Who Wants to Live in Stockton, CA? Not Me!

I once spent a very small amount of time in Stockton, CA. I hated every second. No, I hated every nano-second. I felt superior to it, contemptuous of it and nauseated by it. I hated the soul-less neighborhoods. I hated the omnipresent freeways. I hated the blandness. I hated that I hated it so much, and now hate to admit it!

Now, I say, Stockton, I am sorry! I apologize. Profusely. I had no idea that as miserable a place as I thought you were, you were actually even more miserable than that -- by several orders of magnitude!

Here's the thing: The Associated Press has noted that Stockton, which lies 80 miles east of San Francisco, has had one of the worst foreclosure rates in the country since the housing crisis began and, for most of the time, the worst. Neighborhoods that once bustled with activity have been destroyed by fiscal decay. There's no tax base. Unemployment stands at 16 percent.