Why is Stockton in the shape its in? (Fresno, Sacramento: crime, school)

[.highnlite]

Nuts, Stockton has been the way it is long before

decline of rural america + illegal immigration + refugees from 3rd world + influx of lower income bay area people = the plight of stockton

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

decline of rural america + illegal immigration + refugees from 3rd world + influx of lower income bay area people = the plight of stockton

Just replace Stockton with California.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

decline of rural america + illegal immigration + refugees from 3rd world + influx of lower income bay area people = the plight of stockton

Hate to say it but it's become a minority hog wallow!

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Nuts, Stockton has been the way it is long before

You are dead on accurate with that statement. Decline started in the early 1970's when the Great Society Liberals grabbed ahold of the City Council and County Stupidvisors Board.

Classic example of the failure of multiculturalism. Gentrification of this city will be its only saving grace. The process is occurring slowly but surely.

Its a process I am happy to take part in. Get your properties now while they are still available at firesale prices.

For as much as I like to bash the business climate in California, even I understand its importance as a 21st century power player in the world.

[NewToCA]

If y'all want to have a reasonable discussion about Stockton, fine.

Otherwise...

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

If y'all want to have a reasonable discussion about Stockton, fine.

Otherwise...

LOL AOK

[slo1318]

I was there for a visit last December and there were a few things I was pleasantly surprised with. Its not as sprawly as many mid size sunbelt cities, in fact its got a greenbelt growth boundary and is fairly compact. It surprisingly has some very nice retail and restaurant options. The fusion happening with ethnic foods there is outstanding.

[Oerdin]

The economy was always kind of agriculturally based with some minor local industry (mostly shipping & warehousing with some lumber mills which died out in the late 70's to early 80's). It hasn't had a viable economy for some time now and the main attraction is cheap housing for people willing to make grueling daily commutes to other cities. In such economic hinterland locations you end up collecting people who can't make it else where or who just want really cheap housing. Other cities Stockton's size were able to turn themselves into tourism centers but there really is nothing to see or do in Stockton so no one goes there.

They need to develop some local small businesses into mid sized businesses and get their local economy going again but it's basically just a bedroom community for lower middle class people or the working poor so there isn't much in the way of physical capital or even human capital to build upon. Hell, most of the locals are poor and uneducated to poorly educated so there just isn't much human capital there to work with. Redeveloping the downtown area so that it is more attractive for young families would help, spending more on schools so young well off families actually want to send their kids there would help, and targeting the area with Small Business Administration loans would also help (you just have to hope a few of them grow and help lower unemployment), but you have to do all of that at the same time since one of those items alone won't be enough. That's hard to do especially in an area like Stockton which isn't blessed with natural resources or scenic beauty.

BTW the comparision between Stockton and Sacramento is extremely unfair. Sacramento is the state capital with lots of state jobs (just see how Washington DC and northern Virginia financially benefit from having the nation's political capital there) plus it has been an order of magnitude larger since at least the 1850's and, finally, Sacramento has the geographic bonus of being where two large navigable rivers meet so they always got more commerce even in the 19th century. Top it off with the fact that state law makers made Sacramento a hub of the state transportation system (both freeways and railroads) and you see why Sacramento does so much better then Stockton.

[NorCal Dude]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Nuts, Stockton has been the way it is long before

Long before what? I never gave any set point in time.

[Bulldogdad]

Cha Ching! another round of money for the taking. Keep it coming people your tax dollars are greatly appreciated. An employee showed me this article. He and his family were some of the direct beneficiaries of this program last time. He pickup up a sweet little house after we did some reno work.

Always a silver lining in every cloud right nullgeo and curmie.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.d...NEWS/102190328