Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce

The Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce has interviewed and reviewed the qualifications of the three candidates for the open seat on the Pleasanton City Council. We have also observed them in the Chamber-sponsored Candidates’ Forum (which will be broadcast on Channel 26 April 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, and May 1 at 7:00 p.m. ). We encourage people to watch.

We are pleased at the caliber and commitment of the candidates as well as their obvious enthusiasm for the City of Pleasanton and its well being. We know that sitting on the City Council involves a great deal of time and energy and that the judgment and decisions of the City Council are critical to the continued high standard of living and quality of life we enjoy in Pleasanton. Each of these candidates should be commended for their willingness to step up and serve.

As with any selection process, even if all of the applicants are qualified for selection, there are usually degrees of qualification. By definition, those degrees of qualification are measured against the challenges that exist and our expectations of the City Council during the ensuing term of office.

As we see it, Pleasanton is already a great place to live and raise a family. The challenge is to keep it that way and make what improvements are possible under increasingly difficult conditions, including regional population growth and the changing economics of a mature, “built-out” community. These conditions will create increasing problems with housing, traffic, and other infrastructure issues, all of which will call for the highest levels of management ability and vision we can call on.

With this in mind, we are disappointed that all three candidates advocate removing the West Las Positas interchange and the extension of Stoneridge Drive from the general plan instead of simply not building them at this time. We believe that, until the computer modeling of these alternatives is completed and until regional alternatives are determined (e.g. widening I-580 or 84), it would be better to leave the options in place. It costs us nothing to do that, but it could cost over $1 million to replicate the approval process in the future if these alternatives turn out to be desirable.

Jerry Thorne

The Chamber of Commerce wholeheartedly endorses Jerry Thorne for City Council.

If we look at the challenges that the City Council will face in the coming years, they fall into three major categories: Economics, Traffic and Cultural. Pleasanton has been built on money provided by developers of new developments. As we reach build-out, these sources of revenue will disappear and will have to be replaced by other sources of revenue. Even though the population of Pleasanton may then stabilize, the region will not for decades to come. The growth that will occur will affect Pleasanton in myriad ways that will call for innovative and practical solutions based on real-world experience. Pleasanton will have to adapt to continue to succeed.

Jerry Thorne is unique among the candidates currently running. Prior to retiring from Hewlett Packard, one of Silicon Valley's largest and most innovative companies, Jerry was their head of Global Operations. He had executive responsibility for environmental and safety engineering; procurement, facilities design, real estate and project management; administrative service and security. His overall budget exceeded $225 million (by comparison, the entire Pleasanton city budget is about $75 million). In rising to this level of responsibility and performing successfully, he demonstrated not only his own problem-solving ability, but the vision and leadership to manage people at all levels and to negotiate successful liaisons with multiple partners, including corporate departments, divisions and subsidiaries; local, regional and national political entities, and his superiors and subordinates within the company. He clearly has the experience and abilities to deal with Pleasanton ’s – and the region’s – economic and infrastructure realities.

But, can a “businessman” help Pleasanton maintain and improve its rich cultural heritage and quality of life without catering to business alone?

Over the last 10 years, Jerry has been one of the driving forces in creating this heritage. His record of accomplishments and contributions is impressive. A few examples include Chairman, Parks and Recreation Commission (twice); Vice Chairman, Pleasanton Energy Commission; Chairman, Bernal Community Park Master Planning Task Force; President, Pleasanton Seahawks U.S. Swimming Team; member of the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council and the Livermore/Amador Valley Historical Society; and leader of the successful effort to build a 50-meter swimming pool in Pleasanton. He is also an active participant in the community’s cultural activities – and actually entered college on a music scholarship (trumpet). Yes, we think he has demonstrated an unparalleled – and successful – commitment to the quality of life we cherish.

Unlike many politicians, Jerry’s demeanor is thoughtful, and soft-spoken. Jerry is a stabilizing voice of reason with the initiative and perseverance to get things done. His many accomplishments as an executive and as a proven champion of Pleasanton demonstrate a different, and superior, kind of leadership that has proven to be effective time and time again. As we consider a new General Plan, and the far-reaching implications of how it is written, we see only one candidate with the focus and experience to oversee its management and implementation.

We believe Jerry Thorne is an extraordinary resource for Pleasanton and having him on the City Council is an opportunity that should not be missed.

Dan Faustina

Young people like Dan Faustina represent the future of Pleasanton.

Dan is a sales executive for Great-West Healthcare, where he consults mid-size to large companies on their employee benefit plans. He was born and raised in Pleasanton, graduated from Pepperdine University , where he majored in Political Science, and returned to Pleasanton because it is a “great place to raise a family.” He clearly is passionate about Pleasanton and has a genuine interest in getting involved in the politics and management of the city in which he was raised.

Dan is also likely the best politician of the current candidates. He was involved in several elections during his school years. He understands how to market a product, whether it’s a medical benefit plan or a candidate like himself. We have no doubts that he will do very well in presenting himself to the electorate in this election and we believe he would do a credible job as a councilman.

However, Dan is inexperienced and untested in areas that we think are important to Pleasanton at this time. During his interview, it was clear that he had talked to many people about what they thought was needed (or not needed) in Pleasanton. But his answers lacked the depth of experience that a more seasoned candidate would provide and his practical understanding of some of the realities of city governance were limited. We suspect Dan is a fast learner and could come up to speed rather quickly, but he is not fully there yet. One member of the interview committee remarked after the interviews that Dan was like a young, unseasoned baseball player with enormous talent and potential, but who needs a couple of years at the AAA level to develop him completely.