California slips as others catch up
As July heads past the mid-point, California still does not have a budget. This inability to get simple things accomplished underscores how far the Golden State has slipped behind its chief political rival, Texas. The July 11 edition of the Economist elaborates on the California-Texas rivalry, pointing out that among other things, Texas seems to Read More →
Moorpark film studio plot unfolds
Bernie Weitzman has a grand script in the works for Moorpark. Step by step, Weitzman, chairman and chief executive officer of Commonwealth Studios and an independent film industry veteran, is bringing his massive film studio dream to fruition on the outskirts of the Ventura County city. And it is a big dream. Weitzman and Commonwealth Read More →
Real estate market may be slow, but press releases keep rolling in
If my inbox is any indication, the real estate market could be bouncing back much sooner than any of us have predicted. I’ve been inundated with deals in recent weeks, so for this column I figured I should just open the floodgates. Deals of the Week • Best Interest Financial & Insurance Services just leased Read More →
Towbes thrives in tough times
Michael Towbes likes to keep busy. In the face of the worst recession he can remember, Towbes, one of the region’s most successful builders and bank owners, will not be slowing down anytime soon. The best evidence for that is a wall full of plans in the Towbes Group conference room in downtown Santa Barbara. Read More →
Partners key to bank buy
Behind the scenes of the Bank of Santa Barbara sale – one of the biggest to hit the city in recent years — is a team of tri-county heavyweights headed by veteran Santa Barbara banker Eloy Ortega. Ortega assembled about 10 investors, including Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea, Tim Marquez of Venoco and Hutton Foundation President Read More →
$60M sought in business jet accident
The most disruptive accident at the Santa Barbara airport in decades has spurred a $60 million civil lawsuit between the parent company of one of the Tri-Counties’ biggest private companies and a French maker of corporate jets. The accident took place June 10, 2007, when a 13-passenger Dassault Mystere Falcon 900 ran off the main Read More →
