Apfelthaler: Will COVID-19 end globalization?
By Gerhard Apfelthaler It is the year 1000. Traders are crossing oceans to Arabia, East Africa, India and China. The Vikings are sailing to Canada, and the Maya are exploring lands as far as Colombia and today’s Mississippi River Valley. This is when globalization began, asserts author Valerie Hansen in a book published this year. Read More →
Dudley: Help protect victims who are sheltering in place
By Joyce Dudley I have heard the COVID-19 shelter in place order referred to as “The Great Pause.” As someone who has been a prosecutor for 30 years, I agree with the phrase. But these days I spell the word pause differently. I spell it P-A-W-S, as I envision the great paws of an angry Read More →
Vaiman: Autonomy, pay, recognition keys to retaining talent
By Vlad Vaiman I have been studying what keeps the best employees within organizations for more than 15 years now. Exciting and challenging work and career-growth opportunities are the two most important factors. But I encourage employers to pay attention to the next three on the list as well: autonomy, fair pay and recognition. • Read More →
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 →
