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Michael Fitzgerald
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Monthly Archives: July 2008
Thank you, Mr. Ambassador
Stockton mixed martial arts fighter Nick Diaz, who pounded somebody last weekend on national television, was quoted in a San Francisco paper today.
At the prefight press conference, a reporter asked Diaz if he thought Stockton was a good place to hold a nationally televised mixed martial arts fight. “Stockton’s a great fighting town,” Diaz said. [...]
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New rule: ask affiliation first
The phone rang. An impassioned fellow said he was calling in opposition to AB 2058.
That’s the law that would place a twenty-five cent fee on every plastic grocery bag.
“Especially in these economic times, it’s not a good idea,” said the man. He characterized his opposition as a matter of social justice. Such a tax is regressive. It [...]
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Stocktonians’ classy trait
Stockton is the #1 city in the Valley for volunteerism, a new study shows.
That rings true. Mixed in with the anger at City Hall, the black humor and other Stocktonian traits, the willingness to help others is definitely a part of the Stockton character. One never recognized or credited.
But if you you face eviction, lose everything [...]
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Violence for fun and profit
Imagine you read this in the police blotter:
Smith used a series of elbow strikes to open a good-sized cut on top of Lawler’s head. Lawler answered with a fierce series of punches that appeared to do some damage. Forcing Smith against the (wall), Lawler used dirty boxing to soften up Smith before attacking with knee [...]
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A seal of disapproval
From reader Vladimir Kozina comes a revised city seal.
Kozina’s inspiration was my column about a tourism consultant who lamented how negative Stocktonians are about Stockton – grimmer than the residents of any city he has visited.
“Not grim, mind you,” I wrote. “The grimmest. The bitterly braying Eeyores of the United States of America.”
In the [...]
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"No one can live on $6.50 an hour!"
Jeannetta Letherby writes:
I just can’t sit by and listen to those pompous State capitol workers for one more minute. I’m sure you are aware that the Governor announced he wants to cut the pay check of State capitol workers to 6.50 an hr. OK, it wont happen. He was just sending them a message about getting the [...]
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Second thoughts about tearing down fences
The tourism guru who recently suggested Stockton “brand” itself a happening events city got strangely perturbed over the wrought iron fence surrounding Weber Point Events Center.
“We could not find one city in the United States that locks up their central park downtown – including Central Park” in New York City, scolded Roger Brooks of Seattle’s Destination Development.
To Brooks, the [...]
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Meet Mr. Glass Half Full
Well, here’s a fresh perspective on the mortgage meltdown from a University of Rochester economist:
You might also say that the subprime mess has cost a lot of people their homes, but it would more accurate to say that the subprime market allowed a lot of people to live beyond their means for a few years. [...]
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More thoughts on Delta College’s troubles
The story circulating about the failure of Delta College’s leaders to build satellite campuses with bond money approved years ago casts congressional candidate Dean Andal as a culprit.
Andal consults for Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos. An alleged leak of confidential information saved Kamilos’s contract to build the campus at Mountain House. A costlier campus, at that, [...]
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Beavers with axes