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Effective La Force
for East Bay parks
I’m writing regarding long-time Sierra Club park advocate Norman La Force’s successful efforts to help create the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park.
An issue threatening the park’s creation was one interest group’s desire to allow off-leash dogs throughout the park. Conservation groups disagreed because off-leash dogs negatively impact wildlife. We wrote letters to that effect.
Negotiations followed. Norman worked a solution that doubled the size of the dog park to be added to McLaughlin Eastshore State Park by including the adjacent Battery Park. This preserved habitat areas from dog intrusion elsewhere in the park.
Norman then convinced other conservation groups to support this solution, including Golden Gate Audubon, for which I was Executive Director. We did and the dog park was doubled.
Norman’s ability to find solutions working with others is among the reasons the Sierra Club strongly endorses him for the EBRPD board.
Arthur Feinstein
San Francisco
Keep Maher working
for Pleasanton schools
Re-elect Steve Maher to the Pleasanton school board. With his diverse background as educator, administrator, advocate and trustee, we know he is highly qualified to continue on the board. We saw this firsthand when he was Principal Maher for our three children at Alisal Elementary School, through my teaching days at Thomas Hart Middle School where Steve served as its first principal for 10 years, and in his past four years on the board.
Steve knows our students, knows our teachers, knows our families and knows our neighborhoods.
Without a doubt his integrity and leadership will continue to serve our schools well. Cast your vote for Steve Maher.
Anne and Mel Everton
Pleasanton
Brown best choice
for Pleasanton mayor
We strongly support Karla Brown for mayor of Pleasanton. She has proven time and time again over many years of service to be a champion for the people who live in Pleasanton.
She does not accept money from developers, and she will fight to maintain the quality of life in our beautiful little town. We encourage you to support her as well. She is a tireless worker for the people who live here, and she will stand up for you just as she has done for us.
Michael and Darlene Miller
Pleasanton
Prop. 15 is good
for Contra Costa
When people buy a new home, the property is reassessed and the property tax increases. Corporations change ownership all the time, but due to loopholes in the law, their property does not get reassessed. This gives an unfair advantage to older corporations, letting them pay lower taxes now and into the future.
Prop 15 will close the big business property tax loophole and reassess nonresidential properties (worth over $3 million) on a regular basis. This will increase tax revenue for each local community to help finance our needs such as road and storm drain repairs and emergency services.
Even though the assessed value will go up for older nonresidential properties, the rate will remain lower than most other states.
Protect homeowners and renters while reinvesting in our communities. Vote yes on Prop 15.
Ashley Coates
Moraga
Trump supporters’ noisy
parade shows disregard
This weekend, a noisy parade of MAGA-touting pickup trucks invaded the small town of Danville, blasting their horns and spewing exhaust into the already smoky air. Their callous disregard for our small-town atmosphere and our middle-class families trying to enjoy a quiet lunch did get my attention.
As a veteran of the Vietnam War, I was rudely reminded that an important election is coming up and I needed to vote. Yes, I will. I’m now a proud veteran voting for Joe Biden, common sense, respect for others and traditional American values.
Bob Fish
Danville
Will Trump’s illness
persuade anti-maskers
In any battle or potential battle in a war zone, regular soldiers all the way to the top generals must wear their helmet — period. Why? It saves lives.
And now we see that even our highest civilian leader, who has openly poo-pooed wearing protective masks in the battle with COVID-19, has had to learn the hard way. If Americans had been led by his example to always socially distance and wear their masks out of a sense of duty to their fellow Americans, imagine where we would be now with the pandemic.
Stew Plock
Palo Alto
