Our view: Carrizo Plains monument not right for development
Now that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has begun removing some of the 21 land-based national monuments from consideration for energy or other commercial development, he should add the Carrizo Plains National Monument to his list of protected sites. In recent days, Zinke has indicated that the Upper Missouri River Breaks in Montana, Moon National Monument Read More →
Our view: Housing shortage spurs exodus to other states
While California’s housing crisis has begun to trigger a backlash, with some cities hunkering down behind NIMBY walls, the dire shortage of homes is having big impacts on other states. In Colorado, an influx of young, upwardly mobile professionals is fueling a boom in apartment building, driving rents higher and triggering an affordable housing crisis. Read More →
Our view: Grant will help museum create sustainable future
Ventura County has taken a big step toward creating a living legacy for future generations with interim funding to bolster the Museum of Ventura County. A $125,000 grant was approved by the Board of Supervisors in a 4-1 vote on July 25, paving the way for the city of Ventura and private donors to step Read More →
Our view: SLO invests in future by approving housing
These days, the headlines on the housing front are grim indeed. The New York Times described Coastal California as being in the middle of a full blown crisis with average home prices crossing $500,000 and making much of the state out of reach for all but the wealthiest families. Gov. Jerry Brown has not yet Read More →
Our view: Fire season has begun; region better prepared
The brush fires that scorched more than 40,000 acres in the tri-county region after the July 4 holiday are a reminder that spring growth after winter rains fuels danger in the summer. Fire is an ever-present danger in the West, as fires raging in California, Canada and Colorado remind us. As the current round of Read More →
Our View: Santa Barbara sales tax measure could be tough to sell
With one survey indicating solid voter support and a willing city council going along, Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider has gotten the votes necessary to place a 1 cent general sales tax hike on the ballot for November. The June 28 vote caps a discussion that began earlier this spring when the idea of a Read More →
Our view: Minimum wage hikes are hurting workers
California appears to be headed toward a political showdown over the $15 per hour minimum wage law. A widening chorus of restaurant chains, individual eatery owners, small businesses, nonprofits and even municipal and county governments are joining the call for a rethink of the $15 per hour timetable. We editorialized in the June 23rd edition Read More →
