ballot. The voters said as much. Jeff Nibert, move on. Property tax on the other hand is a class conflict between renters and property owners. Renters may see a minor increase in their monthly rent over several years. Property owners pay the full amount yearly.
— Michael Austin
Pleasanton council shows early support for annexation, downtown plan, other priority projectsMarch 25, 2026 2:36 pm
Nighttime lane closures on I-580 near Pleasanton, I-680 through San Ramon ValleyMarch 25, 2026 2:05 pm
George Washington personally led Federal troops to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania. More than 300 people were arrested, but only two were convicted and later pardoned. It was finally repealed during the administration of President Thomas Jeverson. Jefferson and his Republican allies opposed the Federalist tax policies.
So while Washington quelled the rebellion, it was Jefferson who buried the tax that sparked it. The Whisky Rebellion had a profound ripple effect on how the U.S. government approached taxation, especially in terms of enforcement, equity, and political consequences.
Frontier farmers weren’t opposed to taxes per se–they wanted progressive taxation that reflected a citizen’s ability to pay. The whisky tax disproportionately affected small-scale distillers, many of whom were poor farmers, while wealthy producers could absorb the cost.
Policy makers learned that taxation without broad public support–especially when it feels targeted or unfair–can provoke serious backlash.