Matt,
I've said it many times: it has been a secretative, corrupt, bad deal for our City which is based on flawed information.
That sums it up for me!

Why pay Costco $20 million with loans, savings, interest, purchase of right of ways to locate in Pleasanton?

Against City policy; against the General Plan.

Of course this is a back door deal between the developer, the Chamber and the Council. Anyone who doesn't realize this is naive

Matt, I hope your lawsuit wins. Thank you

BUT you fail to consider this has been voted on. Folks want a Costco by wide margin. They don't care who is paying for what; that is very clear.

Perhaps Matt will explain to us his standing in this suit? Or should I say his clients that he won't say who they are. Any guesses, anybody?

Region wide people want a 3rd Costco. Those few who are upset can picket on opening day.

Matt: You have sunk to a new low. I am sure in your mind and the minds of the few deep pockets and small group of co-plaintiffs, you are the "savior" of Pleasanton. However in the minds of the majority of the citizens in Pleasanton, that is not the case.

I have acknowledged you have done some (very very few) positive things during your time on Council. However in regards to the Costco issue your appalling behavior and vilification of those in our local government, public servants and those who hold an opposing view (the majority) is sad and overshadows all of your positive contributions.

You must think that folks don't have a memory or ability to think on their own. If you were honest, you would admit that your "Yes on MM" yard signs plainly stated "Stop the $20 million giveaway". So, for you to now the costs were not known or "kept hush-hush" is hypocrisy at its finest.

I have asked you this question previously and I will ask it again. During your tenure on Council, how come it was acceptable for YOU to GIVE the developer of the apartments on Owens Drive TWO traffic lanes for FREE from the public roadway and create an absolute traffic nightmare, but now find the Costco deal to be fraught with corruption? Unlike YOUR Owens Dr. GIVEAWAY, at least Costco will pay more than their fair share and the city will come out ahead.

No, Matt, I disagree with your accusations. The only ones who are shady and deceptive is you and your group. Where is your full disclosure as to who is funding your group??

Costco is for the common good.

Please. We already voted on this. Build the Costco!

Matt, so what?

What happened to Kelly K's post and Lisa S's post?? They were on the thread for 45 minutes. .They were first and second. comments. Now gone because they supported Matt. No reason given. Just deleted. Bias?

What do you say Gina?

Mine will be gone next!

Matt's slinging mud on behalf of some local gas station owners who have been absolutely gouging Ptown for years. Matt is a local joke.

Odd that the author of this piece, who purports to be a proponent of good government, seeks to overthrow a public vote. Can't have it both ways!

Gina,
Was there a reason that my post was removed? It was made almost 3 hours ago. As Joe said, it stayed for about 45 minutes as the first post. It's just gone. No reason given.

Did you make this decision?

Is it because I agree with Matt?

You can say what you want about Matt, but when the report points out that Costco will generate 44% of the traffic for the Johnson Drive Zone... 44%!!! C'mon... You have to smell a rat... So Patio World, Doggie Dynasty, Black Tie and a couple others are going to generate as much traffic as Costco??? The Russians are in here somewhere!

Kelly,
There are two threads running.
Recommend you know where you are posting in the future.

I wish that the local gvt would stop letting real estate dictate their every move. We don’t need a new police station, we don’t need a residence on every available open plot of land in downtown. We need some self respect, Dublin decided what they wanted to be at the voting booth, that’s great, I don’t live in Dublin. Pleasanton also voted on what it wanted to be but the courts and city council have overridden most of what we voted for. Costco will keep revenues in Pleasanton if that means that we don’t have to have another 4000 residences near downtown, I’m all for Costco. What I’m really for is voting out the real estate owned city government but given the change in demographics here over the last 30 yrs I’m afraid that ship has sailed.

How much is the lawsuit by the food worker's union group that Matt is fronting for going to cost the city, us taxpayers? Matt are you willing to pay attorney fees if you don't prevail? Or is the group you are fronting for willing to pay them? Seems like the pot calling the kettle black when you have refused to disclose who is funding the lawsuit!!! Too bad, but folks gathering signatures in front of Wal Mart disclosed it was the food worker's union--why hide that? Makes me wonder what else you are hiding!!

Is this really happening? Are we reading another long diatribe by this guy? When is enough, enough? Is there possibly something wrong with him? He protests too much. It is very close to listening to Representive Swalwell’s nonsense about the Russians collusion, it goes on and on and never ends.

When is Matt going to explain his standing in his suit? Oh, would that entail explaining who is clients are?

I'm biased for sure. I simply want a closer (newer) Costco. I don't care who pays for it or from what funds. The possibility of this new Costco being a failure is zero. Some voting folks and a few who post here don't see the big picture of what that zone will bring to the city.

They also tend to ignore what the majority voted for and what the clear majority who post here (or those not afraid of being attacked).

Now if Mueller was involved. hahahahhahaa

@Gina, can you please explain how many more times you will make your paper available as a free forum for Matt to pursue this? Or perhaps you accepted his diatribe as a paid ad? Right, didn't think so.

Sullivan has refused to name his clients, has refused updates on his frivolous lawsuit and continues to beat his drums about this "illegal" action that has passed council scrutiny as well as a popular vote.

I am truly interested in how many more opportunities the PW will provide to Sullivan for free to promote his (and Bill Wheeler's) self-interest.

@no name chosen : feel free to contact me
via email about our guest opinion policy

You know Matt is already sensitive to what the publisher allows. If they block anything his head will explode.

Matt nailed it.

Most residence don't care that it's costing us 20 million bucks. They're just thrilled that they get a Costco nearby.

Heads up P-town. The toilet paper your gonna buy at Costco is gonna cost a lot more than you think.

Was a bound issued for the $20m? Did RE Tax go up to cover the cost?

Or is it coming from already paid into funds?

Coming from future sales tax, which would be PAID ANYWAY.

Yup, few will give a hoot who paid what. They will enjoy a shorter trip and perhaps better parking. Folks there voted and by a wide margin. Costco is coming.

Can’t believe this obstructionist won’t go away. We voted.

Yes, we voted on Costco and we voted on land uses for the property on Bernal... The vote on Bernal's uses did not include a Civic Center... Hang tight and watch what happens next...

@jack- Oh yeh, hang on to your wallet you can bet that the city council will somehow sell us out and move everything over to the Bernal property and build their stack and pack housing on the existing city offices/library property even though that Bernal property was not part of the deal for city office use. How about that monstrosity they are building on Spring St downtown it sure looks a lot bigger than the original description of what was going in there- shades of what to expect from our planning dept. and city council, bigger is better and if it overwhelms the size of the lot go higher and wider and maybe take out a public street ( Owens dr. ) if needed to keep the developers happy.

For Kelly K and the other commenters who asked, the two Town Square threads on this Guest Opinion have now been merged into one here. All comments should be visible here.

To claim corruption in city government is a big deal, can you show any instances where our city government leaders are getting payoffs or money into their personal pockets in the Costco or any other deal. I don't believe you can and to intimate that they are corrupt is very dishonest itself. I know most of the council, they are good people and I don't believe they are getting any personal benefit through this Costco deal.
I also don't like the Weekly accepting comments from unnamed sources, I believe if you're going to same something public, you should put your name on it.

So, we live a world where corrupt people go by the name They, or The City, etc. Some are unable to share the names of the people even if they know them. Does this mean every city official and any one of political power is corrupt? I would sure hope not.

Currently, we have an issue about Costco where every straw shall not remain unturned. For some reason Costco is bad thing to some, excluding of course lower gasoline prices, great prices for some items, a roast chicken, a $1.50 hot dog and soda. But, I digress.

What is the impact on City Sales Tax revenue with a Costco in town in the future, not the 1st few years? A plus for the city.

I do not know what motivates the writer of the article. Is he more concerned about the the corruption in our city politics or the building of a Costco which has many benefits for the City of Pleasanton? If the concern is political, name names don't use They or the The City or the Chamber of Commerce.

Ken Mano is right on all points:
There is no corruption in city government.

In my opinion, Matt Sullivan commentary is in violation of terms of use. The Weekly should be consistent, to not support the ongoing misleading, untrue charges, Matt Sullivan continues to harass the Pleasanton voters with.

Pleasanton City Council members are an honorable group voted into office by Pleasanton citizens to carry put the Pleasanton citizens business.

Matt Sullivan is a loner with diminished mind set, determined to disrupt what the Pleasanton citizens have asked the council to get done.

To Michael and Ken Mano...
It's not corruption per se, it's a failure to follow the proper process, and a whole bunch of manipulation when they do... Our city doesn't do anything right anymore! How do things like Owens Drive even happen? Costco was a done deal before any citizens knew anything. How about Pastime Plaza? Quadruple the size of the building and take away a hand full of parking spots... Everything takes place behind closed doors... How about all the stupid, tiny parking lots they've built the past ten years? I shop at Raley's for the simple reason that their parking lot is functional. How about the lack of parking at the new Bernal Park? And Matt is right-on about the entire Downtown Specific Plan update. It's a ruse! The entire drill is so they can build their Taj Ma City Hall on the Bernal Property... Keep watching...

ANONYMOUS POSTERS HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIBILITY!!!

Interesting that Mr. Sullivan did not clarify he is part of the secret group that filed the EIR lawsuit nor has he revealed the un-named organizations funding the lawsuit. Despite all of his corruption allegations, neither has he put in plain English who funded the (unsuccessful) proposition to defeat CostCo either.
As a former member of the City’s redevelopment agency, he is aware that tax sharing and similar finance agreements are common to attract businesses and the increased property and sales tax revenues that help pay for city improvements and services.
I applaud the City Council for their efforts to get a quality employer here. I dont think they deserve the totally disrespective and slandeeous accusations that Mr Sullivan spews out like a spoiled child snd playground bully. Unfortunately, many are lured into his negativy due to growth frustration, but welcome to the Bay Area and the hub of world class technology and culture. If you are that angry, take your triple digit house equity and move to MudVille.

Sullivan is quite the mud slinger, calling the council corrupt. While I may not like some of their motives I can actually recall a seemingly corrupt council and mayor. When Sullivan was on the council. The issue was a downtown house that had built a structure without permits, variances or built it to meet fire code. The council got the reports from the planning commission, building inspector and fire marshall stating that the structure was illegal, unsafe and uninhabitable. Hosterman and Sullivan voted to overrule all of those things and allow it to remain without any changes. The building inspector advised them that they did not have the power to overrule state safety codes. But they sure tried. Corrupt? maybe. Stupid? Absolutely. All of this documented in the PW BTW, how soon Sullivan forgets his actions and throws mud on others.

What’s amazing is the level of vitriol and name calling spewing from most of these commentators in response to my exercising my First Amendment right of freedom of speech. The ubiquitous “if you don’t like things here move out of town” always comes up. It reminds me of the Viet Nam War era “America: Love it or Leave it” bumper stickers meant to stop opposition to that tragic and unnecessary war.

I continue to write about Costco because the public has a right to know what its government does in its name and how it spends its money. The local papers won’t do it and the city certainly isn’t doing it. Based on years of experience, I’m in a unique position to know how local government should work and also know how it actually works. Based on this, I feel its my responsibility to speak out. If you object to the vigorous exercising of democracy and truth-telling, maybe YOU should move to Mudville. One thing that Trump can take credit for is making fascism acceptable in everyday life. It’s because of people like you that someone needs to stand up.

P.S. It’s amazing all the things that the anonymous posters say I did when I was on the Council that have no basis in reality. Or maybe I just can’t remember because of my “diminished mind”.

Matt: It is really simple. Tell us who your clients are and what their standing is your suit. Let some sun light into YOUR action. The 'people' who voted certainly are NOT your clients.

And please, ease up on attacking the posters here. It seems to be a repeating problem. Like Trump, you need a time out to chill.....

So, we await who is paying for your (fill in the blanks) lawsuit.

I have no clients. Unlike some of the posters on this blog, no one pays me for my participation in politics.

You have no clients? You launched a suit on your own? What exactly is your standing? You do know the judge can throw entire suit out if he doesn't 'see' your standing.

Mr Sullivan, i suggest nasty and paranoid people who make vile comments and accusations because others dont agree with them move to MudVille not because I dont support their right to free speech but because they have obviously lost perspective and most people dont want to hear your constant drone of unproven corruption, sweetheart deals, and everything else a docu-drama is made of. We are a community and not a battle ground. Your comparison to Vietnam is really asoundingly sad and an insult to any one who lost someone to that war. Seriously, wouldnt you be happier in Berkeley?
Btw, No one may pay you for political actions as you say, but who or what organizations you support benefits from undisclosed settlement agreements?

HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!!! I have asked these 2 questions first on December 15th then twice on December 17th and again on the 19th of December and finally on the 20th of December. Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan" have shown to be cowardly in my mine. Just afraid. Let me try again with a repost of my December 20th post. You will see that they will not respond to the questions. WHY!!!!??? Money! That’s why. Money, they will lose when Costco is build.



Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan", if you want to be taken seriously, you will need to answer the same two questions that you have blatantly ignoring. Until you can, you lose any credibility. Anything you say without an answer will make it seem like your hiding something. Please don't point out what the city is doing wrong, the focus is on you. After you have answer the 2 questions, then we can move on, and maybe trust you a little more.

1. Who paid for the people to get the signatures for the petition that failed?
Matt Who Paid for it. Answers please. everyone that spent money on it.

2 Do you work for or have any affiliation of any kind with any of these company? and if so list them. Shell oil, Black Tie limousine, CHEVRON, Safeway.

If you say nothing or don't answer these 2 questions then you are hiding something very big.
Think “big tobacco”. What they don’t say. What Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan" are not saying.BEWARE PEOPLE!!!!! BEWARE!!!! HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!!! I have asked these 2 questions first on December 15th then twice on December 17th and again on the 19th of December and finally on the 20th of December. Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan" have shown to be cowardly in my mine. Just afraid. Let me try again with a repost of my December 20th post. You will see that they will not respond to the questions. WHY!!!!??? Money! That’s why. Money, they will lose when Costco is build.



Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan", if you want to be taken seriously, you will need to answer the same two questions that you have blatantly ignoring. Until you can, you lose any credibility. Anything you say without an answer will make it seem like your hiding something. Please don't point out what the city is doing wrong, the focus is on you. After you have answer the 2 questions, then we can move on, and maybe trust you a little more.

1. Who paid for the people to get the signatures for the petition that failed?
Matt Who Paid for it. Answers please. everyone that spent money on it.

2 Do you work for or have any affiliation of any kind with any of these company? and if so list them. Shell oil, Black Tie limousine, CHEVRON, Safeway.

If you say nothing or don't answer these 2 questions then you are hiding something very big.
Think “big tobacco”. What they don’t say. What Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan" are not saying.
HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!!! I have asked these 2 questions first on December 15th then twice on December 17th and again on the 19th of December and finally on the 20th of December. Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan" have shown to be cowardly in my mine. Just afraid. Let me try again with a repost of my December 20th post. You will see that they will not respond to the questions. WHY!!!!??? Money! That’s why. Money, they will lose when Costco is build.



Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan", if you want to be taken seriously, you will need to answer the same two questions that you have blatantly ignoring. Until you can, you lose any credibility. Anything you say without an answer will make it seem like your hiding something. Please don't point out what the city is doing wrong, the focus is on you. After you have answer the 2 questions, then we can move on, and maybe trust you a little more.

1. Who paid for the people to get the signatures for the petition that failed?
Matt Who Paid for it. Answers please. everyone that spent money on it.

2 Do you work for or have any affiliation of any kind with any of these company? and if so list them. Shell oil, Black Tie limousine, CHEVRON, Safeway.

If you say nothing or don't answer these 2 questions then you are hiding something very big.
Think “big tobacco”. What they don’t say. What Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan" are not saying. Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan's" pockets are lined by silent people that they won't say. STILL WAITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Answers you cowards. yes I called someone a name, based on their action. get over it. They have called us all worse.

There I have said it 3 times just to make sure you see it now. Don't pretend you never saw it!!!

December 15th then twice on December 17th and again on the 19th of December and 20th of December. Then on January 23rd and now 3 time February 6th.

NOTHING!!!!!! WHY Matt and Joe "son of Sullivan"? why are you saying nothing to those 2 questions?

Dear No Name Chosen,
Was the house in question on Railroad Avenue? A white wooden two story? Ibthink next to the driveway across from Axis and behind ACE Hardware? That would explain the vote you mentioned.