The History of Stockton: Chapter Nine

It never rains in California, but . . .

Wells Fargo is taking steps toward repossessing Stockton's new City Hall, an eight-story high rise at 400 E. Main Street. City government never moved into the ($40.7m) building, which it bought in 2007 . . .

Fortunately, there are still some sources of revenue for the politicians in Foreclosureville, USA. The city takes in over $50,000 in processing and various other fees on each new home built, for example, and has been fining homeowners, "many of them underwater and unemployed", for "not painting their yellowing lawns green." And on the quality of life side of the equation, there's all that local stimulus-spending coming from the 94 retired city union employees who make pensions of over $100,000 a year, and the free healthcare for life after retirement for people who worked for the city for more than one month. Plus, you've got your Health and Safety Fair, with its Teddy Bear clinic and sensory maze, and a high-end downtown arena, and a half-million dollar Asparagus Festival, and…

You see, high-spending local officials in America's most miserable city aren't the bad guys, the real villains are the ones who loaned them the money:

City officials called Wells Fargo a vulture. "Having Wells Fargo file this claim on that building is just another stab in the heart of a city that is already down on the ground," Mayor Ann Johnston said. "They are kicking us again and again."

Just for the feeling it gives them, apparently:

"It's unfortunate that they felt they had to do this. I'm not sure what good they hope to get from that."

Here's one possible "good" they might have had in mind.

Repayment of even a token amount of what the bank is owed.

Just thinking . . .

Update:

Sorry, wrong city hall.

As the article made very clear, it was the "new" city hall - never used - not the old one I pictured for you, that was being foreclosed.

Less irony - considering the words carved into the stone on the front of the "old" building - but probably a bit more valuable to a foreclosing creditor.

But then, you never know about these things.

In my current city of residence, the "old" city hall - quite a charming building, actually - was torn down and replaced with something a bit more . . . interesting, the "old" Riverdale High, the one in which Archie and Jughead, Betty and Veronica, were drawn as attending classes.

In the interests of staying friendly with the political folks, I'll suppress all further comments about that move.

It's for the best.

My suppression, that is; not the move.

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