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A recent proposal to use the Alameda County Fairgrounds for housing unsheltered people from the city of Oakland has prompted widespread opposition from Pleasanton residents and local leaders.
Pleasanton Mayor Jerry Thorne called Oakland’s request “news to me” in a recent statement, especially because “the fairgrounds is within the city limits of Pleasanton and we work closely with the County and Fair Association on all property related matters.”
“That said, the homeless crisis needs serious attention at all levels of government,” Thorne said. “Relocating the homeless away from families and friends and in areas where access to public transportation and social services are lacking is not the solution.”
In an Oct. 14 letter to Alameda County Administrator Susan Muranishi, Oakland city administrators reached out about “possible county locations, including the county fairgrounds, where residents dwelling in recreational vehicles and tents could reside.”
Officials argued in news outlets last week that an interagency solution is needed for Oakland’s estimated homeless population of 3,200.
Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, whose district includes parts of Oakland as well as the 267-acre fairgrounds near downtown Pleasanton, suggested using the Oakland Coliseum instead, which some Oakland council members said needs to be available for future business opportunities.
“I do not support using the fairgrounds as a site for unsheltered services for the simple fact that moving people away from the areas in which they are currently located and receiving services is ridiculous, especially when the Coliseum is a more viable and currently underutilized site,” Miley told the Weekly.
Thorne concurred, adding many locally unhoused residents “do not want to leave their communities or the Tri-Valley region because they consider our local area as their home.”
“In an effort to better serve Oakland’s unhoused population and keep them connected to their primary service providers, we hope the city of Oakland can identify a more serious and appropriate local solution and locations for their residents in need,” Thorne said.
Residents sounded off on social media; many were opposed to the idea while some others argued Pleasanton “can afford to offer some good” and suggested using the fairgrounds to shelter only a small number of people.
Responding to Oakland’s request last week, Muranishi said, “Rather than your suggested use of county-owned property in the city of Pleasanton, we look forward to discussing how property jointly owned by the county and the city of Oakland could more appropriately serve this purpose and allow Oakland residents to remain in their communities rather than force them out.”
Muranishi added, “If the city is supportive of this approach, we will contact city representatives to discuss current efforts and ensure our work is coordinated.”
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Great attempt at trying to clean up your own city by dumping your mess on us!! Oakland has been mismanaged and headed in the wrong direction for at least the last 30-40 years, definitely not on my go to list for a night out!!
We have lived in Pleasanton for 24 years, and the main theme I have heard from other Pleasantonians is they want to retain their small town feel. I love that, I get that, and that was our primary reason to move here. We as voters supported slow growth, and that was taken away from us. We voters supported a Costco, and the fight was on against that, which may (high probability) be taken away if Brown holds her lead. Now we face a proposal to inherit the problems of Oakland that they failed to address. If this proposal takes on energy I can see the Social Justice Warriors coming forward to demand that we take on the responsibility to house, feed, and raise this new population. If that occurs, it will never be disbanded.
Remember- ideas, notions, proposals are always teased, floated, and imagined to determine the level of pushback, the level of acceptance by the community, and the level of support they believe they have going forward. If you don’t want to lose this community then I suggest you air, you voice, you pushback. Once it starts and takes hold, it is almost impossible to reverse it.
@Willy, sorry to burst your trumpy bubble but Biden DID win and I am ecstatic to “own it.” My taxes might indeed go up as I am in the group earning over 400K per year. Somehow I think yours will not. I am happy to pay my share. I won’t lose my job as I am retired but sounds like you might lose your minimum wage job, sorry about that, more skills would give you more options. Interest rates might go up? Yay, as a saver rather than a spender a single percentage point on savings would increase my income by tens of thousands of dollars. And might keep some people out of the housing market who will only default in the future, remember the last housing crisis? Crime and education are red herrings that you have thrown for no good reason. Go back to watching Fox news and wearing your maga hat, trump is a LOSER and nothing that he tries to do will change that.
@Willy
Bravo! Well said.
Just adding a few comments, though I agree with all you said: Biden’s agenda is ‘America Last.’ His Foreign Affairs Policy is built around growing the wealth of the Biden Crime Family. The Democratic Party is dead, the New Democratic Socialist Party has arrived without one Democrat and voting Democratic Socialist denouncing it. They are now the Party of Antifa, Marxist organization of BLM, Defunding The Police, and more. Remember, not one member of that Party denounce any of them, to include the riots, the burning, and the violence.
And to educate these new Socialists: mainstream media doesn’t declare a candidate as ‘President Elect.’ You people like to make your own rules. It’s been 7 days. Gore went to Dec 12 before conceding. You don’t get to manufacture a win.
Your ignorance is a product of the extreme censorship that has taken place in this country. You feed at the trough of propaganda.
This suggestion – discussion initiated by mayor Libby Schaaf of Oakland and her staff is a fine example of progressive liberalism, in that they cannot stand their own stink.
They created this stink in their city, and now want to pass it over to a nearby city that does not stink.
This is a ridiculous idea! Oakland should be taken care of thier own!
Not many people know this but hosting the firefighters during the wildfires was a dry run to see if a homeless community at the fairgrounds would be feasible. Some contracts for services have been canceled in anticipation for the move in. Many of the people will not abide by the rules of the facility, and they can’t be held there against their will. So, be ready for needles, and crap and chaos downtown. Get ready for Patelco and the trail over there to belong to the new “residents.”
“Get ready for Patelco and the trail over there to belong to the new ‘residents'”
True…add the Kane Trail to that. But mainly you gotta feel for the people that live over there because you know that crime is gonna rise.
“If this proposal takes on energy I can see the Social Justice Warriors coming forward to demand that we take on the responsibility to house, feed, and raise this new population. If that occurs, it will never be disbanded.”
Already done. Alameda County Measure W (sales tax for the homeless, social safety net, etc) passed. Back in the “good old days”, this would have required a 2/3 majority vote. Now our elected officials/judges have “reimagined” the requirements for only a simple majority.
Enjoy the 10% sales tax and expect more in the future. Because what people earn/save/invest really belongs to the “community” to be redistributed according to need – because it’s “fair”.
“Enjoy the 10% sales tax and expect more in the future.”
Expect more is an understatement. If the democrats gain control of the senate, keep the house and have the pres. then you can look forward to a federal sales tax, a federal property tax, and a tax on your bank savings. Someone has to pay for all that “free stuff” they are proposing and that someone is you.
We already have 2 homeless across the street and that is disturbing.Yelling obsenities and riding mini bikes on the side walk ,also being confrontational. Yeah lets add 400 people to our downtown and see how that goes.
@Pat-The number will be in the thousands, not hundreds. We need to stop voting in Dems with their illogical policies and start protecting our communities. Our nation is doomed if we continue this. The homeless WILL go to the fairgrounds, mark my words. Maybe not for awhile but it will happen, it’s just inevitable when we vote with our emotions instead of looking at history.
“We need to stop voting in Dems with their illogical policies and start protecting our communities”
According to the Pleasanton Weekly, we need to do it anyway. They endorsed all of the Democrats running for the state legislature. Logic is apparently irrelevant and other candidates were deemed “not viable”.
With the new administration in DC, our economy will go into the tank immediately.
Oakland homeless will be located to the fairgrounds.
Our taxes will double.
Convicts will be released into the communities.
The streets will be unsafe.
I am currently a homeless resident of the Bay Area. I have slept on the streets of Oakland. I think this idea is one of the most unconscionable I have heard. Yes, a lot of homeless do need help. But even more are drug addicts and criminals. It would be a huge and terrible detriment to the Pleasanton community. I have been there. It’s a little Pleasantville-esque, but I know that’s how the town residents like it. The police pull over pedestrians for jay walking. It’s that kind of town. It would not be right for Oakland (as just the first city) to dump their homeless on this town.
@MichaelB
My rule of thumb is to always vote against what the media recommends.
“I’m just going to leave this right here. All of you who voted for Biden better own it for the next four years if he wins(its looking like he may) I don’t want to hear you complain about your taxes going up or gas prices doubling. I don’t want you to complain when your health insurance costs go up even further than they already are. Don’t complain when you bring home less on your paycheck because you’re being penalized for climate justice. Don’t complain when you lose your job because 11 million illegal immigrants suddenly become legal and your employer decides to hire someone at a lower wage. Don’t complain when your job is just out right eliminated because the minimum wage is too high and your employer can no longer afford to stay open or even pay you. Don’t complain when your automotive job is eliminated because its shipped back to China. Don’t complain when interest rates double maybe triple and homes/automobiles aren’t as affordable as they used to be. Don’t complain when your stocks and 401k take a hit. Don’t complain when we are locked into more endless wars in the middle east. Don’t complain when your otherwise safe communities are overrun by crime and start resembling Chicago. Don’t complain when the educational system goes down. You obviously didn’t vote your paycheck or your future. You voted your feelings. Unfortunately facts don’t care about your feelings and you will soon(sadly) learn this under a Biden/Harris administration. Just own it. Copy pasted from a friends every last word of this is true.”
As a personal note, I’m still hoping Trump’s legal challenges will find the items needed to turn the election!
Who are the decision makers for this insanity? I can’t imagine the money making entities that use the fairgrounds throughout the year are fine with this. Good bye family fun at the fairgrounds.
“My taxes might indeed go up as I am in the group earning over 400K per year. Somehow I think yours will not. I am happy to pay my share.”
The “share” is whatever the politicians want it to be. Go ahead – and send a check right now.
Somehow I think you don’t you see the big picture. Everyone is going to have their taxes increased. Progressive politics isn’t cheap. There isn’t enough rich people to tax for what Biden and his party want to spend to provide so called “free” services. More taxes/regulations = fewer jobs.
My opinion is a anonymous poster “my opinion” has no credibility.
What he posted is 100% BS.
The Weekly should remove that post.
@ myopinion
“And might keep some people out of the housing market who will only default in the future, remember the last housing crisis? “.
Do you know who’s policy that was? Obama. Obama thought everyone should own a home. Obama and Barney Frank. How nice. Everyone who has never done any more than pay rent, which is exactly what they did, they paid rent. They were buying homes with $0 down payment. That 20% down payment kept the banks solvent. They paid rent, until they couldn’t afford their APR or the balloon payment came due, then they either walked away, or filled up the kitchen sink with cement, THEN they walked away. The bottom fell out. It was the dumbest decision ever, but it made them feel good, so they did it. Ah yes, good times under dem leadership.
“I won’t lose my job as I am retired but sounds like you might lose your minimum wage job, sorry about that, more skills would give you more options.”
Sorry about that, more government mandates/regulations/taxes equals fewer jobs for everyone – regardless of skills.
How many of the thousands of people working in the oil/gas industry are going to have to lose their jobs because of “climate change” or “climate justice” regulations? How many jobs will be lost or not created in all industries because of the tax increases Biden wants to enact?
“I’m just going to leave this right here. All of you who voted for Biden better own it for the next four years if he wins(its looking like he may) I don’t want to hear you complain about your taxes going up or gas prices doubling. I don’t want you to complain when your health insurance costs go up even further than they already are…”
No problem here. Regardless of the outcomes or results, just repeat the same process/rhetoric we had during the Obama years.
Expect Biden (and “professional journalists”) to predictably blame Trump for things not going well, “inheriting” problems coming in, people getting ripped off by the “1%”, etc. No consideration/discussion that so called “progressive” policies do not generate economic growth, cost jobs vs. creating them, raise prices for consumers, encourage dependency, are financially unsustainable, etc.
“Interest rates might go up? Yay, as a saver rather than a spender a single percentage point on savings would increase my income by tens of thousands of dollars.”
Does it matter that others will not increase their incomes, will have less to save, and possibly lose their jobs – and up end up paying higher costs/taxes on energy and health care under Biden? Yay!