Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor (December 23, 2005)

Veteran supports Mayor

Editor,

I wish to apologize to Mayor Hosterman. In the Nov. 11 edition of this paper, I read of her having signed her name as mayor to an ad opposing the war in Iraq (News, "Hosterman co-sponsors Iraq withdrawal promo, Nov. 11, 2005). I should have expressed my support immediately, but I did not. I read several letters to the Editor that criticized her, but I remained silent. And then on Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, I watched the televised City Council meeting in dismay as three men angrily and viciously berated her for her actions. I should have been there to oppose their views.

These men claimed to be veterans. I, too, am a veteran, a Marine from the 1950s and an Air Force Navigator/Bombardier from the 1960s. These men do not speak for me. Mayor Hosterman speaks for me. She supports our troops in Iraq, but she does not support their being killed and maimed. She supports our troops, but she believes the best support is to bring them home. She supports our troops, but she does not support the war. And I agree with her.

Thank you, Mayor Hosterman, for having the courage to express your views. I wish the other members of the council would also express their views. If they support the war, if they support the killing, then say so. If they agree with you, then say so. We in Pleasanton deserve to know. Fred Norman Driftwood Way Haggerty has reasons

Editor,

It's nice to know that you are such an expert on the traffic conditions of Happy Valley Road (Editorial, "Don't barricade Happy Valley Road," Dec. 9, 2005). I'm sure you are better qualified than Scott Haggerty and his traffic engineers in making a traffic safety decision. The city of Pleasanton engineers along with the City Attorney informed City Council that a road 24-feet wide is the minimum width for service to and from the golf course. Did you know that Happy Valley Road in some locations is less than 15-feet wide and that some of the cars built today are wider than eight feet? My grandkids can do the math on that one. Add to width problems the blind curves, the blind entrance into the narrow railroad underpass and the inability to pull over and you might understand Scott's and our concerns. Do you think that the city and county might be concerned about sending golf course traffic down a substandard road? Do you think Scott may want to prevent accidents? Maybe Scott thinks it is more important to protect people than to help a few golfers make it to the course quicker. Protecting Happy Valley Road is not an "arbitrary decision," as you put it, and I am sorry if your trip to the golf course will take a little longer. Maybe you should plan on leaving a little earlier. If the city of Pleasanton would have kept its promise to the people who live out here and put in the bypass road, we would not be having this discussion. Tom Smith Happy Valley Road Hosterman has character

Editor,

Thank you Mr. Bing for your Dec. 9 response in the "Around Pleasanton" section regarding comments made at the last City Council meeting (Around Pleasanton, "Hosterman's critics miss their mark," Dec. 9, 2005). Mayor Hosterman's critics absolutely missed their mark, and I applaud our Mayor for her grace under pressure. Frankly, Mayor Hosterman's strength of conviction is one of the reasons I voted for her. While I may or may not always agree with her positions on issues, I respect the fact that she stands up for what she believes--and that she stands up for what she believes in a way that doesn't spew hateful, hurtful words out on those who may disagree with her. As a council member and then as mayor, Jennifer Hosterman has shown she is accountable for her choices (responsibility), strives to be kind to herself, others and the environment (compassion), practices self-control (self-discipline), tells the truth (honesty), deals peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements (respect), and has the courage to do the right thing (integrity). Thank you Mayor Hosterman for showing us what a community of character should look like. Billie Otis Eilene Drive Hosterman's critics right

Editor,

It is ludicrous that you describe the presentation by a local veteran to the City Council as a diatribe when he (and others) challenged our Berkeley-style mayor for signing an anti-Iraq war petition as Mayor of Pleasanton (Around Pleasanton, "Hosterman's critics miss their mark," Dec. 9, 2005). It is Ms. Hosterman that should be castigated for embarrassing the citizens of Pleasanton and for abandoning the young men and women who put their lives on the line every day in Iraq and Afghanistan so that others can someday enjoy the freedoms of getting up at a town council meeting without fear of retribution.

The people that served in Vietnam are all too aware that the misguided statements such as the one signed by Ms. Hosterman give aid, comfort and hope to an enemy that believes that the more petitions signed by the Hostermans of the world, the closer they are to going back to the days when Saddam was in power. Ms. Hosterman is, of course, entitled to her opinion as an individual no matter how misguided and damaging. And when it comes to official duties, she is, of course, our elected Mayor for better or worse. But when she signs her name as the Mayor of Pleasanton, she is implying that she is representing an official position and that her opinions represent the opinions of the population of Pleasanton. This is wrong. In such matters, Ms. Hosterman represents only herself, not the people of Pleasanton.

It is you and Ms. Hosterman who have missed the mark, not her critics. Alan Ross Gray Fox Circle

E-mail a friend a link to this story.