Guest commentary: The tariff rollercoaster of 2025
By Gerhard Apfelthaler On Dec. 16, David Bahnsen, money manager, conservative commentator, and keynote speaker at the California Lutheran University Center for Economic Research and Forecasting’s Annual Ventura County Economic Forecast event in 2024, recently released a podcast titled “Making America Crony Again”. While I don’t agree with everything Bahnsen says, his commentary on the Read More →
Guest commentary: New employment laws for 2026
By Jonathan Fraser Light It’s time to look at some of the new employment laws that will impact businesses in 2026. The state’s mandatory minimum wage is going up from $16.50 an hour in 2025 to $16.90 in 2026. If a local jurisdiction has a higher rate, that’s the one to follow. Note that the Read More →
Guest commentary: How small and mid-sized businesses can grow in 2026
By Jason Bietz The latest Bank of America Business Owner Report confirms what we see every day from entrepreneurs across our communities: cautious yet determined optimism. Nearly three in four business owners expect revenue gains in the next 12 months, and many plan to expand (59%), hire (43%) and secure financing (83%) in the new year. Here Read More →
Guest commentary: The magic of the mall lives on this holiday season
By Jennifer Duarte We’ve all heard the whispers — or seen the social media comments — over the past decade: “Malls are dead.” It’s an easy narrative in the age of one-click online shopping and next-day delivery. But as someone who has spent more than two decades in the shopping center industry, managing more than Read More →
Guest commentary: Peter Drucker, artificial intelligence, and the future of management
By Gerhard Apfelthaler Twenty years ago last month, Peter Drucker, still one of the most respected authorities on the practice of management, passed away. He would have also celebrated his 116th birthday. While it was too soon for him to witness the rise of artificial intelligence, he did anticipate the age of artificial intelligence long Read More →
Guest commentary: How to make the season work for you and avoid holiday stress
By Faith Freed It’s that time of year again. Just when you’ve done your best to meet expectations on Thanksgiving, here come Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s. The rush of festivities, shopping, and social obligations can feel more like an endurance test than a celebration. The question is how to shift from resisting the onslaught Read More →
Guest commentary: The impossibility of afforable housing
Update: A previous version of this story incorrectly wrote this as an editorial from our newsroom; it is a guest commentary. By Don Katich If I wanted to destroy affordable housing in Santa Barbara, I wouldn’t swing a wrecking ball. No, I’d smile politely and pass laws. I’d say I was protecting people, preserving neighborhoods, Read More →
