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Anti-Jewish libel
The Aug. 18 election for Congressional District 14 (the seat previously held by Eric Swalwell) has gotten very nasty indeed. I cast my vote for Wahab: I believe that she has demonstrated effective, bipartisan and pragmatic action in the CA Senate and that will enable her to — as much as is possible — build across party lines in Washington. And that applies to her thinking on Israel/Gaza as well.
But that endorsement is not what this letter is about. Rather it is about negative ads run by PACs and singling out the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
A number of PACs have run very negative ads that misrepresent Wahab’s actions and positions. Some of the money for those ads comes from AIPAC. Some doesn’t. I am grateful for those people who are careful to talk about “dark money” without singling out AIPAC. Regardless, taking money from AIPAC has become the litmus test question of the day.
Citizens United enabled PACs of all kinds. It was a terrible decision and has made our political world much worse.
And yet here we are: PACs exist. Many explicitly promote national heritage: US-India PAC, Korean American PAC, Irish American Democrats PAC, and AIPAC. Some advocate for political positions or economic interests, both domestic and international.
Those who highlight AIPAC and only AIPAC are — whether intentionally or not — using the ancient anti-Jewish libel that says Jews are some shadowy demonic force controlling the puppet strings of, well, everyone. That Jews have too much money and power. The point is not AIPAC’s positions, but singling out the organization advocating for the single majority Jewish state in the world as uniquely evil.
The libel, in its many forms, has been used for millennia to distract from deep societal problems. Don’t fall for it now.
– Trish Munro
Flock cameras
Does your publication have any interest in asking why the Pleasanton Police Department has installed 35 Flock cameras in and around the city. This data is shared nationwide.
Is crime so much a problem in Pleasanton that local authorities feel compelled to install surveillance cameras recording license numbers and faces on everyone within range, and have it stored in a nationwide database that can be accessed by anyone? Do we really trust local, state, and (especially) federal authorities to legally use this information?
Is anybody asking about the Flock cameras?
– Michael Montgomery
Fun Streetwise
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the Streetwise of a few weeks ago when they interviewed the family pets. The cat with “her three dogs”, the dogs and the chicken. I’m glad they all had good things to say about their parents. It was a lighthearted lift I needed. Thank you.
– Claire Mittelstaedt
Vote for Reena Gupta
Reena’s family and my family have been friends for a few years now. We celebrate American and Indian events together. We have found Reena to be incredibly hardworking and a good listener. Her hard work was displayed when she got the community together for Diwali celebrations in Downtown Pleasanton.
She is also a wonderful listener. I recommend visiting her website, reenaforpleasanton.com, to learn more about her and share your feedback directly. She has received a lot of meaningful input and requests since starting her campaign. Reena listens attentively and cares deeply. Combined with her strong work ethic, she will be a tremendous asset to the Pleasanton City Council.
I strongly recommend Reena Gupta for the District 3 seat. Please vote for Reena on Nov. 3, 2026!
– Amit Raman
City must get competitive bids for services
Pleasanton residents are paying premium prices for sub-premium service. The city should not extend Pleasanton Garbage Service’s monopoly without competitive bidding. Modern haulers can deliver better service, lower costs, and a cleaner environmental footprint.
Pleasanton Garbage Service operates under an exclusive franchise that has not been competitively bid in over 50 years. Regional comparisons show Pleasanton residents pay significantly higher rates than neighboring cities that competitively bid their contracts. Modern haulers using electric fleets can reduce operating costs by 30%-40%, improve service quality and provide transparent billing.
Pleasanton Garbage Service ignores Public Utilities Commission; lost invoices must be duplicated. Pleasanton Garbage Service said they would cut me off if I did not pay outstanding without an invoice.
Competitive bidding will reduce Pleasanton residents’ garbage bills by as much as 40%, with seniors getting extra discount. Cut out the arrogance, the nontransparency. Get competitive bidding.
– Michael Austin
Wahab is clear choice
It’s really a “no-brainer” about who is the more qualified candidate for Congressional District 14: it’s Aisha Wahab.
As our State Senator she has required officers to show their faces for greater accountability and stood up and will stand up against ICE raids. She has fought to reduce homelessness and strengthen protections for renters, and is still a renter working toward her first home. She has made sexually explicit AI images of children illegal. She has also expanded access to mental healthcare.
In other words, she has worked for her constituents here and will continue to do so in Congress. She will stand up to Trump because what he does in D.C. will affect every single aspect of our lives here. She did not receive millions from AIPAC to produce ads to bash Melissa Hernandez.
Melissa Hernandez’s accomplishments are that as Mayor of Dublin, where I live, she hired more police officers for our public safety. She states she kept Dublin financially strong without raising taxes and has built housing everyone can afford. Where?
She has also received millions from AIPAC to produce ads to bash Aisha Wahab. When a candidate has no firm policy to tell her constituents how she will help them and improve their lives when she is in Congress, she resorts to bashing her opponent.
For our well-being, vote for Aisha.
– Ramona Krausnick
