Revision-Stockton is Magnificent?

Revision Assignment

A revised piece on the accounts of being a Stocktonian. This piece was once a research paper and was revised into an editorial using research to analyze the city's history and recommend changes for the future.

If one were to think of the state of California, I can almost guarantee that Stockton does not come to mind. Major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco are what act as our representatives in this state. That is not to say that Stockton is non-existent to the outside world. No, I am sure we have not gone unseen. The violent streets and increase in gangs throughout the city have landed us on the list of America’s top 10 most dangerous cities. Many of us here in the city limits have called Stockton home for many years. Love it or hate it, this is where our history lies. This is where our stories are told.

Up until recently I never knew how well-known the city of Stockton was to the rest of the country. Unfortunately, it is not well-known for the best reasons. I recently became hooked on the Netflix original serious, On My Block. I was shocked when one of the characters was giving another character a pep talk and told her to be like a “fiery 19-year-old from Stockton.” I’d just like to point out the context to this scene was when the protagonist was trying to illegally smuggle money that did not belong to her. It was this act that she felt that she needed to act like she was from Stockton. Lovely.

While life has taken me to other parts of the country, Stockton will always be my hometown. I will always be first and foremost a Stocktonian. Yes, Stockton has many problems. But every problem has a solution. If we only open our eyes to the potential that lays within the city limits, so many improvements can be done. I don’t have every answer but what I have included in this piece is a start. We need to start taking steps in the right direction and that begins with knowing what the issues at hand are.

Growing up I constantly heard my parents at the dinner table discussing the issues of Stockton and how each year it was closer to reaching bankruptcy. I was not very concerned with the issue at the time until one day I heard my mom finally say it. “Stockton filed for bankruptcy.” This idea did not affect me personally, being a student who did not participate in the economy, yet it was still disheartening to hear. It turns out that acts from the late 1990’s eventually caught up, leading the city to face financial despair. In 1996, “it was a decision that gave firefighters full healthcare in retirement.” When workers in the union began to request higher wages and health care benefits, the leaders of the city made the mistake of believing they could help more than they could. Rather than providing higher wages, they made an agreement to provide healthcare benefits. Unfortunately, over the years, healthcare has only increased in costs. Therefore, led Stockton to eventually grow into deeper and deeper debt. This situation has been related various instances to the “Ponzi Scheme,” which does not provide a good reputation for the city.

However, for some, Stockton is not always seen in such a bad light. The city, along with its leading members, are making efforts into improving its most pressing issues. The Business Council of Stockton is striving to make a change for the community and businesswoman, Leticia Gutierrez, is taking part in this mission. Unlike many, Gutierrez has hope for the betterment of not only the city itself, but how outsiders perceive it. She admits, “every city has good and bad things about it,” and that while there may be some negative connotations about the city, “Stockton has a lot of opportunities.” It is Stockton, California where Gutierrez was able to start her own business and successfully grow it over the course of the past 10 years. While having the role as a business owner in a struggling city is difficult, Gutierrez understands that, “change cannot happen overnight. But Stockton has so much potential.” It is opinions such as these that leave me conflicted. I am very much aware of the idea that Stockton has many good aspects to it, yet I do not always think about this city in a thriving manner. If there are those who have significant experience in participating in Stockton’s economy that have hope, then what is the issue?I fear it’s the violence.

When the city made the decision to provide more benefits and higher wages for employees, they needed to cut back somewhere. Unfortunately, that cut back was made on careers like police officers and firefighters. It’s no wonder that it seems as though every week there are cases of shootings or robberies in the area; the city has been forced to limit its protection. The current situation has turned into a scare for the residence of the city. However, the reality is this: “the police force has shrunk by about 100 officers, or about 25%, in the last two years. Residents report long wait-times after making 911 calls, and police only respond to emergencies.” It has come to a point where Stocktonians simply cannot rely on their own city to provide the safety every citizen deserves.

If the leaders of the city know the source of the dangers that occur amongst the streets, then why is this situation not getting any better? Should the mayor be blamed? On May 5, 2019, 30 individuals had been shot in the last 30 days. That is one person shot every day for 30 days straight. According to the 209Times, “homicides have increased 67% this year compared to the same point last year. No press conference has been called. No statement from the police chief or district attorney. Nothing.” This is why there is a desire to get out or why there is a lack of hope in their own home. Why on every social media post #reinventstockton stamps every picture that refers to the city.

Yes, it's true that in recent years the police force has been downsized. However, I don’t think the solution is to hire more police officers. In fact, it would be more beneficial to use those funds in a different way. Why not attempt to dig deeper into the root causes of this violence as a solution? Maybe a better use of funds and efforts is to support programs that will help underprivileged youth get access to the sources they need to thrive. Many children throughout the city grow up in households where they see violence firsthand and repeat the action they witness at a young age. If we can prevent young individuals from being exposed to this or find a way to help them get out of these situations, I am confident our issues will be less grave. Helping our community members who are at risk from a young age, can ultimately turn them into contributing members of the city.

It was 1989 when Stocktonian Peter West shot fire on innocent school children at Cleveland Elementary School. Before shooting himself to death, West killed, “Five children between 6 and 9 years old, all of them refugees from Southeast Asia, … and [wounded] more than 30 people.” It was on this day that Stockton would make history. Stockton will forever be known as the city where the deadliest shooting of the 1980’s occurred. Within these walls as the shooting took place was my grandmother, Maria Robles, working as a teacher’s aide at the time. She says that the biggest impact that this event made on the city was that it made, “people more aware and cautious of the violence that really occurred throughout the community.” When Robles moved to Stockton in 1973, she described the city as, “humble, quiet, and non-progressive.” However, now, in 2019, she describes the city as, yes, “bigger”, but also with “an increase in crime.” It appears the first thing people think of when they think of Stockton is its abundance of crime. It's sad really. Over the past several years, however, the source of the crime has shifted.

Perhaps in this scenario an increase in security needs to be made. Since Stockton sits under the I-5 highway, it is so easy for corruption to cross this city. Drugs have become a major issue for this region and have created much of the violence. Law enforcement needs to create a specific plan to combat the issue of drugs that comes into the city. A solution could be to form a team within the police force that specifically addresses this issue. It could be beneficial to combine forces of this team with highway patrol to do any preventative measures to protect this city.

Gang violence and the drug trade are clearly making Stockton dangerous. Violence is something major that absolutely needs to be addressed now. However, what can we do about the economic issues? The beauty is that we are known for the surrounding agricultural land and large port. Focusing on creating jobs in these stable industries is a great start to maintaining a stable economy. The booming agriculture business could be our ticket out the messes we face. Additionally, I think what Stockton’s next big project is is to focus on the school systems. Just like the city itself, every child in a Stockton school system has potential. Education is said to be the most powerful tool. How are the future leaders of our community expected to thrive if they aren’t receiving the help they need now? It’s simple. Extending a hand to the most vulnerable group in our city will create a solution within each young Stocktonian.

Yes, it's true that in recent years the police force has been downsized. However, I don’t think the solution is to hire more police officers. In fact, it would be more beneficial to use those funds in a different way. Why not attempt to dig deeper into the root causes of this violence as a solution? Maybe a better use of funds and efforts is to support programs that will help underprivileged youth get access to the sources they need to thrive. Many children throughout the city grow up in households where they see violence firsthand and repeat the action they witness at a young age. If we can prevent young individuals from being exposed to this or find a way to help them get out of these situations, I am confident our issues will be less grave. Helping our community members who are at risk from a young age, can ultimately turn them into contributing members of the city.

My goal is not to bash Stockton and point out everything that is wrong with this city. While I have struggled with my feelings towards Stockton, I do not hate it. If anything, it is the opposite. My goal is, however, to bring awareness to those who also call this place home. Living here for all these years has introduced me to the true feelings Stocktonians have on their own city. We have the potential to change this. It is up to us to make a difference. If I can convince even one person of the potential this city holds, I have succeeded. The future is in our hands and we can do with it what we want. We just need to decide how much we truly love our city, our home.