Stockton Town Hall to unite civilians, city officials in search for solutions

Stockton Town Hall to unite civilians, city officials in search for solutions
Submitted by Linda Park, Community Web Producer

STOCKTON, CA - Disheartening topics about Stockton run as regular headlines on the morning and evening news. It is therefore a common belief that there are limited solutions to the city's problems. 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. in Long Theatre at University of the Pacific, ABC News 10 Sacramento will host "Stockton in Crisis, Searching for Solutions," a free town hall forum open to the public.

The town hall will present a six-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, 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.

"This is News 10's commitment to Stockton," explains Gina Villarreal, segment producer with News 10. "The goal of the town hall is to provide an open dialogue with city officials and key community constituents in order to offer solutions to Stockton."

"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."

News 10 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 Town Hall participants.

Reporters Tim Daly, Cristina Mendonsa, and Dale Schornack will broadcast live from the forum, and Leigh Paynter will be monitoring a live webcast of the event, fielding questions and comments from online viewers.

For those interested in attending the event in person, please request a ticket on news10.net, or call 916-441-2345 (Limit 4 RSVP's per person).

News10/KXTV

Follow Me Downtown Via The Yellow Brick Road

California's Stockton Opts to File for Bankruptcy

In opting to become the nation's largest city to seek federal bankruptcy protection, Stockton, Calif., took a rare financial step of last resort after struggling with the economic downturn, soaring pension costs and contractual obligations.

Only 13 cities, counties and other government entities filed for bankruptcy protection last year — the highest annual level in nearly two decades. Stockton, a river port of 290,000, was the seventh U.S. municipality to file this year and the first California city since Vallejo, which sought protection in 2008, according to James Spiotto, a Chicago bankruptcy attorney who tracks municipal bankruptcies.

"Filing bankruptcy is time-consuming, expensive and complicated," said Spiotto, noting that Vallejo spent millions of dollars alone on attorneys and other bankruptcy professionals. "And you never get the results you desire."

That's why experts are divided on whether other financially struggling cities, towns and other government entities will follow Stockton to bankruptcy court. Spiotto said it will be hard and expensive for Stockton to obtain financing.

Others say bankruptcy comes with non-monetary costs, too.

"Being in bankruptcy is decimating to your staff and morale," said Deborah Lauchner, Vallejo's finance director. "There's so much uncertainty. ... We've been taken apart and ripped by the seams and everybody examined us."

Since Congress added Chapter 9 to the bankruptcy code in 1937 to allow municipalities to seek protection, some 640 government entities have filed. Last year's 13 filings almost doubled the six filed in 2010. That was the most since an equal number were filed in 1994.

By comparison, roughly 1.5 million Americans file for personal bankruptcy a year while some 50,000 companies file for business bankruptcy.

"Bankruptcy is a huge drain on municipalities, because they have limited ways to create more revenue," said Los Angeles bankruptcy lawyer Karol Denniston.

Stockton City Manager Bob Deis said officials were left with little choice but to recommend bankruptcy after failing to hammer out finance agreements with creditors to address the city's $26 million budget shortfall.

"Unfortunately we have no comprehensive set of agreements with our creditors that would eliminate the deficit and avoid insolvency," Deis said at the City Council meeting Tuesday night. He said, however, that the city was still negotiating with some creditors and could reach deals with as many as one-third of them.

"We think Chapter 9 protection is the only choice left," Deis said. "If we get any agreements, those will be honored in Chapter 9."

The City Council on Tuesday voted 6-1 to adopt a special bankruptcy budget to address Stockton's $26 million shortfall if the city files for bankruptcy, as expected, by Friday.

The city has been hit hard by high crime and the collapse of the housing market in the past three years. It's also dealt with $90 million in deficits through a series of drastic cuts.

The new budget did not call for additional service cuts beyond those that earlier slashed the police force by one-fourth, the fire department by one-third and 40 percent of other city employees, along with wages and medical benefits.

The budget approved Tuesday night would suspend payments for debts and legal claims; reduce payments for retiree medical benefits; further cut some pay and benefits; and increase revenue through code enforcement and parking citations.

In standing room only chambers, former city employees told council members about their life-threatening medical conditions and said benefit cuts meant they would effectively lose their health insurance.

"For me, bankruptcy might as well be a life sentence," said Gary Jones, a retiree who used to be a police officer in Stockton and said he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Other residents complained about plummeting property values, and recurring break-ins and robberies.

"The average citizen will not put up with this. Their home prices have plummeted, they have no jobs, a lot of people are getting fed up so that they have to resort to crime." said Gregory Pitsch, a 22-year-old unemployed resident who made an unsuccessful run for mayor. "I'm asking you to make the right decision, not destroy the property values in this city, which bankruptcy will do."

But city officials said this Central Valley city in California's agricultural heartland has run out of options. In recent years, thousands of new homes mushroomed in Stockton, part of a suburban housing boom that attracted buyers from the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. When the economy crashed and the construction bubble burst, Stockton was battered by foreclosures and lost income from property taxes and other fees.

Under bankruptcy protection, officials would retain power over day-to-day city operations and staffing, but a judge would take over all decisions concerning the city's debts, said Robert Benedetti, professor of political science at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

The judge would decide which creditors should be paid, how much and in what order. He would make allowances for expenditures needed by the city to function, and it would be up to city officials to decide how to spend that money.

"One of reasons a city might want to go the bankruptcy route is that they don't want a situation where they have to pay out debts and have to close the police or fire department," Benedetti said. "Filing for Chapter 9 means you're asking the court to protect you against lawsuits from people who hold your debt.

"Bankruptcy won't take away Stockton's underlying financial problems, one of which is the economy, the high unemployment rate and the high foreclosure rate," he said. "It will take years for them to come out of this.""

If Stockton files for bankruptcy, it would be the largest city by population to do so, according to Spiotto, the Chicago bankruptcy lawyer who tracks filings. He said Bridgeport, Conn., is currently the largest city to file for bankruptcy, which it did in 1991.

Jefferson County in Alabama is the largest local government bankruptcy filing to date in terms of the size of its debt. It occurred in November 2011 and was followed by Orange County, Calif., in 1994.

Stockton was the first city to test a new state mediation law, Assembly Bill 506, which is less than six months old.

Under the law, municipalities considering bankruptcy must first negotiate behind closed doors with creditors for up to three months, with the goal of settling debts without filing for Chapter 9 protection.

Bankruptcy lawyer Denniston, who helped draft the bill, said legislators in other states are interested in how the mediation process could be used elsewhere.

"Nationwide, we're faced with a ton of municipal distress," Denniston said, noting dire economic conditions, massive foreclosures and future pension obligations. "It's the perfect storm."

Where is Stockton's Harry Potter?

Where is Stockton's Harry Potter?

You know, the boy wizard who defeated the evil Lord Voldemort and set things right in the wizarding world. That is exactly what Stockton needs, someone to fight this vicious financial crisis.

Need parallels?

This is what Rufus Scrimgeour (pronounced scrim-ger), the Minister of Magic in the Harry Potter series, said to the people in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows": "These are dark times, there is no denying. Our world has perhaps faced no greater threat than it does today. But I say this to our citizenry: We, ever your servants, will continue to defend your liberty and repel the forces that seek to take it from you! Your Ministry remains, strong."

Well, aside from the reference to "ministry" for government, that statement very well could apply to Stockton.

This is in part what Mayor Ann Johnston said during her State of the City speech a few weeks ago: "This has been a difficult year for all of us with tough decisions. The City Council has made extremely tough decisions, and we're going to see even tougher decisions ahead of us. The fixes to our financial issues will not be pretty, but we're determined to come out of this with the city on a solid financial foundation that will move Stockton forward."

When Scrimgeour made his speech, Voldemort's minions had infiltrated the government and were creating chaos in the world. The threat was active and, in that world created by J.K. Rowling, very real.

In our world, the threat is the city's financial crisis. The recession has hit Stockton hard, there is no denying, particularly housing in an area dependent on real estate-generated revenue.

For example, a bank-owned house in my neighborhood is listed at $115,000, about 70 percent less than what it would have sold for six or seven years ago.

Worse, it seems whenever the city has a plan or economic engine to kick-start a comeback, things sputter and fall to the wayside.

Where is a good wizard when you need one?

Contact Donald W. Blount at (209) 546-8251 or dblount@recordnet.com. The Record senior editors' blog is available at recordnet.com/editorblog.

I GUESS THEY FORGOT THAT I AM "THE WIZARD OF O.Z." Let's take this city back!!

To finish reading this article click here.

New Flier for Campaign

Mayor's Race Is Wide Open!

By Scott Smith
Record Staff Writer
May 06, 2012 12:00 AM

STOCKTON - Incumbent Mayor Ann Johnston appears to be the candidate to beat, despite leading a city marred by escalating street violence and the looming possibility of bankruptcy.

The Stockton mayor's race is wide open, and it is uncertain who, if anybody, will emerge from the June 5 primary to challenge her in a November runoff. She's up against Ralph Lee White, Anthony Silva, Jimmie Rishwain, James Butler and Gregory Pitsch.

Johnston believes her support base remains solid even as she continually fends off attacks at each council meeting and a recent town hall meeting.

"People are going to have to make a decision, whether they trust what we're doing and the direction we have to go," she said, "or throw it open to inexperienced folks."

Stockton voters in less than one month will narrow the field. A single candidate could win outright with 50 percent of the votes, plus one. With no clear winner, the two top vote-earners will face off Nov. 6.

Johnston said the city's future is at stake.

"It's no time for the faint of heart to be in City Hall," she said.

Bob Benedetti, a University of the Pacific political science professor, attributed the attacks to Stockton having a full-time mayor. Johnston is a natural point person for personal unhappiness, he said. Benedetti said he didn't see a strong candidate rising to oppose her.

"It's hers to lose," said Benedetti, adding that none of her challengers command citywide respect. "Many people recognize, like it or not, she's under a hard situation. She's done a credible job."

White, a perennial candidate and former councilman, has most doggedly attacked Johnston. He lost the first round in a courtroom challenge over term limits when a judge sided with Johnston.

"The judge didn't shoot me down," said White, promising to press the issue. "If Ann Johnston doesn't make the runoff, we're done. If she does, I go back to court."

White served 16 years on the City Council beginning in the 1970s. That and his business experience, acquiring wealth through his bail bonds and property investments, make him the best candidate, he said.

Silva, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Stockton, has won support from the Stockton Police Officers' Association and the Stockton Professional Firefighters Local 456.

Silva said he has put $20,000 on his credit card to fund his campaign.

He also has been the subject of questions for registering as a mayoral candidate at one home address and then moving to another within Stockton. City Clerk Bonnie Paige said he remains a valid candidate as long as lives in Stockton.

Silva said he believes that many of the city's problems could be solved by fostering a tone of mutual respect between City Hall and the labor groups. That takes good listening, he said.

"That's one thing I could be effective at," he said. "Shutting my mouth."

Silva served as a Stockton Unified trustee and also ran unsuccessfully for the Lodi Unified board and the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors.

Former mayoral candidate Tony Stevens stands to complicate things. His name remains on the ballot, even though he has dropped out.

Jimmie Rishwain, a businessman, also has funded his own campaign with a personal loan. He donated $100,000 to his campaign. Rishwain served four years on the City Council in the 1960s and was appointed mayor three times.

Rishwain said he estimates that an incumbent such as Johnston has a 20 percent advantage through name recognition, but he envisions a runoff between him and Johnston.

"Every time there's a story, she gets her name out," he said. "But I've got the experience. I know City Hall. I know what the problems are and I know the solutions."

Butler, who declines to take campaign donations, said his decades working inside the city give him the insight into untapped resources for making money and for cutting inefficiency and waste.

"I'm formulating a plan to get us out of this," he said. "Everybody else is focusing on the devastation."

Butler said Stockton is missing an opportunity to create more public-private partnerships with power companies to capitalize on the city's ample water sources. Johnston is too far removed from the city's daily operations, he said.

Pitsch has collected $125 in donations and spent that on painting two signs and on gas. As mayor, he vows to have open communication with residents.

"Stockton will accomplish amazing things if we work together," said Pitsch, who doesn't deny using medical marijuana to alleviate pain from an old neck injury. "That's why I can't sit back and wait any longer."

Would you like to see a 'Strictly Solar Stockton?'

The candidates

James Butler, 59

Party affiliation: Democrat

Political experience: None

Education: High school graduate

Work: Senior plant maintenance supervisor for Stockton's Municipal Utilities District, retiring June 30

Personal: Married 33 years to Myrna Butler

Quote: "I know the inside system. I know there's some substantial savings. I'm also looking long term — how do we become less dependent on state and federal money and more dependent on our knowledge?"

Ann Johnston, 69

Party affiliation: Democrat

Political experience: Two terms on the council and in her first term as mayor, Lodi Unified School District's board of trustees for 13 years representing north Stockton

Education: B.A. San Francisco State, General Social Science, Secondary teaching credential

Work: Owner of The Balloonery

Personal: Married 43 years to Cliff Johnston; the couple has two adult sons and three granddaughters

Quote: "We have to make Stockton the very best it can be, and that means solving problems and detailing a plan to move forward."

Gregory Pitsch, 26

Party affiliation: Republican

Political experience: none

Education: High school graduate and some college

Work: Online clothing, electroncs retailer and fledgling music producer

Personal: Wife Brittany Pitsch, an American Sign Language interpreter in Manteca schools

Quote: "We need to start thinking collectively and find out what each of us can do with our time in a more productive manner, rather than this destructive path we are on."

Jimmie Rishwain, 82

Party affiliation: Republican

Political experience: Stockton council member and mayor in the 1960s

Education: high school graduate

Work: Real estate developer and investor

Personal: Three grown sons and seven grandchildren

Quote: "I believe in Stockton. My heart and soul are in Stockton. I'm concerned about the direction the city of Stockton is going: crime, foreclosure and bankruptcy."

Anthony Silva, 38

Party affiliation: Republican

Political experience: One term on the Stockton Unified School District Board of Trustees, 2004-08

Education: Humphreys College, B.S. Science, Communities Studies

Work: CEO Boys & Girls Clubs of Stockton

Personal: 7-year-old son, Caden

Quote: "The current levels of crime and unemployment are unacceptable. I will increase police presence and bring new businesses into town."

Ralph Lee White, 69

Party affiliation: Democrat

Political experience: Served 16 years on the City Council beginning in the 1970s

Education: Finished high school in Texas

Work: Bail bondsman and property owner

Personal: Five daughters, 14 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Quote: "I will guarantee within one year that the murder rate will drop 50 percent and the crime rate 60 to 65 percent. If not I will resign. I will put 125 police on the street. If we can spend $12.7 million on lawyers and consultants in one year, we can put policemen on the street."


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

California city on bankruptcy brink discovers illegal payouts to elected officials

A California city has been shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal benefits to elected officials, even as the city considers bankruptcy.
The question is now whether the Stockton, Calif., council members who received the money -- totaling nearly $277,000 over more than 20 years -- plan on giving any of it back.
Mayor Ann Johnston told Fox40 in Sacramento that the city is weighing its options.
"We need to fix this. None of the council members or I had any idea that this was the situation," she said.
Fox40 reports that officials learned about the illegal enrollment in the state retirement system after a local newspaper columnist discovered the provision in the city charter and told the city attorney, who apparently determined the benefit was improper.
"At this point, I need to look at what the options are and if I have any choices or not," Johnston said.
But Ralph White, an ex-councilman, told Fox40 the options are simple.
"Weighing what options on what?" he asked. "Whether to give the money back, or keep it? Do you wanna be a thief, or does she wanna give the money back? That's the option."
Stockton has been considering bankruptcy while it attempts to balance its finances. Should Stockton take that step, it would mark the largest city bankruptcy in U.S. history.


Read more:

'We the People' can bring Stockton back to the top

With less than 6 weeks until California's Primary, I have found myself in a tough position, yet still ahead of the pack. The reality is that Stocktonians know who I am, being one of the top record producers in the region, as well as being the founder of Oh Zee Clothing, a popular brand here in the Central Valley. I felt more compelled to begin a Political movement to bring the power back to the people. An ideal society, is one with a small governing body, nobody can argue that as the foundation of my political platform.

The race for the office of Mayor has already given me the opportunity to exceed my expectations, and venture into the Political world a lot sooner than I had anticipated. I made the decision to get involved in politics when I was in the 5th Grade. Here I am fifteen years later, officially listed as a candidate on California's 2012 Primary Ballot. I have not declared myself as a member of any political party, because I do not wish to draw boundaries to confine my decision making to be based solely on that party's agenda.

I have seen what it is going to take to win, and I am taking the necessary steps to ensure victory come June 5th. Regardless of what the other candidates plan to throw at me as we get closer to our State's Primary, I will continue to run a fair campaign all the way til election day.

Already I have seen a flurry of campaign signs being placed all over town, most of which are illegally posted on Public Property, in the Public right of way, or inside the utility easement. What is the penalty for violating the Stockton Municipal Code? Shouldn't they be fined for said offense? As well as full disclosure of their blatant disregard of the statutes concerning sign placement which was put forth in the City's Charter back in 1989.

May I officially call out Mayor Ann Johnston, who is also trying to bypass the rules of the Charter, which states;

"No person elected shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms as a member of the Council or Mayor."

I am asking her to withdrawl her candidacy immediately, before this requires legal attention. The rules set by our fore-fathers were done for a reason, for us to follow. If she chooses not to follow our civil code, what makes you believe that she wants whats best for Stockton? The citizens are furious with this administration laying-off roughly 20% of our City's police force, at a time when Stockton topped the murder per capita nation-wide.

Take a stance in 2012, by joining Greg Pitsch and his supporters in a last chance effort to take our city back! It's time to say, "No more!"



Greg Pitsch 111
The Future Mayor of Stockton.

Ron Paul -CBS caught Lying about Denver Delegates

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Four Year Olds Have Brains Too

No matter how much we may disagree, here's proof!

Meet a 4-year-old girl whose IQ is just one point shy of Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. Legos first, the theory of relativity next.

Heidi Hankins, from Winchester, England, is the newest kid on the block to join Mensa, the intellectual organization, with an IQ of 159. At the age of 2, Hankins was reportedly already reading at an 8-year-old level. There are no standardized IQ tests for children under the age of 10, so the toddler was psychologically evaluated.

Back in 2009, Oscar Wrigly joined Mensa at the age of 2 with an IQ of 160 to become the youngest child to ever join the organization. The average IQ in the general population is said to be about 100.

Mensa only recruits members whose IQs belong into the top 2% of the population. According to the Toronto Star, Heidi is one of approximately 90 children under the age of 10 who belong to the British chapter of Mensa.

“She will remember times and events and things you wouldn’t even notice,” Hankin’s father told the Star. “She has a really good memory for times and places and details.”

Erica Ho is a contributor at TIME and the editor of Map Happy. Find her on Twitter at @ericamho and Google+. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

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THE ROAD TO TAMPA: RON PAUL’S “STUNNING UPSET” IN COLORADO

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Reports the Denver Post:

Colorado Republicans are heading to their national convention with their most conservative delegation in years, as supporters for Ron Paul and Rick Santorum masterminded a stunning upset in electing delegates.

At the state convention in Denver today, Paul forces easily were the most vocal, adding their candidate’s name at almost every opportunity. When Republicans sang “Hey, hey, hey, good-bye” to President Barack Obama, Paul backers changed the words to “Hey, hey, hey, Ron Paul.”

The momentum was painful for Mitt Romney supporters, who had assumed when Santorum dropped out of the presidential race this week they’d have a much easier time in winning Colorado’s delegate and alternate seats to the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August…

“This is a revolution,” said Florence Sebern of Denver, an “unpledged” delegate who was wearing a Paul pin. She was part of the slate…

Matt Holdridge, the state director for Paul, read an e-mail from the candidate that began with “Wow!” in reference to the slate of supporters elected Friday…

Man shot, killed by police in Stockton

MIND MASTERY

By Jordan Guinn
Record Staff Writer
April 07, 2012 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - Police fatally shot a man about 7:30 p.m. Friday in the 2700 block of Burlington Place after he threatened an officer, the Stockton Police Department reported.

Officer Pete Smith, a police spokesman, said officers pulled over a Toyota Camry with no license plates. The car pulled over, but the driver got out and ran away, Smith said.

Officers gave chase, and one of them scuffled with the driver, Smith said. The driver grabbed the officer's baton and was threatening the officer with it, Smith said.

The other officer shot the driver, who was taken to a hospital and declared dead.

Police did not say how many times the fleeing driver was shot, nor did they release any other details, including his age.

Police were on a standard patrol, Smith said. He did not say how many shots were fired, nor did he release the names of the officers involved.

Friday's shooting occurred about six blocks from where police fatally shot a man who shot and wounded another officer on March 22.

To finish reading this article, click here!

Contact reporter Jordan Guinn at (209) 546-8279 or jguinn@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/crimeblog.

STOCKTON TAKES DOWN TWO MORE WITH HELP FROM U.S. MARSHALS

MIND MASTERY

STOCKTON, CA - Stockton police officials said a recent effort to reduce deadly violence has led to the arrest of 32 people on the city's most wanted list.

Several U.S. Marshals have been helping police track the city's most dangerous criminals for the past several weeks. Federal help arrived in Stockton as part of Mayor Ann Johnston's Marshall Plan.

Among the 32 people arrested, 11 were, at one time, on the "Top 10 of Most Wanted" list. Two men arrested Wednesday were part of that list.

Javier Corona was arrested in connection to a murder that happened in the parking lot of a south Stockton shoe store.

U.S. Marshals also arrested Steven Fernandez Domingo on Wednesday.

Officer Pete Smith said the success of the effort is not a surprise.

"They're not answering calls for service, the 1,100 calls we get every day," Smith said. "They're focused on the list, running down leads, and focused on the intelligence as it comes in. When you can do that in law enforcement, you'll be successful."

By Tim Daly, tdaly@news10.net

LAST NIGHT RON PAUL WAS IN BERKELEY, CA!

UNPRECEDENTED CROWD OF SUPPORTERS AND UNDECIDED VOTERS GREETS DR. PAUL AT FINAL OF THREE CALIFORNIA EVENTS HELD DURING THIS VISIT

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul attracted a peculiar 8,500-plus voters to the third of three town hall meetings he held in California this week, this time at UC-Berkeley. In drawing such a huge crowd to Berkeley, the 12-term Congressman from Texas shattered his unrivaled town hall meeting attendance record.

At similar events held yesterday and Tuesday, respectively, Dr. Paul drew remarkable crowds of 6,200-plus voters to Cal State – Chico, and 6,000-plus at UCLA.

Ron Paul’s college campus town hall meeting took place at 7:00 p.m. PST at UC-Berkeley’s Memorial Glade, where he addressed the crowd from atop the steps of Doe Library, Berkeley, CA 94720.

Dr. Paul spoke about his platform of constitutionally-limited government, the enduring bonds between economic and civil liberties, and elements of his ‘Plan to Restore America,’ a fiscal blueprint the cuts Washington spending, shrinks the national debt, and reverses the federal government’s harmful growth and intrusiveness.

Ron Paul’s town hall meetings in California were organized by ‘Youth for Ron Paul’ (YFP). YFP, an initiative of the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign, launched in September 2011, and since its inception, students nationwide have organized 591 chapters and recruited more than 53,600 people. To learn more about ‘Youth for Ron Paul,’ including how to sign-up and establish a local chapter, visit the YFP website by clicking here.

Photographs of Ron Paul’s UC – Berkeley town hall meeting with 8,500-plus voters follow.

MIND MASTERY

Please Make a Small contribution

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

Candidates Show their Money trail

By Scott Smith
Record Staff Writer
April 01, 2012 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - Mayoral candidate Jimmie Rishwain has kick-started his campaign with a $100,000 loan to himself, saying he wants to make sure he can respond to his opponents as the race gets hot.

"I want to be competitive," he said. "I want to be able to answer any comments that other candidates are going to be putting out."

That sum also puts him ahead of incumbent Mayor Ann Johnston and Tony Stevens, two other candidates who have money backing their candidacies.

Johnston has $57,792 on hand from contributions, and Stevens has $39,000, including $30,000 loaned from his Elk Grove auto dealership.

Mayoral candidates who have raised $1,000 or less are James Butler, Gregory Pitsch, Anthony Silva and Ralph Lee White.

The seven candidates will square off June 5 for the mayor's seat. A candidate can win in the primary with 50 percent of the vote, plus one. If there is no clear winner, the two top candidates will move on to the Nov. 6 general election.

Rishwain, who served as mayor in the 1960s when City Council members voted on the position, said he has pledges from other supporters.

Johnston in her 2008 race for mayor spent $310,000, according to campaign records at City Hall. In 1996, Ed Chavez spent $236,143 to win his mayoral race.

In three Stockton council races to appear on the June 5 ballot, each of the incumbents has outpace their opponents in fundraising so far.

Vice Mayor Kathy Miller has $60,540, while challenger Randy Hatch's filings indicate he has no campaign funds. The two are vying in Council District 2.

In District 4, Councilwoman Diana Lowery has $66,407, while challenger Moses Zapien reported $13,754, the most of any council challenger. Theresa Velazquez reported no money.

In District 6, Councilman Dale Fritchen has $36,372 on hand, and challenger Michael Tubbs reported having $5,694.

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

Oh Zee's Quote of the day

"When we as a country can no longer question the fact that our civil liberties are being stripped, it is time we fight for our rights!" - Oh Zee

Greg Pitsch for Mayor 2012

http://www.wix.com/gregpitschformayor/gp4mayor

RON PAUL WINS KEY VICTORIES IN MISSOURI CAUCUS ENDING TODAY

SWEEPS ST. LOUIS CITY CAUCUS AND DOUBLES NEAREST DELEGATE-WINNER MITT ROMNEY IN JACKSON COUNTY

ST. LOUIS, Missouri – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul won today key parts of the Missouri caucuses that concluded this afternoon, demonstrating the effectiveness of his delegate-attainment strategy and the viability of his candidacy.

In the St. Louis City Caucus held today, the 12-term Congressman from Texas won 36 delegates and 36 alternate delegates to both the 1st Congressional District and to the Republican State Convention, meaning Dr. Paul cleanly swept this consequential part of the statewide nominating contest. In total, Missouri’s 1st Congressional District has 103 delegates and Ron Paul won 36 of them as a result of winning the entire St. Louis City Caucus. For comparison sake, in the St. Louis City Caucus, Ron Paul received 158 votes and the next-closest vote recipient Rick Santorum garnered just 74 votes, or less than half.

The larger Jackson County caucus also occurred today. In the 5th Congressional District, Ron Paul won 63 delegates, won all 144 alternate delegates, won 105 delegates to the Republican state convention, and won 144 alternates to the state convention. In the 6th Congressional District, Dr. Paul swept all 39 delegates, won all 39 delegates to the state convention, and won 144 alternates to the state convention.

The countywide totals for Dr. Paul include 246 Congressional delegates, more than double Mitt Romney’s 120, and 360 alternate delegates for Ron Paul, a clean sweep in that regard.

Santorum and Newt Gingrich won zero Congressional delegates and alternate delegates in Jackson County.

Kansas City is the county seat of Jackson County, which has a population of more than 674,000 according to 2009 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Caucusing to determine the Republican nominee for the presidency began in The Show-Me State on Saturday, March 17th and concluded today, Saturday the 24th.

“Congratulations to Ron Paul’s Missouri supporters who carried out such a meaningful victory. Today’s Show-Me State results illustrate that Ron Paul’s campaign organization alongside the grassroots is strong, agile, and able to win contests that are vital ahead of Tampa,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton, referring to the September Republican National Convention to be held in Florida.

CUTTING GOVERNMENT WASTE:
Makes a 10% reduction in the federal workforce, slashes Congressional pay and perks, and curbs excessive federal travel. To stand with the American People, President Paul will take a salary of $39,336, approximately equal to the median personal income of the American worker.

I plan to only accept the same $39,336 as my yearly salary if I am elected Mayor. The difference can help pay for teachers, or some kind of educational program based out of Stockton, CA.

Greg Pitsch for Mayor 2012

Expert sees potential in S.J. for businesses

By Reed Fujii
Record Staff Writer
March 01, 2012 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - Revving up San Joaquin County's economic engine, particularly its existing transportation and distribution assets, was the focus Wednesday as area business development officials gathered to hear from an international logistics and site selection consultant.

Adam Wasserman, a principal of Global Logistics Development Partners of Scottsdale, Ariz., said the county was "an interesting location," at the fulcrum of the growing Central Valley and close to the Bay Area.

It has two major north-south freeways, two major railroad intermodal centers, Stockton Metropolitan Airport and the Port of Stockton.

"You sit on an inland waterway right here, and there are a lot of people very excited about the potential of what it can do," Wasserman said.

The pending opening of the marine highway, on which barges would shuttle container cargo between the Port of Oakland on the bay and inland ports in Stockton and West Sacramento, is a model for similar projects nationwide.

One now under study is the M5 Highway, a proposal to move cargo by ship along the West Coast instead of by truck along Interstate 5.

"The San Joaquin proposal is sort of a forerunner to that," Wasserman said.

But there are still many questions about whether marine shipping could compete with trucking and whether private investors will pay to find out.

"It's going to be tough," he said.

It took a federal transportation grant to underwrite the Stockton-Sacramento-Oakland marine highway project.

In addition, there are changes occurring in global transportation and challenges to overcome.

The U.S. lacks a coherent trade and transportation policy, particularly one aimed at bolstering economic growth instead of simply raising cargo volumes, Wasserman said. Such policies are a major focus, however, for trading nations from the Old World to emerging economies such as Vietnam, he said.

"They're outspending us; they're outthinking us," he said.

Another example is the Panama Canal expansion project, expected to double its capacity by 2014. It likely will redirect cargo from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, in particular, to landings on the Gulf Coast, in Florida or even on the East Coast. Canada and Mexico, too, have designs on attracting cargo flows away from the United States.

It will take a continued effort for San Joaquin County to attract and accommodate new businesses in such a dynamic, global market, he said.

"You have a lot of the right ingredients, but it's not going to happen naturally," Wasserman said.

The global trade expert Wednesday toured parts of San Joaquin County and addressed a lunch meeting of the Business Team San Joaquin, a group organized by Fran Aguilera of San Joaquin County Worknet and Michael Ammann of the San Joaquin Partnership.

Team members include economic development officials from Stockton, Tracy, Lodi, Manteca and Lathrop, the county, the partnership and the Lodi Chamber of Commerce.

"We're trying to project this regionwide attunement to development," Ammann said.

On Tuesday, Wasserman was one of a half-dozen consultants addressing a forum in Sacramento organized by TeamCalifornia, a statewide group of economic development experts.