California budget may just be a short-term fix, after all
OpinionCalifornia has a budget, but how long will it last? And what will be done about the pension time bomb? Don Facciano of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association believes the legislature will be back considering more cuts in a few months. Others think it may be a mid-year correction. Meanwhile there is the question of Read More →
Driving out the clunkers
UncategorizedSinking 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
UncategorizedPismo 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 →
Pork flows to Tri-Counties
UncategorizedThe 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
OpinionThe 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
UncategorizedSanta 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 →
Hertel debt at $100M, Fowler says
UncategorizedThe business empire controlled by developers Ron Hertel and Bob Fowler racked up $100 million in debts, acquiring five aircraft, a boat, a horse ranch and vineyards before it collapsed last year amid a mountain of real estate-related liabilities. At a hearing in the Santa Barbara office of the U.S. Trustee on July 24, Fowler Read More →
