Garufis: Bankers busy with second round of PPP
By Janet Garufis It’s after 8 p.m. on April 27, the day the second tranche of PPP funding was made available by the Small Business Administration, and I’ve just completed our PPP update call with the dedicated group of Montecito Bank & Trust professionals who are responsible for making PPP a reality for hundreds of Read More →
Damooei: Poverty is a lethal human-made disease
By Jamshid Damooei What makes us human is an important question, and the answer is not always clear. If life is a microcosm of our natural world, what place does our way of life hold and where does economics appear on the scene? I have been wrestling with this question for a big part of Read More →
Lisi: COVID-19 impacts values and acquisitions
By James Lisi From Feb. 20 to March 20, the bond risk premium jumped two points. This jump was larger than any previous move over a one-year period. Well-regarded economists are forecasting 20 percent to 35 percent fall in Gross Domestic Product for the next few months. We have just exited the best market for Read More →
Steinfeld and Werth: Cannabis businesses are essential
By Amy Steinfeld and Alina Werth As a result of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home executive order, all but “essential” businesses have closed to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Cannabis dispensaries are one of a few retail operations deemed essential, along with pharmacies and grocery stores. And it’s not just dispensaries that have been Read More →
Decas: Port keeps goods flowing during pandemic
By Kristin Decas There is no doubt, we are in uncharted waters. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many of our families and friends in the United States and globally. The Port of Hueneme appreciates the leadership of local agencies and government partners’ leadership who are tirelessly working to reduce the health impacts of the coronavirus Read More →
Garufis: Loans available to help businesses survive
By Janet Garufis We have all witnessed first-hand the serious and immediate impacts of the pandemic on local small businesses, our friends, neighbors and ourselves. Many workers have been furloughed or are now unemployed as non-essential businesses close and others learn to operate under restrictions that provide safe social distancing. At Montecito Bank & Trust, Read More →
Gerhardt and Wilson: Everyone must fight COVID-19
By Drs. Nels Gerhardt and Brett Wilson We are emergency physicians at Cottage Health. We live and work in this community, so we are also your neighbors, friends, and the local doctors who may diagnose your child’s ear infection at 3 a.m., or fix your broken wrist. These are trying times and nowhere is the Read More →
