The Takeover is on, best CA hip hop song since 2009

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All Stockton Residents Must See This, We are North Hollywood!

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A film promoting Stockton, California (http://www.VisitStockton.org) as a filiming destination from the late 60's or early 70's. Preserved from the original reel with some discoloration and sound issues, but fun none the less. Stockton was once the number one choice for filming movies in Northern California.

Mayor too polarizing to continue | Recordnet.com

Mayor too polarizing to continue | Recordnet.com:

'via Blog this'

By Michael Fitzgerald

Record Columnist

July 12, 2013 12:00 AM

Six months into his term, it has become painfully clear that Mayor Anthony Silva is unfit for office. The question is what to do about it.

And no, I am not proposing his recall. Yet, I am putting recall on the table, though with a couple other options. And frankly, I am warming to the idea.

Silva's kooky performance at Tuesday's council meeting demonstrates why he is temperamentally and politically unfit to serve as mayor.

Having suffered the complete collapse of his one-issue agenda, the deeply flawed Safe Streets initiative, Tuesday's vote to put a different, and better, tax plan on the ballot offered the politically isolated mayor a golden opportunity.

He had the chance to reconcile with the council and city manager he arrogantly tried to marginalize. A chance to become a part of the team that has worked so well to restore Stockton.

Click on title to read the whole article!

The Gospel of Jesus' Wife: Textuality, Sexuality, and the Latest Controversy in Religion

Wednesday, December 5 at 7:00pm
Vereschagin Alumni House 1022 Dave Brubeck Way, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95204, USA

Dan Brown’s 2008 novel “The Da Vinci Code” had a controversial premise – that Christian savior Jesus married and had children. The fictional book sold more than 80 million copies and was turned into a hit movie. It also was widely condemned by many religious institutions.

Two months ago the issue of Jesus’ marital status was raised again. A researcher from Harvard announced she had identified and translated a piece of papyrus with Coptic writing that suggests Jesus had a wife.

When that announcement was made at a scholarly conference in Rome, University of the Pacific early Christianity Professor Caroline Schroeder just happened to be there. And she also happens to read Coptic.

Schroeder will be joined by professor George Randels and Anthony Le Donne as well as Pacific chaplain Joel Lohr to discuss the Harvard announcement, the controversy surrounding the writing on the papyrus, and the opinions about speculation of a Mrs. Jesus. The discussion, titled “The Gospel of Jesus' Wife: Textuality, Sexuality, and the Latest Controversy in Religion,” will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Vereschagin Alumni House on Pacific’s Stockton campus. The event is free and open to the public.

“The announcement made international news, but also was quickly denounced by many scholars, some who claim the papyrus was a forgery, or at least not a fourth century document,” Schroeder said. “Meanwhile, other scholars have argued that the text, even if authentic, tells us nothing about Jesus himself and only about the beliefs of Christians living in the second through fourth centuries. So this should be a lively discussion.”

Schroeder and Randels are professors in Pacific’s Department of Religious and Classical Studies, where Le Donne is also a visiting scholar and professor this semester. Schroeder and Le Donne have penned articles and books on early Christianity while Randels has written on theological ethics. University Multifaith Chaplain Joel Lohr, who has written books and articles on the Bible and theology, will act as moderator for the panel.

The controversy about Jesus’ Wife started in September. Harvard professor Karen King revealed simultaneously at a scholarly conference in Rome and in interviews with the New York Times and other news outlets that she identified a new papyrus fragment containing the earliest known statement saying that Jesus was married. Since this discovery was announced, some scholars and religious leaders have denounced the so-called "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" as a likely modern forgery, with some claiming there are hints the handwriting reflected modern techniques not available when the words were penned.

Schroeder said that some of the topics the panel will attempt to approach include:

• What is the Gospel of Jesus' Wife?
• What does a fourth-century reference to Jesus and his wife mean about early Christianity?
• Is this papyrus a forgery, and if so, why would someone forge an ancient manuscript?
• Could Jesus have been married?
• Why does a text suggesting that Jesus might have had a wife cause so much controversy?
• What does it mean to sexualize Jesus?

The event is sponsored by Pacific’s Department of Religious and Classical Studies, the Pacific Alumni Association, the Humanities Center, Women's Resource Center at Pacific, Religious and Spiritual Life at Pacific, and Phi Beta Kappa.

KOVR CBS 13 - Stocktons Mayoral Debate

Stockton citizens, city leaders unite in search for solutions

Submitted by Paul Janes, News 10 Web Producer

STOCKTON, CA - Many Stockton residents have questions they want answered and are seeking solutions to the challenges facing their city.

On Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m. ABC News10 will host "Stockton in Crisis, Searching for Solutions," a free town hall forum held at University of Pacific's Long Theatre.

The event will present a five-party panel featuring, Mayor Ann Johnston, District Attorney James Willett, Deputy Chief of Police Rick Salsedo, Eberhardt School of Business Professor and Director of University of the Pacific's Business Forecasting Center, Jeff Michaels, as well as Pastor Glenn R. Shields, a community representative and religious advocate. These individuals will comment on the issues facing the City of Stockton, and provide feedback to questions posed by the audience.

"We want to use News10's strong voice to reach beyond coverage of crime and bankruptcy. Our journalists who live and work in Stockton are advocates for strengthening the community. This event will allow us to discuss problems, but more importantly it will bring the community together to find solutions," said News10 News Director, Jerome Parra

"Higher education institutions have a responsibility to their students and community to provide forums of discussion," said Ted Leland, University of the Pacific Vice President of External Relations. "This type of event allows the University to join the dialogue and establish a neutral setting for a constructive conversation about the city's weaknesses."

News10 will be integrating audience and online questions throughout the town hall, allowing community members an opportunity to have their comments and concerns addressed directly by participants.

News10's very own Cristina Mendonsa, Dale Schornack and Stockton Reporter, Tim Daly will moderate the discussion. A live stream of the event will be available on News10.net. Reporter, Leigh Paynter will moderate the online conversation fielding questions and comments from News10 viewers.

Tickets are available via the Eventbrite order form on the Stockton in Crisis web page or you can RSVP by phone at
916-441-2345.

*Must be at least 16 years old to attend

Come out tonight and share your ideas to improve stockton

STOCKTON (CBS13) – Families in Stockton are desperate to keep their children safe as violent crime continues to spike in the city.

This weekend, one community will come together and take matters into their own hands.

Ginger Maloney lives in one of the most dangerous parts of Stockton.

“At night you hear the shooting and yeah, it’s scary,” said Maloney.

But moving out of Sierra Vista subsidized housing isn’t an option.

“I couldn’t afford anything else. You just try and make the best of it,” said Maloney.

That’s why the single mother of three teens, along with other neighbors, is on a mission to improve the community.

The resident council organized a special violence awareness meeting Saturday with the help of city and church leaders.

The goal is to reach out to the families who live in the complex of almost 400 homes.

“If you are good with your neighbor, you can find a way to communicate, get a long and stop the violence, the robberies, shootings,” said Maloney.

The bankrupt city’s violence problems are no secret as the city is 10 killings away from breaking the record of 58.

Maloney hopes she can help stop that.

“There’s a lot of others like me, we just want to raise our kids right,” said Maloney.

Organizers expect more than 400 people to attend Saturday’s event.

Stockton promotes official to CFO

By Scott Smith
Record Staff Writer
September 14, 2012 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - City officials announced Thursday that they hired a new chief financial officer from within the ranks, making her the third person to fill that position within a year.

Vanessa Burke, Stockton's assistant director of the Administrative Services Department, will step into her new role overseeing the city's finances effective Sunday.

Burke is a certified public accountant with more than 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, began working for Stockton on Dec. 1, 2011. Her annual salary as CFO will be $145,704.

Burke served as a key figure in preparing Stockton for its Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, which was made at the end of June.

"The past eight months have been among the most rewarding of my professional career," Burke said in a news release. "Getting the city's fiscal house in order will help the city to achieve the sustainability necessary for the future and for its citizens."

To finish reading this article, click here!

Suspected Mexican teen assassin, 16, linked to 50 killings

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican prosecutors said Thursday they were investigating a 16-year-old suspected hitman who was believed to have participated in at least 50 murders while working for a drug gang.

A spokesman for prosecutors in the northeastern state of Sinaloa said the teenager, identified as Francisco Miguel N., was part of a gang known as Los Mazatlecos, a criminal group attached to the Beltran Leyva drugs cartel.

Police arrested the teen for carrying a loaded gun and drugs. He later confessed to working as a hitman for the group, local prosecutors said in a statement.

The teenager said he had taken part in executions of police, farmers and even a musician since February.

To finish reading this article, click here!

A Letter from Anthony Silva

A Letter from Anthony Silva:

Hello,

My name is Anthony Silva and I’m running for Mayor of Stockton. I was born and raised here and now I’m asking myself “what happened to this place?” Crime is unacceptably high again, there’s no jobs, and we’re about to go bankrupt.

After having researched this , along with my staff, I realized that this all could have been avoided. The police were cut by 28% over the last few years, but somehow we still had money to pay for the golf course and for the City council’s and Mayor’s retirement benefits?

The City had an auditing firm come in every single year while Mayor Ann Johnston was in office, they gave her their financial reports, but she only told us we’re going to go bankrupt a few months ago?

How is this ok?

My plan is simple, I am going to focus on nothing else but getting jobs and reducing crime.

We don’t have to just cut services all the time, we can also make more money for the City. I will create a business advisory council to bring new companies to Stockton, give them huge incentives in order to come here, and then make sure they hire at least 60% locals in order to receive those benefits.

I will create a small business training and support program to give businesses free assistance in marketing and Internet marketing. That way, they can sell more and hire more.

I’m also going to make sure more small businesses are opened up here by giving them lucrative start-up conditions and additional training.
But it’s obvious that none of that is going to work until we get our crime under control.

Stockton’s crime rate was improving until the current Mayor took office. She fired 28% of the cops. We have to get the police force back up to the same level that the average California City of our size has.

Then, we have to raise the arrest rate. Raising the arrest rate and prosecuting even small crimes, like graffiti, or broken windows, is the only way to tell the bad guys that this is our Town. You can’t mess with us. That’s exactly what they did in New York City during the 1990s. And it worked there, crime fell by 58% when they did that, far more than the national average.

And lastly, we cannot let the City go bankrupt. This should be our last resort. City Hall thinks that bankruptcy is going to be a clean slate, but it’s not.

Let me tell you a story. There was a tiny town in Pennsylvania, of just 2,400 people, called Westfall. Westfall, Pennsylvania. A few years ago, they filed for bankruptcy and for a town of just 2,400 people, it cost them $600,000 dollars in fees to go bankrupt. $600,000 dollars.

Can you imagine how much it would cost Stockton when we’re about 116 times larger than Westfall?

No one even knows if these bankruptcy proceedings will work. At the end of the day, the judge decides exactly how much debt to forgive and even whether to forgive any debt at all. Then the judge has to make sure at least one type of creditor will agree to that amount before we save anything.

We’re going to waste a whole bunch of money and it will ruin our credit score. No one will ever invest in Stockton again. Who would invest in a town that takes millions of dollars in loans, doesn’t properly file its paperwork, and then lies to everyone, including its citizens, that things are okay when actually they’ve known about this so-called bankruptcy for years.

My plan is to improve business in Stockton, get the cops back, and stop the City from going bankrupt. We cannot just let them keep doing business as usual up at City Hall. It’s unacceptable.

Join me in challenging the current government and getting this City back on course.

'via Blog this'

Do you have Items you would like to give to someone in need?

We will pick up all of your garage/yard/moving sale left over to donate to families in need. We are looking for clothing in all sizes, shoes, books, toys, house hold items, tv's, stereo equipment, couches, baby stuff, table sets, appliances, movies, records, and even tools will work.. Any thing will help these families get some necessities.

Please call or text me for date and time and address of when I can come by. If you would like junk removed in exchange for a donation, we would be happy to help. Thank you very much, from all our hearts.

(209)629-2128Ask for Greg

or reply by e-mail.
(se Habla Espanol)

We will take almost anything that is usable.
** Items need to be decent or good condition**
(REMEMBER THESE ITEMS WILL GO TO FAMILY HOMES IN NEED PLEASE UNDERSTAND)

White, Pitsch, still fighting Ann Johnston's illegally sought Candidacy

By Scott Smith
Record Staff Writer
August 18, 2012 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - City Hall, under a provision of the federal bankruptcy code that gives debtors a bit of breathing room, has suspended 54 pending lawsuits, mostly those known as trip-and-fall cases.

But Ralph Lee White, a wealthy bail bondsman, former councilman and recent mayoral candidate, said the city has wrongly entangled him with one of those frozen decisions.

White earlier this year sued Stockton and Mayor Ann Johnston, arguing that an ambiguously worded line of the city charter means Johnston has already termed out of office. She was ineligible to seek another term, he said.

Making this argument, White lost his first round in San Joaquin County Superior Court, and he also lost his mayoral bid at the polls in June's primary election.

But White hasn't given up his fight to bring clarification to the city's charter.

He said his case shouldn't be subject to a suspension because he isn't seeking millions in recompense, like other litigants. The city is using its ailing finances as an excuse to skirt his challenge, he said.

"If the charter is our constitution, we have to follow our constitution," White said. "You can't put a stay on our constitution."

White and the Stockton Black Leadership Council originally brought the suit, citing problems they saw in Section 606 of the charter, which dictates term limits. It says:

"No person elected as either Mayor or Councilmember shall be eligible to serve, or serve, as either Mayor or Councilmember for more than two (2) terms ... ."

Johnston, who declined to comment, has served two terms on the City Council and now seeks a second term as mayor.

Superior Court Judge Lesley Holland heard the case in May and ruled in Johnston's favor, while criticizing the charter's language as being less than clear.

After White's courtroom defeat, his attorney, Michael Babitzke, who declined to comment, filed a new writ of mandate under the names of another failed mayoral candidate, Gregory Pitsch, and four other residents.

And then the city on June 28 filed bankruptcy. Officials shortly thereafter invoked the court stays.

City Attorney John Luebberke defended the move against White, saying this provision of the bankruptcy code is to be construed broadly.

The city is not arbitrarily selecting to temporarily stop White's suit or any of the others, he said.

"We're not using it. It's the law," Luebberke said. "We can't pick and choose."

Rather, the city filed notices to let the relevant judges, litigants and their attorneys know of the provision halting the cases. The city has to pay to defend the case, creating a financial burden, Luebberke said, refuting White's claim that his suit doesn't have financial ramifications.

Most of those suspended in Stockton's bankruptcy are tort cases, like trip-and-fall lawsuits filed against the city. Others include employee-related litigation and those arising from scuffles people have had with police officers, Luebberke said.

Among the suits also on hold is one filed by former Deputy City Attorney Lori Whittaker, who in 2009 accused then-Stockton City Attorney Ren Nocky of sexual harassment.

Another stay applies to the city's legal battle with the Stockton Police Officers' Association over millions in pay cuts the city imposed on its officers. But the association's Sacramento attorney, David E. Mastagni, said police had no problem with the suspension.

"We're working with the city to get a contract," he said. "We agreed to have ... the whole case stayed."

But White, who suspects foul play is at work in his case, may have a good argument, said Riverside attorney Franklin Adams, a partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP.

The bankruptcy code allows for stays on certain cases to prevent a rush by creditors to the courthouse with everybody wanting to collect. Adams said that based on his limited knowledge of the case, White wants a ruling on the city charter and nothing more.

"I don't think that's what the stay was intended to prevent," Adams said.

If White wanted his advice, Adams said he would suggest approaching U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein, who is overseeing Stockton's Chapter 9, and ask for a "comfort order."

Under such an order, White could ask the judge to send his case back to the San Joaquin County Superior Court, and then return it to the federal bankruptcy court with a resolution, Adams said.

"Some bankruptcy judges are willing to do that," he said.

White argues that if the incumbent mayor beats challenger Anthony Silva on Nov. 6, and if a court later were to rule that Johnston is ineligible to serve, the city will have the expense of holding a special election.

"I ain't asking for no money," he said. "There's no money there to be asked for."

Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or ssmith@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at

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1 Dead, Several wounded in a Stockton Gun Battle

STOCKTON (CBS13) – Suspects wanted in connection with a freeway chase and brazen gun battle with police overnight surrendered in Stockton early Thursday morning.

SWAT officers stormed a home on Monte Diablo Avenue and took the suspects into custody.

The incident began on Wednesday night after someone was shot in the area of North Plymouth Road. A short time later, more shots were reported a few blocks away between two vehicles at an ARCO gas station, say police.

Darance Leave, 19, is a documented gang member.

“We’re in a residential neighborhood, and bullets have no names,” Officer Joe Silva said. “One of those bullets could have gone into a residence and caused some harm, and we’re very fortunate that didn’t happen here.”

Officers located one of the vehicles, a van, believed to be involved in the shootings and chased it up and down Interstate 5 as passengers fired multiple shots at police, hitting a patrol car.

The chase ended in a shootout. One of the suspects was shot and killed, and a second was hit by gunfire and taken to the hospital. He was later released and was being questioned by police Thursday. A third suspect tried to run from police but was tracked down and arrested.

Darold Jarvis, 34, is a wanted felon.
Police seized an assault rifle and two handguns.

The suspect killed was later identified as Joseph Brooks, 27. Police identified the two suspects at the scene as Darold Jarvis, 34, a wanted felon, and Darance Leave, 19, a documented gang member. Three suspects arrested at the house were still be questioned.

The Plymouth Road shooting victim is expected to survive.

Stockton, CA Bankruptcy Totally Avoidable?

Stockton, CA Bankruptcy Totally Avoidable?

Vote Tuesday could send Stockton to bankruptcy court

Photo courtesy of Ben Margot


By Peter Hecht
phecht@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Jun. 24, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
Last Modified: Sunday, Jun. 24, 2012 - 3:12 pm

Barely five years ago, Stockton looked like a winner.

Local real estate values quadrupled between 2000 and 2006. City tax revenues skyrocketed. Stockton's general fund was growing by 10 percent a year. The port city redeveloped its waterfront and built a new arena. It gave pay raises to cops and cut deals in 2007 to boost pensions and pay for other employees.

Now Stockton is broke.

After years of bad budget decisions based on an overly rosy reading of the economy, Stockton – population 292,000 in 2010 – this week faces the ignominy of becoming the largest city in America ever to file for bankruptcy.

The City Council has scheduled a vote Tuesday on an austerity program that the city could carry out while in Chapter 9 bankruptcy reorganization, which would provide protection from creditors while it renegotiates its debts. Plans are to slash retired employees' health benefits, and perhaps eliminate them altogether; end city bond payments, and restructure labor agreements.

"The city is insolvent from a service and budget basis today and faces cash insolvency in its general fund by July 1," City Manager Bob Deis wrote to the City Council on June 5 – the same day the council voted to give Deis authority to take Stockton into bankruptcy reorganization.

In an effort to avert a bankruptcy filing, Stockton held last-minute negotiations to seek concessions from bondholders, employee unions and retirees. The city manager is scheduled to tell the City Council on Tuesday whether sufficient savings were found by the Monday deadline.

Deis could not be reached for comment last week. But in a letter he sent to employees on Thursday, he suggested that no miracle rescue is in the works. "At this point, the city must make plans to move forward and use the services and protections in bankruptcy to preserve basic health and safety services for the citizens of Stockton," Deis wrote.

This is not what city leaders had in mind.

Stockton was the place where the median home price shot up from $110,000 to $400,000 in six years. The city issued 3,000 new residential building permits a year between 2003 and 2005.

It was the place with the $129 million waterfront redevelopment, including a gleaming new $68 million arena for a minor league hockey team.

Read more here:

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Stockton makes Bob Deis the Authority to go through with Bankruptcy

Stockton isn’t giving up on AB 506, but should the confidential mediation fail to realize significant savings by June 25, the city will have just three business days until it is general fund balances reach zero and the city becomes insolvent.

That’s why at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, a majority of the council authorized the city manager to file for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy protection if AB 506 does fail. It wasn’t a vote for bankruptcy, it was a vote to prepare for a potential bankruptcy.

“We remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement with a sufficient number of our creditors to get our fiscal house in order,” said Mayor Ann Johnston. “However, we must have a plan for any possible outcome to protect the health, safety and welfare of our community and maintain basic services. Without significant fiscal relief, the General Fund will be out of money by June 30, 2012.”

While immediate deficits pose the greatest threat to the city’s solvency, the long-term implications of the city’s structural deficit continue to drive the city’s aggressive approach to cutting costs. According to the staff report produced by the city manager’s office, the “long term obligations approach $1 billion. Relief from such obligations can greatly improve the City’s viability.”

Contributing to that long-term imbalance are costs associated with personnel, including pension and retiree health benefits.






Over the past three years, the city has trimmed $90 million from its budget to ensure a balanced ledger. However, this year the deficit is pegged at another $23 million, $26 million if the city takes certain actions to stabilize its accounts and rebuild a responsible reserve. The annual deficits will continue for the next decade, reaching $46 million by 2015/16 and $56 million in 2020/21. That number could reach $88 million by 20/21, if salaries and benefits are restored to pre-concession levels.

Even as the confidential negotiations of AB 506 continue behind closed doors, , a very public debate continues in Stockton.

Those who supported moving into the AB 506 process – including the city’s mayor and city manager – continue to assert that further cuts to services will endanger public health and safety. Citing recent crime statistics in the staff report, city manager Bob Deis says that violent and gun crime has risen in recent years as a result of cuts to police.

“In 2011, there were 58 homicides in Stockton, an all time record,” reads the staff report. “At this time last year, there had been seven homicides, but as of May 4, 2012 we were already up to 23 for the year. We are also experiencing a 30% increase in gun violence from last year.”

Much of the blame for the current financial trouble has been placed on the city’s retirees and the cost of their healthcare.

In late 2011, those retirees formally incorporated their own association, the Association of Retired Employees of the City of Stockton. They are working to protect the benefits promised to retirees and are preparing to defend those benefits in bankruptcy court.

“While mediation is proceeding, I am no more optimistic today than on the day the City was required to begin the Mediation Process because the City Manager and the City Council (with the exception of Dale Fritchen) continue to publicly attack retiree medical,” writes the Association in a newsletter to members dated June 1.



“As a result of what has been reported to the Board of Directors concerning the real content of the mediation sessions… We are accelerating the process of preparing for a legal defense in bankruptcy,” continued the report to members.

The Association has retained the services of Felderstein, Fitzgerald, Willoughby & Pascuzzi LLP, the same firm that represented CalPERS in Vallejo’s bankruptcy case.

With the 6-1 vote, the city has opened the door to a potential bankruptcy filing.

“We will come through the AB 506 process or chapter 9 with a financially sustainable future,” said Mayor Johnson. “Even though we have inherited this mess, we are committed to doing everything in our power to leave this City better, stronger and healthier.”




Ron Paul asks the RIGHT Questions!