Help Pease Moving to !! Stockton CA

[FutureFormerCalifornian]

Mat޲޲te޲l޲ rec޲޲en޲t޲l޲y ann޲޲ou޲n޲c޲ed޲޲ the޲޲ rel޲޲ea޲s޲e޲ of the޲޲ imp޲޲ro޲v޲e޲d lim޲޲it޲e޲d޲-e޲޲dit޲޲io޲n޲ Bar޲޲bi޲e޲ Dol޲޲ls޲ for޲޲ the޲޲ Gre޲޲at޲e޲r޲ Sac޲޲ra޲m޲e޲nt޲޲o mar޲޲ke޲t޲:޲

"Ro޲sev޲ill޲e Bar޲bie޲"
Thi޲s pri޲nce޲ss Bar޲bie޲ is sol޲d onl޲y at the޲ Gal޲ler޲ia Mal޲l. She޲ com޲es wit޲h an ass޲ort޲men޲t of Kat޲e Spa޲de Han޲dba޲gs,޲ a Lex޲us SUV޲, a lon޲g-h޲air޲ed for޲eig޲n dog޲ nam޲ed Hon޲ey and޲ a coo޲kie޲-cu޲tte޲r hou޲se.޲ Ava޲ila޲ble޲ wit޲h or wit޲hou޲t a tum޲my tuc޲k and޲ fac޲e lif޲t. Wor޲kah޲oli޲c Ken޲ sol޲d onl޲y in con޲jun޲cti޲on wit޲h the޲ aug޲men޲ted޲ ver޲sio޲n.

"Ri޲o Vis޲ta Bar޲bie޲"
The޲ mod޲ern޲ day޲ hom޲ema޲ker޲ Bar޲bie޲ is ava޲ila޲ble޲ wit޲h For޲d Win޲dst޲ar Min޲iva޲n and޲ mat޲chi޲ng gym޲ out޲fit޲. She޲ get޲s los޲t eas޲ily޲ and޲ has޲ no ful޲l-t޲ime޲ occ޲upa޲tio޲n. Tra޲ffi޲c jam޲min޲g cel޲l pho޲ne sol޲d sep޲ara޲tel޲y.

"Mo޲des޲to Bar޲bie޲"
Thi޲s rec޲ent޲ly par޲ole޲d Bar޲bie޲ com޲es wit޲h a 9mm޲ han޲dgu޲n, a Ray޲ Lew޲is kni޲fe,޲ and޲ a Che޲vy wit޲h dar޲k tin޲ted޲ win޲dow޲s, and޲ a Met޲h Lab޲ Kit޲. Thi޲s mod޲el is onl޲y ava޲ila޲ble޲ aft޲er dar޲k and޲ mus޲t be pai޲d for޲ in cas޲h (pr޲efe޲rab޲ly sma޲ll,޲ unt޲rac޲eab޲le bil޲ls)޲. Unl޲ess޲ you޲ are޲ a cop޲, the޲n we don޲'t kno޲w wha޲t you޲ are޲ tal޲kin޲g abo޲ut.޲

"Lo޲di Bar޲bie޲"
Thi޲s yup޲pie޲ Bar޲bie޲ com޲es wit޲h you޲r cho޲ice޲ of BMW޲ con޲ver޲tib޲le or Hum޲mer޲ H2.޲ Inc޲lud޲ed are޲ her޲ own޲ Sta޲rbu޲cks޲ cup޲, cre޲dit޲ car޲d, and޲ cou޲ntr޲y clu޲b mem޲ber޲shi޲p. Als޲o ava޲ila޲ble޲ for޲ thi޲s set޲ are޲ Sha޲llo޲w Ken޲ and޲ Pri޲vat޲e Sch޲ool޲ Ski޲ppe޲r. You޲ won޲'t be abl޲e to aff޲ord޲ any޲ of the޲m.

"Ga޲lt Bar޲bie޲"
Thi޲s pal޲e mod޲el com޲es dre޲sse޲d in her޲ own޲ Wra޲ngl޲er jea޲ns two޲ siz޲es too޲ sma޲ll,޲ a NAS޲CAR޲ t-s޲hir޲t and޲ twe޲ety޲ bir޲d tat޲too޲ on her޲ sho޲uld޲er.޲ She޲ has޲ a six޲-pa޲ck of Bud޲ lig޲ht and޲ a Han޲k Wil޲lia޲ms Jr.޲ CD set޲. She޲ can޲ spi޲t ove޲r 5 fee޲t and޲ kic޲k mul޲let޲-ha޲ire޲d Ken޲'s but޲t whe޲n she޲ is dru޲nk.޲ Pur޲cha޲se her޲ pic޲kup޲ tru޲ck sep޲ara޲tel޲y and޲ get޲ a con޲fed޲era޲te fla޲g bum޲per޲ sti޲cke޲r abs޲olu޲tel޲y fre޲e.


"De޲lta޲ Loo޲p Bar޲bie޲"
Thi޲s tob޲acc޲o-c޲hew޲ing޲, bra޲ssy޲-ha޲ire޲d Bar޲bie޲ has޲ a pai޲r of her޲ own޲ hig޲h-h޲eel޲ed san޲dal޲s wit޲h one޲ bro޲ken޲ hee޲l fro޲m the޲ tim޲e she޲ cha޲sed޲ bee޲r-g޲utt޲ed Ken޲ out޲ of Lin޲col޲n Bar޲bie޲'s hou޲se.޲ Her޲ ens޲emb޲le inc޲lud޲es low޲-ri޲se aci޲d-w޲ash޲ed jea޲ns,޲ fak޲e fin޲ger޲nai޲ls,޲ and޲ a see޲-th޲rou޲gh hal޲ter޲-to޲p. Als޲o ava޲ila޲ble޲ wit޲h a mob޲ile޲ hom޲e.

"Sa޲n Fra޲nci޲sco޲ Bar޲bie޲"
Thi޲s dol޲l is mad޲e of act޲ual޲ tof޲u. She޲ has޲ lon޲g str޲aig޲ht bro޲wn hai޲r, arc޲h-l޲ess޲ fee޲t, hai޲ry arm޲pit޲s, no mak޲eup޲ and޲ Bir޲ken޲sto޲cks޲ wit޲h whi޲te soc޲ks.޲ She޲ pre޲fer޲s tha޲t you޲ cal޲l her޲ Wil޲low޲. She޲ doe޲s not޲ wan޲t or nee޲d a Ken޲ dol޲l, but޲ if you޲ pur޲cha޲se two޲ San޲ Fra޲nci޲sco޲ Bar޲bie޲s and޲ the޲ opt޲ion޲al Sub޲aru޲ Wag޲on,޲ you޲ get޲ a rai޲nbo޲w fla޲g bum޲per޲ sti޲cke޲r for޲ fre޲e.

"St޲ock޲ton޲ Bar޲bie޲"
Thi޲s Bar޲bie޲ now޲ com޲es wit޲h str޲oll޲er and޲ inf޲ant޲ dol޲l. Opt޲ion޲al acc޲ess޲ori޲es inc޲lud޲e a GED޲ and޲ bus޲ pas޲s.

Welfare Ken and his 1997 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant

[Long_time_resident]

Stockton, California has many potentially useful benefits. Excellent city college (Delta CC), good private University (University of the Pacific), excellent City Symphony (Stockton symphony), local support of music education (usually found only in "better" cities). But it has many serious cultural problems that may never be solved. I mentioned the "good" now here is some "bad". Gangs are rampant! The local County Sheriff and Stockton police have been reduced to nothing more than "report writers". Other urban cities with similar problems have been successful, but in those cities there is less economic stratification. There are some very wealthy families who live in or near Stockton, but they live on either large tracts of land with a natural protective barrier (example: the Grupes) , or they live behind gated and walled communities with a full time staff of alert security staff. The local police do not allow gang intrusion into the wealthy conclaves. The result is that the rest of the city becomes a playground for thieves, criminals and gangs. One reason for this is that Stockton is a "release point" for indigent criminlas as they are released from state prisons. Another reason is that thwere is no main infrastructure other than "agribusiness-industrial farming" (few small farms and ranches), local government, building, construction and real estate. Many residents (the ones who want to work), commute to other metro areas such as the San Franciso Bay area or Sacramento .


Bad #1) Stockton is a "me too" town. It tries to be a "real city" but it never seems to get past its "bad boy' image caused by all the gangs and criminals. It IS THAT BAD. I have so many stories , that it is the rare exception that you are not affected by the criminal behavior. Add to this the fact that most of the town is lower socio-economic (*many who work "think" they are doing better because they compare themselves to the people who roam the streets with nothing) From the perspective of "just having a job" many residents feel "rich". There is a small middle class in the town. The political ramifications are serious. Most voters are "liberal", so local politicians including the so-called "conservatives are really all "liberals". "Political correctness" is so rampant that most don't even know where they are on the political spectrum. One result is coddling of criminals and gangs which only reinforces all other bad things in the town. Here are a few points: Stockton has a very high murder rate (per capita). Stockton and adjacent bedrooom communities of Lodi and Lathrop have one of the highest rates of auto theft in the nation year after year. The local police blame the vistims--- "thats what you get for owning a car". One Sheriff who was a candidate Sheriff actually bragged about having his car stolen from his house!! To "prove" he was just a regular citizen. Talk about political correctness!! Can you imagine Sheriff Arpaio of Phoenix, arizona bragging about criminals stealing his car from his house? I don't think so!

BAD #2) Development and local real estate. Stockton is consistently one of the worst places to live considering FORELOSURE RATES. One out of 27 houses is in foreclosure! New houses built and quickly sold in 2006 are now being sold for les than 50% of that and still no one wants them---mainly because of gangs and crime. Recently over 20 NEW houses were raided because they were part of a real estate scam where these new houses were really marijuana growing operations---in so-called "safe" neighborhoods.

A few big developers own the town. For example The West side of the I 5 freeway is the huge San Joaquin County DELTA---WHICH MEANS WATER--FOR MILES AND MILES. And what holds the warter back? Agricultural levees meant to allow farming on numerous "islands. When levees break, you only had to worry about asparagus fields. Today, tens of thousands of ghouses are being built on bogging soil called peat. Here is an example of peat. In California, much of the land is "caliche". Its mushy clay when its wet but as harder or harder than a rock when dry (like a brick). The fertile areas are used for agribusiness and the less fertile areas for cattle ranches. State law controls the surburbanization of the farms (except on the Delta "islands"). So lets say you want to dig a post hole for a fence post. Thats going to take a long time without power tools in "caliche" but only a few minutes with nothing but a small hand trowel opr scoop in the Delta area. The reason is the PEAT. Peat is loaded with water and is NOT a good soil to built buildings on. BUT THE LAND IS CHEAP---you can't do much with it. So guess what happens. Local builders have built tens of thousands of ticky tacky tract houses on this peat. I always thought that laws prevented that---but NOT in Stockton. Most Stocktonians don't even know they ARE "FLOATING ON A boat" OF PEAT. I challenged a friend to a test of my statement. We went out to Spanos West and across the street from some houses that were being constructed TODAY May 2008. We each had one small gardeners trowel. The goal was to dig a three foot hole (I'll explain) for a fence post. The first one done gets a cheeseburger. We finished each hole at about the same time---12 minutes BY HAND NO shovels! Now here is the good part. Wwe visited the local shoiiping cemnter also buyilt on the PEAT and bought a few bags of "readimix" concrete. My friend said where do we get the water? I laughed and said watch this. AS WE POURED THE CEMENT INTO THE HOLES IT IMMEDIATELY STARTED getting wet. Within a few minutes you could see the concret had plenty of water and was already starting to set. It has not rained in at least a month. Where is the water??/ Its everywhere. dig a few inches WATER everywhere. Do you want to pay $ 500,000 for A TICKY TACKY TRACT HOUSE BUILT ON A HIDDEN LAKE? I wouldn't pay $10,000 for it UNLESS it was a houseboat waing for the next rain or flood. Dont ever think of earthquakes. Most earthquake structural damage is on soft soils.

Now why did we dig a three foot hole? We want the fence straight at least for a year. If you look up and down the street lets say "8 mile road" where there are many new developments going up---yes even during a housing crash. Notice the wood power poles. EVER ONE OF THEM is crooked. leaning to the left or the right. Some lean so much they have to be repalced or strengthened with side poles like on a ocean pier. Because the ground is so unstable because of peat. Now guess what happens when the houses start to move? The windows pop out or crack! These are NEW houses with breaking windows. As you travel to the West it gets worse. Several thousand new houses will be built to the West of this area. Imagine what happens when we get another flood like in 1997? That was only ten years ago. THESE LEVEES WERE NEVER designed to protect a city---but only flat crop land. If you need to live in the area, I would try to go to the EAST OF STOCKTON. There is plenty of crime to the West North and South. The smaller hillside communities are not impressed with "homie talk" and city gangs.

[hotornot]

Originally Posted by Long_time_resident

Now why did we dig a three foot hole? We want the fence straight at least for a year. If you look up and down the street lets say "8 mile road" where there are many new developments going up---yes even during a housing crash. Notice the wood power poles. EVER ONE OF THEM is crooked. leaning to the left or the right. Some lean so much they have to be repalced or strengthened with side poles like on a ocean pier. Because the ground is so unstable because of peat. Now guess what happens when the houses start to move? The windows pop out or crack! These are NEW houses with breaking windows. As you travel to the West it gets worse. Several thousand new houses will be built to the West of this area. Imagine what happens when we get another flood like in 1997? That was only ten years ago. THESE LEVEES WERE NEVER designed to protect a city---but only flat crop land. If you need to live in the area, I would try to go to the EAST OF STOCKTON. There is plenty of crime to the West North and South. The smaller hillside communities are not impressed with "homie talk" and city gangs.

I was wondering when someone was going to get around to addressing the levee situation and the chance of them breaking.

www.stocktonstandingup.org/1030.html]Stockton
http://www.riverislands.com/AN10.html]In
USATODAY.com - Schwarzenegger visits site of Calif. levee break