Last night, our city council took the first step toward bankruptcy. By the end of the week, Stockton will be the largest US city to file for bankruptcy protection.
All of a sudden, being labeled “America’s Most Miserable City” a couple of times by some magazine doesn’t sound so bad.
We ran out of money.
There are many reasons why. Our city leaders made poor decisions during the economic boom. Unscrupulous mortgage lending practices flooded the central valley with home buyers leading to increased property values which swelled the city with the sweet nectar of property tax revenue. We banked on this gravy train continuing forever.
Then of course, it did not.
Now, Stockton’s favorite pastime is the blame-game. So many of us want to point the finger at someone.
The police and fire unions, previous mayors and council members, former city manager Mr. Milne, and even city employees themselves have all been the target of someone’s blame.
We need to stop blaming. We’ve already diagnosed what happened so we can be pretty sure it won’t happen again, blaming people isn’t going to solve anything.
We certainly cannot blame city employees. They did exactly what we would all do. Well, I’ll speak for myself here. I would have done the same thing. Even the double dipping. Given an opportunity to advance economically, in a way that seems completely healthy at the time, we’d all do it! Plus, most city employees are hard working people that care deeply about our city.
As are the members of our city council and our Mayor. If you don’t like what they’re doing, vote for someone else. Otherwise, find a productive way to help. Our council members have a difficult task; I can’t imagine why anyone in their right mind would want that job. I am grateful that some people choose to do it and I appreciate their strength in the face of such adversity.
Facing a budget shortfall of $26 million, and ballooning debt in the hundreds of millions, it seems the city made the best choice.
Now, it’s time to get on with making Stockton great. Do we have an uphill battle? Oh hell yes. The likes of which most of us could have never imagined. But we can do it.
We can overcome this.
We know there are many great things about Stockton. Let’s keep our cool and not let the stigma of bankruptcy distract us from making our city a place we can be proud of. We need to continue to shop locally and do our part to make our neighborhoods safer and stronger.
Most of all, we need to get involved. Talk to our neighbors. Talk to our council members. Attend council meetings, or watch online. Ask questions. If we spent the last 20 years watching our local leaders as much as we have during the last few months, we likely wouldn’t have been in such a mess.
Let’s make it great, Stockton! The future of our city depends on it.
With all of the emotion of the last couple of days, this made me laugh.
Stockton Ca largest city in US history 2 declare bankruptcy! You know times r hard when ur broker than Detroit! More this w/e @ImprovFTL
As John De Lancie’s character Q said to Patrick Stewart’s character Jean-Luc Picard in the similarly named series finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation, all good things must come to an end.
Today, we bring you the final episode of Podcast Stockton.
I registered the domain name and built the first version of the website on January 3, 2009. A month later, Stockton was named the most miserable city in America. The first episode of Podcast Stockton, episode zero, was released on March 22, 2009. My goal was simple: to share the stories about the good life in Stockton. With the help of so many wonderful people, we accomplished that.
I am so proud of what Podcast Stockton became. What started as a one-man operation grew to include many others. Podcast Stockton would not have been possible without the help from Rod Villagomez for coming on the show as co-host back in late 2009; Wes Rhea from the Stockton Convention & Visitors Bureau for all of his wonderful support on the show, Jon Remington from Closet Goodies for giving us our first regular “commercial”; Greg Bahr and Andy Pinasco for being great confidants and helping to introduce us to so many special people in Stockton; Omar Vargas for creating the awesome Podcast Stockton logo and artwork; Tom Mondragon for his years of friendship and for being the inspiration for the show; Wes Johnson for building our iPhone app; Lowell Tuckerman for doing the sports segment; Mr. Story for all of his trusted advice; Manuel for all the help with content ideas, technical support and guidance, and Gabriel for his support, content, show ideas, and giving us our very first review.
Meeting Rod and having him join the show was exactly what I needed. His experience and ideas were a welcome shot in the arm and with his guidance, we did so much more than I could have ever done by myself.
When Rod wasn’t available, it was an honor to co-host the show with Manny, Chris the Greek, Lowell and Gabriel. Thank you so much guys! Also, big thanks to Lowell, Wes, Manny, Jon and Gabriel for helping us put on Podcast Stockton Live last year. What a blast that was!
Thank you to all of you that gave us access to your businesses, organizations, events. We have met some very incredible people in this city and have had the opportunity to interview a great list of Stocktonians, including:
Zenet Negron,Cari Giannecchini, Jennifer Boylan, Pat Filippone, Emily Ballus, Susan Mora-Loyko, Benjamin Saffold, Alice van Ommeren, Jeff Gamboni, Adam Messinger, Matthew Farnsworth, Frank Stone, Chris Freeman, Rick Corduck, Lee Neves, Jared Foster, Leona Marino, Levi Wells,Clarence Henderson, Dr. Derron Lee, Dawn Correll-Cruz, Tera Moore, Jason Roth, John Clauser, Diana Lowery, David Mckeever, Emily Baime, Kate Post, Timm Quinn, Chris Juenke, Justin Farry, Dr. Robert Shapiro, Susan Spracher, Joni Bauer, Dwight Richards, Michael Seymour, Tod Ruhstaller, Kenny McCann, Chris the Greek, Gillian Murphy, Susan Eggman, the cast and crew of Broadcasting Sunshine, Patrick Giblin, George Ruiz, Slick Diaz, Jon Remington, Ronnie and Yolanda Cunningham, Greg Bahr, Gabriel and Devin, Mike Fitzgerald, Dawn Beckwith, Shawna Cavender, Andy Pinasco, Mike Bravo, Bill Ries-Knight, Tony Mannor, Tom Moccia and Tom Mondragon.
Thanks to Mike Klocke at The Record as well, for all of his support and kind words through the last couple of years. And to David Siders, formerly of The Record, for helping spread the word when the first episode was released. I never told him this, but when I first met him I stuck my hand out and introduced myself. When he heard my name he said “oh, Podcast Stockton”. I was star-struck. David Siders knew who I was! Also thank you Adrianna Brogger for getting us on TV! Thanks to Tim from Illinois, formerly from Stockton, for always reminding us that former Stocktonians still care about the city. Thanks to Benjamin Saffold for being one of the most giving people in our city and for bringing me on to the Earth Day Festival committee, one of the greatest experiences and honors of my life.
Thank you to our listeners. Of course, without you, there would have been no show! I am eternally grateful to you all!
Stockton, with all of our problems, is still a vibrant community. There are many reasons to love it here and we are so proud to have shared the stories of Stockton with you for the past 71 episodes.
If you want to know about goings on in Stockton, visit these sites regularly:
Again, thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to share our stories, and the stories of Stockton with you. It was truly one of the most rewarding projects of my life.
Lastly, thank you to my family. They afforded me the time and support for me to continue my hobby. Without them, Podcast Stockton would have never been.
I am going to keep this website up indefinitely, and may even get the bug to blog from time to time. Please come by now and then to say hello!
Welcome to May 23nd!! Glad to see you are all still here!
This weekend starts the Memorial Day weekend and it is a busy one in Stockton; among the many events on the schedule are:
The 3rd Annual Mayor’s Hike & Bike kicks off the weekend at UOP.
Hikers and bikers can have a great time and help to raise money to benefit the nutrition programs of Catholic Charities and the Emergency Food Bank. Bikers can pick from three different routes and walkers will make their way to Banner Island Ballpark. For more information visit their website.
Banner Island Ballpark will host it’s first ever Brewfest from 5pm to 9pm.
Come out and enjoy a night at the ballpark while sampling several frosty adult beverages, live music and more than likely amazing Stockton weather. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the event. Check out the official Brewfest page, or “RSVP” on their Facebook page.
Delta College Radio, Television & Film students showcase their work at Mediafest III.
Check out some of the productions from the talented young ladies and gentlemen of the Delta RTV&F department. Every media genre will be represented in this star studded affair. Festivities kick off at 5pm with a chance to meet and greet the minds behind the works as well as several industry professionals. Check here for a full schedule of events as well as more information on the entries.
An interview with Zenet Negron & Cari Giannecchini.
Zenet and Cari host a series of interviews on YouTube with some of Stockton’s most interesting and influential figures, including our own Matt Beckwith. They are also the operators of Breaking Stockton News, a website that combines real time info from Twitter to keep Stockton residents in the know about the goings on in the city. On top of all that, the two own First Priority Financial, a business dedicated to assisting home buyers through the sometimes daunting real estate process.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, reviews and questions to mail@podcaststockton.com or by calling our local listener comment voicemail line at 209-565-3229.
A short show this week. We hope everyone enjoyed their Mother’s Day.
Cinco de Mayo. One of us ate pizza, the other ate Mexican food.
An interview with Jennifer Boylan from the Community Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Jennifer is the captain of the blind baseball team but also does marketing and community relations for the Blind Center. Her organization helps visually impaired people learn new skills to help them live more independent lives. They have a couple of great events coming up. This Sunday, come out and join the Indian Association of San Joaquin County in a walk along the beautiful Downtown Waterfront Promenade. With proceeds benefitting the Blind Center, we really hope to see you out there.
Fore! Golfers can help send the Stockton Stingrays to the National Beep Ball Association World Series. The annual tournament is being held on June 11 at Oakmoore Golf Course. For info or to pay by credit card please contact Bonnie (209) 466-3836 or print a flyer & registration form here.
Pacific Students make documentary response to Forbes list. Out of Our Misery – Stockton’s Saga as the Most Miserable City is a great perspective on the criteria used by the editors at Forbes to create their Most Miserable Cities list. Check out the video here, and the University of the Pacific news release.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, reviews and questions to mail@podcaststockton.com or by calling our local listener comment voicemail line at 209-565-3229.
An interview with Stockton Ports President, Pat Filippone. Rod sat down with Pat to discuss minor league baseball and your Stockton Ports.
A few things to do on Cinco de Mayo. Lots of great places to hang out with friends on Cinco de Mayo.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, reviews and questions to mail@podcaststockton.com or by calling our local listener comment voicemail line at 209-565-3229.
Today, I walked a mile in her shoes. This was my second year participating in this event in Stockton which was, once again, held at the Banner Island Ballpark. Although this was Stockton’s fourth annual Walk A Mile event, the event’s roots go back to 2001.
My brother and I arrived at the home of our Stockton Ports this morning just after 8 AM and each picked out a pair of gorgeous pumps. Since I don’t know all of the lingo, let’s say they were high and they were skinny.
Before the walk began, all of the men gathered in one section of the ballpark and heard from Amanda King from KWIN and Joelle Gomez, Women’s Center Executive Director. We also joined Lt. David Sant, from the Tracy Police Department, in a pledge to do our part to end sexual violence. Amanda King read a letter that was sent to the Women’s Center by a rape survivor. It told of how she was poisoned, raped and left for dead. She made it to the hospital where they treated her physical trauma. She credited the Women’s Center for saving her life. It was a somber moment for us all and a good reminder of why we were walking.
This year, the walk went around the ballpark three times (twice last year) which was right at one mile. JR and I started around the middle of the pack but ended up coming in last. Once again, there was a lot of support along the way. And we needed it! The crowd yelling by the starting line really helped with each lap.
We had a great time and only hurt a little at the end. It’s always great to see the community come out and support causes like this, even though I’d prefer to live in a world where this type of event wasn’t needed.
Check out the pictures from today (graciously taken by my wife) – Facebook or Flickr.
Walk A Mile In Her Shoes. The 4th Annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes is this Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Banner Island Ballpark. Every 90 seconds a woman is raped in this country. This event asks men to come walk a mile in her shoes to protest rape, sexual assault and gender violence. And by “walk a mile in her shoes” they literally mean a mile in ladies shoes. Matt sat down with Lisa Jordan from the Women’s Center of San Joaquin County to talk about this great event as well as the history of the center and what services they offer.
Last year, Matt and Rod both walked the mile, in pointy toe and spiky heal shoes. Registration starts at 8 AM and the walk starts at 9 AM. Come out and walk a mile in her shoes, or come out and watch Matt and friends try it without falling. Walkers receive a free event tee shirt and a voucher for a Stockton Ports game. For more information on the national movement, visit walkamileinhershoes.org.
The 80th Annual Strawberry Breakfast is this Sunday at UOP. The University of the Pacific Center for Community Involvement (CCI) is hosting its 80th Annual Strawberry Breakfast Sunday, May 1st, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at University of the Pacific’s Regent’s Dining Room. This annual event normally happens on Mother’s Day but was moved one week early this year.
Prowlin’ Pacific was last Saturday. Matt gives his review of last weekend’s event. Yet another free community event, this year on the grounds of the University of the Pacific. There was a car show, lots of games and things for kids to do, and some great live local music (including Matt’s favorite local band, Snap Jackson & The Knock On Wood Players and Latin Magic). Check out the pictures here and a short video here.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, reviews and questions to mail@podcaststockton.com or by calling our local listener comment voicemail line at 209-565-3229.
Stockton is Magnificent! The Miracle Mile is hosting this event to show just what we think of their list. Matt sat down with Danielle, a student from Pacific that is helping with the event. Learn the flash mob dance here.
We talk sports with Lowell Tuckerman. SJ Delta Girl’s Softball goes undefeated! And the Stockton Ports.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, reviews and questions to mail@podcaststockton.com or by calling our local listener comment voicemail line at 209-565-3229.
Joey Chestnut did not disappoint his many fans in Stockton today. He easily beat out the rest of the field this afternoon and earned a new world record. At the end of 10 minutes, he had consumed 9 pounds, 5.2 ounces of deep fried asparagus.
Chestnut, the 27 year old competitor from San Jose who took the stage amidst cheers from the crowd, has held the world records for eating pork ribs, steak, chicken wings and Krystal burgers. He already broke the asparagus eating world record in 2008 when he ate 8.6 pounds of our favorite fried veggie.
For those of you that never seen competitive eating up close and personal, here’s a short video I shot.
Matt Stonie, the 18-year-old new-comer from San Jose, debuted today on the competitive eating scene and took third place just behind second place finisher, Patrick Bertoletti.
Come back on Monday for our next episode of Podcast Stockton to hear from Joey Chestnut and Matt Stonie.
Tonight, the Stockton Ports defeated the Modesto Nuts 3-1 in their 2011 home opener.
After the Stockton Thunder lost to the Utah Grizzlies in the first round of the ECHL playoffs, and we all find ourselves with a hockey hang over, it’s time to go out and root for our boys of summer.
I love going to opening day. Running in to old friends and seeing the crowd cheer for their local team is always awesome. And don’t forget about the great food (Kinders and How Ya Bean are my favorites) and Kids Zone. Tonight my daughter and I each tried out the Speed Pitch. With my three pitches at 44 MPH I doubt any scouts will be calling me.
With almost 70 home games between now and the beginning of September, make sure you get out to a game! Go Ports!
Baseball is back in Stockton.
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