Santa Barbara faces enforcement nightmare over short-term rentals
The city of Santa Barbara had it good. It had been controversially collecting taxes on short-term rentals since 2008 even though most were illegally operating in certain residential zones. The city earned extra revenue and only had to crack down on a handful that neighbors deemed intolerable. But the inherent conflict caught up with policy Read More →
’Tis the season to stock up on tri-county wines
It’s the most wonderful time of year for wine sales. Wineries I contacted in the region reported that November and December and the last quarter of the year are typically their strongest sales months as consumers stock up for holiday gatherings and select gifts. Customers will often spend more on a bottle this time of Read More →
Employers must find ways to plug national talent drain
The talent challenge — finding, engaging and keeping qualified employees for skilled positions — remains the No. 1 priority for U.S. employers, according to a recent Harris Poll. Problems in this area can cause organizations to miss market opportunities, delay or cancel key strategic initiatives and fail to meet growth goals and innovate effectively. There Read More →
Corporate social responsibility on hold when it comes to outrageous drug prices
Imagine you just went to your local pharmacy and were told that the cost of a life-saving drug was $22,500 for 30 tablets to treat AIDS or another infectious disease. Well, if you need the drug Daraprim, that is what you would have to pay. Turing Pharmaceuticals purchased the right to Darprim this past August Read More →
NRG Energy to demolish Mandalay power plant, cooling tower if new plant approved
NRG Energy updated the application for its new peaker power plant in Oxnard on Nov. 19. In an updated filing with the California Public Utilities Commission, NRG said it would demolish the current power plant and a cooling tower on the site if the new Puente Power Project is approved by the commission. Dave Read More →
Gold Coast Recycling celebrates 25th anniversary
When California passed AB 939 in 1989, the mandatory waste diversion goals looked lofty and unreachable. But Harrison Industries of Ventura stepped up with a unique plan to provide all of its customers in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties with waste bins that allowed them to separate trash and recyclables. Twenty-five years later, Gold Read More →
European regulators approve Amgen cancer drug Kyprolis
Thousand Oaks-based Amgen scored another major victory Nov. 19. European regulators approved experimental drug Kyprolis on Thursday for patients who have received at least one prior treatment for multiple-myeloma. Kyprolis was the cornerstone of Amgen’s $10.4 billion buyout of Onyx Pharmaceuticals in 2013. Multiple-myeloma is a form of blood cancer that forms in plasma cells Read More →
