Embracing trade does not make you a traitor
By Gerhard Apfelthaler On a recent trip to Iran, I couldn’t help but notice the difference in the public narrative regarding the lifting of the sanctions against Iran. While many people in the United States — at least according to mainstream media — seem to think that they got the short end of the stick, Read More →
IRS outsourcing of debt collection good idea
By Lisa Spiwak One of the good things about owing money to the IRS has been that the agency is so overburdened that it has not had the resources to actively engage in collection of outstanding inactive tax receivables. These receivables are currently estimated to be in the amount of $458 billion. This is about Read More →
Tri-Counties shedding fossil fuels industries
The Tri-Counties is moving away from its legacy of fossil fuels industries. The pace of that move and managing the cost of leaving oil and gas operations behind will say a lot about the region’s future prosperity. The Tri-Counties edged further away from fossil fuels on Oct. 5 when the San Luis Obispo County Planning Read More →
Ventura’s tax measure not good for business
By Bob Alviani The business community plays a unique role in a community’s economy. If there is any sector in the economic machinery that understands what it takes to run a city, it is business. Businesses provide jobs and support families. Businesses know what it takes to earn a dollar. When it comes to city Read More →
Charities limited when it comes to election campaigns
By Mike Schley With the election looming, many charities sincerely believe that a President Clinton or Trump (as the case may be) would be the enemy of fundamental goals the charity promotes. This is America, and free speech is a fundamental right, so charities can weigh in with their own unique perspective on the campaign Read More →
Patagonia weighs in on climate change policies
In a widely circulated New Yorker magazine profile, Patagonia co-founder Yvon Chouinard fumed this summer about Hillary Clinton’s acceptance speech at the Democratic Party convention — complaining that including just one sentence about climate change fell far short of the mark. Apparently, we haven’t heard Patagonia’s last words on the matter of politics and climate Read More →
Direct Relief International rooted in Santa Barbara
In a region that takes pride in its philanthropic organizations, nothing stands out like Direct Relief International. Founded as a humanitarian organization by immigrants who fled the horrors of World War II, DRI is the nation’s ninth largest U.S. charity, according to Forbes, and by most measures one of the most cost-effective organizations of its Read More →
