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A month ago I formally announced my candidacy for the Mayor's seat, in Stockton, CA. I am truly honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve the citizens of Stockton.

As a longtime resident of San Joaquin County with 6 years of public service as an after-school coach and city official in my hometown, Manteca, CA. Representing the city I fell in love with, and I chose to make it my home. Being politically active has always been a dream of mine. Colleagues, friends, and family have graciously supported my political career with prayers, words of advice and through financial contributions. Many of you have been right there with me over the past 10 years. But now, maybe more than ever, I need to ask you again for your continued prayers, your ideas and your financial support and of course, your vote.

I am sure you will be very proud of the job I will do as an elected official. My voting record and stance on the tough issues reflect conservative, caring republican values. I believe strongly in:

Less Taxes – More Personal Rights – Good Environmental Stewardship – Constitutional Rights - Less Bureaucracy – Maintaining and Preserving Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans Benefits - Worker Rights – State Rights – American – Full Funding of Education - Elimination of the Inheritance Tax.

I believe we live in the best country in the world and I wholeheartedly support our President, our troops and our ongoing liberation and peace efforts through-out the middle east..

Over the next year, the dynamics of this campaign will be both exciting and challenging for not only myself but for my family and friends. It is the friends and citizens like you have supported me and I am hoping I can count on you again.

The simple theme and message of the GREG PITSCH FOR MAYOR campaign is bringing government back home! I truly believe honesty, integrity, and hard work wins every time. I want the federal government to know that they work for the people, the people do not work for the bureaucrats!

With your generous support I am confident that together we will win this race for the seat of Mayor. Won’t you please take a moment and consider the importance of electing a 26 year old resident of Stockton who is committed and dedicated to the people and issues here locally. There is no equal to the task of representing this city. I believe my years as an independent business owner and consultant make me the most qualified candidate to represent you.

I want to build a “bridge” from Stockton, to our nation’s capital…so that the federal government realizes our hope, our dreams, and our values. As always thank you for your kindness and generosity and together we can bring Stockton back to the top.

In service I remain…Conservative, Compassionate, and Caring.

Best Regards, Greg Pitsch

MIND MASTERY

San Jose meth bust: 750 lbs

A Palo Alto police investigation into stolen iPads has led to one of the largest methamphetamine busts in the country's history, federal investigators said Saturday.

Police and federal agents seized 750 pounds of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $34 million, from a San Jose apartment Thursday after Palo Alto investigators spotted the drugs while following up on stolen iPads, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The bust "is one of the largest we are aware of," DEA Special Agent Casey Rettig said.

Investigators found "boxes and boxes and boxes containing bags and bags and bags of methamphetamine" inside the apartment, Rettig said.

The 750 pounds, or 340 kilograms, of methamphetamine confiscated in San Jose is equal to about 16 percent of all methamphetamine seized across the country last year, according to figures on the U.S. Department of Justice website.

Three people were arrested on state drug violations after the raid on an apartment in the 4400 block of Woods Drive, authorities said. They have not released their identities. Rettig described the investigation as "very fluid" and said "there is definitely the potential for more arrests."

The home is part of the Woods, a subdivision in south San Jose that its website highlights as a "park-like setting of mature trees, formal landscaped gardens, greenbelts and tranquil ponds maintained to award-winning standards."

Palo Alto detectives pursuing the electronics theft conducted a preliminary search of the apartment and saw "a large quantity of methamphetamine," according to the DEA. They then called in help from San Jose police and the Santa Clara County district attorney, who called the DEA.

Investigators believe the home was being used both as a residence and as a laboratory where powdered methamphetamine was converted into a crystal form, also referred to as "ice." Such methamphetamine has an appearance often described as that of broken glass or shattered ice and is ingested by smoking, federal officials said.

Rettig said it was too early in the investigation to link the lab to known drug cartels or trafficking networks, but she indicated that the trend in large methamphetamine busts in Central and Northern California involves ice conversion labs for drugs primarily smuggled in from Mexico.

Last month, the Mexican army seized 15 tons of pure methamphetamine with an estimated U.S. street value of $4 billion. The sheer size of the haul from that raid in western Mexico "could potentially put a huge dent in the supply chain in the U.S," DEA spokesman Rusty Payne said at the time.

Investigators in the San Jose raid also found stolen items that had initially led Palo Alto police there, Rettig said, including iPads.

Chronicle news services and San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Jill Tucker contributed to this report.

John Coté is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.