Driving out the clunkers
Sinking new car sales in the Tri-Counties could be buoyed by the latest federal incentive to get consumers into more fuel-efficient models. But dealers are divided on whether or not customers will be interested in getting into smaller vehicles, and if participating in a government program is even worth the trouble. Some dealers, like Read More →
Pismo OKs tax
Pismo Beach’s City Council approved a 1 percent tax on overnight stays that will fund tourism, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported. The council voted 4-1 in favor of the tax, which will go toward promoting the city to tourists, the newspaper said. Other cities in San Luis Obispo County – Morro Bay, Paso Robles Read More →
Oil initiative survives
A Santa Barbara County judge has invalidated a part of Venoco’s ballot initiative to approve slant drilling a site in Carpinteria into a lease offshore. Earlier this year, Venoco filed papers for a Carpinteria ballot initiative for its Paredon project, which would use an onshore rig to tap an estimated 20 million barrels of offshore Read More →
SLO event ordinance a blow to business
A prime example of job-killing regulation is coming to light in San Luis Obispo County. That’s because a group of environmentalists and “buy local” have joined forces to advocate for a countywide ordinance that would ban most private, for-profit activity on agricultural land. In other words, no more weddings, retirement parties, fundraisers, corporate celebrations or Read More →
Pork flows to Tri-Counties
The U.S. House of Representatives approved $700,000 for the Rice Avenue Interchange transportation project in Ventura County as part of the next fiscal year’s transportation, and housing and urban development appropriations bill passed July 23. The funding request was made by the city of Oxnard, the Ventura County Transportation Commission and the Oxnard Harbor District. Read More →
In memory of Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWees
The news that Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWees had died came to me completely out of the blue. I literally picked the news out of the fax machine when Tom Pfeifer of U.S. Rep Elton Gallegly’s office sent out a message of condolence. I had no idea Dick was ill or had a medical condition that Read More →
BREAKING NEWS: Pacific Capital unveils three-year strategy following $362M loss
Santa Barbara-based Pacific Capital Bancorp released its second-quarter earnings on July 30, revealing a staggering net loss of $362.6 million and unveiling a three-year plan to improve the company’s capital position. The net loss, $7.77 per common share, compares to $5.9 million, or 13 cents per share, in the same period a year ago. The Read More →
