Scott Smith's Stockton City Hall blog

Fox in the henhouse in San Bernardino

Scott Smith — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:39:34 +0000

The law firm of Winson & Strawn has been kicked out of San Bernardino’s bankruptcy case for poaching attorneys from CalPERS. Could this be coming to a theater near us here in Stockton?

Very likely because CalPERS also filed papers in Stockton’s bankruptcy making the same argument.

Judge Klein’s written order for Ch 9 relief

Scott Smith — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:29:41 +0000

Stockton has known it was eligible for Chapter 9 bankruptcy relief since April 1, but this week U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein issued his formal, written ruling.

Oh, yeah…

Scott Smith — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:00:02 +0000

Gregory Basso called back after deadline to add one more thought to the Sousa Pool story and explain in greater depth why he got involved. His comments came too late to get into print, but they’re worth posting. He said:

When I was a kid growing up in Stockton, there was about a third less kids, and pools were open all the time in Stockton. I could go to UOP. The pool was open – Victory Park, Oak Park. There were all kinds of activities to keep out of trouble. Delta College had two basketball gymnasiums. They were open all day long to kids. We had all kinds of activities. Schools had ping pong tournaments. … Today, we’ve got three times more kids and there are no activities. That’s what’s motivating me to be involved in the pool projects and anything that could help during the summer time, because that’s when kids are footloose and fancy free out of school, and they need these activities. That’s my motivation.

And just in case the name “Gregory Basso” sounds familiar, but you can’t recall why, this video refuting Forbes’ ranking of Stockton on the 2011 Most Miserable Cities list might jog your memory.

Howard Seligman – the ‘lone wolf’ of Stockton politics

Scott Smith — Wed, 29 May 2013 21:35:53 +0000

Attorney and one-time councilman Howard Seligman isn’t shy about criticizing those in charge at City Hall and the influence of power brokers who run Stockton behind the scenes.

“I don’t like what’s going on in this community,” he said. “What I see now are individuals who don’t want to listen to each other, don’t want to compromise and who take the philosophy that it’s ‘my way or the highway.’ ”

Seligman, who calls himself a political “lone wolf,” wants to change that attitude. more

Pitching their plans

Scott Smith — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:36:45 +0000

Backers of two crime-fighting initiatives took the stage Wednesday night in an exercise of comparing and contrasting the merits of their plans.

It was the city’s Marshall Plan on crime squaring off against the Stockton Safe Streets half-cent sales tax initiative in front of 100 or so residents. (more)

News10 covered the debate.

CalPERS blasts move by law firm

Scott Smith — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:33:28 +0000

A law firm representing a Stockton creditor in bankruptcy is accused of playing dirty by raiding attorneys from an opposing firm that represents the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.

CalPERS, with which the city contracts to manage employee pensions, wants the judge overseeing Stockton’s bankruptcy to kick Winston & Strawn, LLP, off the case in an argument also with implications in San Bernardino’s ongoing Chapter 9. Keep reading…

TYTinvestigates: Who Took Down Stockton?

Scott Smith — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:06:57 +0000

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Egos at the door

Scott Smith — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:17:26 +0000

Today’s story previewed Mayor Antony Silva’s State of the City address to come next week, entitled: “Leaving All of Our Egos at the Door – Change is Inevitable.”

Provocative? Judge for yourself.

Here are the titles of speeches the Stockton mayors gave over the last eight years:

2012: “Moving Stockton Forward,” Mayor Ann Johnston
2011: “Making Lemons into Lemonade,” Johnston
2010: “Getting to the ‘A’ List,” Johnston
2009: “Opportunity and Challenge,” Johnston
2008: “Today… and the Future,” Mayor Ed Chavez
2007: “It’s your City – Take Ownership,” Chavez
2006: “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” Chavez
2005: “The Renaissance,” Chavez

Mayor Anthony Silva live chat

Scott Smith — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:49:45 +0000

Live chat: Mayor Anthony Silva answers your questions ]]>

Stockton mayor schtick

Scott Smith — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:46:51 +0000

Jay Leno is on a tear at Stockton’s expense. Here’s a recent bit sent to me by Mayor Anthony Silva, who found it amusing: