My Invitation to Mr. Forbes

In response to Forbes magazine labeling Stockton as our country’s “most miserable” city, I wanted to come up with something positive, which is what prompted me to invite Mr. Steve Forbes to visit us here in Stockton. Following is the invitation letter, which has since been printed in the Record and forwarded to several folks by email.

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Mr. Malcolm Stevenson “Steve” Forbes, Jr., Editor-in-Chief                                    February 11, 2011

Forbes Magazine

60 50^th Avenue

New York, NY 10011

Dear Mr. Forbes:

We in Stockton, California—residents of the city again dubbed by your magazine as our country’s “most miserable”—would love to have you visit us! We’d like to show you a great time. We’d be honored to have you as our guest at our season finale of the Stockton Symphony either April 7 or April 9. We’d love it if you could stay a day or two—check out our interesting blend of businesses, visit the Haggin Museum and art galleries, eat at some great and reasonably-priced restaurants, play a round of golf, take in another show, check out the University of the Pacific and San Joaquin Delta College—you name it.

Yes, we know that your magazine has criteria for determining which cities in America will be labeled “most miserable,” so please don’t reply by telling us that’s why we get the prize. Instead, we’d like some frank answers to a couple of questions:

1) Honestly, do you think city residents across our nation measure their relative state of happiness or misery by your criteria?

2) What is your magazine actually accomplishing by coming out with an annual list of “miserable” cities? Is this good business for America?

We’re not deluded here in Stockton. We know we have a big measure of the troubles that afflict practically all cities in the U.S. And yes—we admit it—if you visit we’d go out of our way to make sure you have a good time. But isn’t that the point? Isn’t the real pulse of a city felt by the personalities of the people and what they do?

So please visit us, Mr. Forbes. Give our office a call at (209) 951-0196. We really want to meet you and show you the Stockton we know and love. I’ll bet you a lunch we won’t be the most miserable experience you’ve ever had.

Yours in eager anticipation,

Peter Jaffe

Music Director and Conductor

Stockton Symphony

cc: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento News and Review, Modesto Bee, Stockton Record