Clean and safe downtowns require coordinated effort
Dear Editor: Thank you for the excellent piece in the July 21 issue of the Business Times. Santa Barbara and Ventura have much in common, and I enjoy reading your thoughts on our intertwined economies. When I was mayor of Ventura, one of my main goals was to establish the Downtown Ventura Partners, a property-based Read More →
Time for the Fed to get out of the way
By Gerry Frigon A recent article by Anthony Mirhaydari, published in The Fiscal Times, wonders if the Federal Reserve is about to begin a “war on the rich.” Mirhaydari cites Merrill Lynch Chief Investment Strategist Michael Hartnett, who appears to suggest that such is the case in his call for a “big top” in stocks Read More →
Our view: Grant will help museum create sustainable future
Ventura County has taken a big step toward creating a living legacy for future generations with interim funding to bolster the Museum of Ventura County. A $125,000 grant was approved by the Board of Supervisors in a 4-1 vote on July 25, paving the way for the city of Ventura and private donors to step Read More →
Residents can learn from international students
By Loredana Carson International students planning to attend colleges and universities in the tri-county area may fear being unwelcome due to media coverage of negative comments, but once they arrive they are generally met with a lack of attention. Students in my classes have expressed dismay to me that they don’t often have the opportunity Read More →
Our view: SLO invests in future by approving housing
These days, the headlines on the housing front are grim indeed. The New York Times described Coastal California as being in the middle of a full blown crisis with average home prices crossing $500,000 and making much of the state out of reach for all but the wealthiest families. Gov. Jerry Brown has not yet Read More →
Housing should be for residents, not tourists
By Anna Marie Gott “The use of residential units as short-term vacation rentals and/or only occupied as second homes poses a housing challenge to the city because these uses decrease available long-term housing opportunities for local residents as well as contribute to the increase in housing costs.” This quote comes directly from the Santa Barbara’s Read More →
Our view: Fire season has begun; region better prepared
The brush fires that scorched more than 40,000 acres in the tri-county region after the July 4 holiday are a reminder that spring growth after winter rains fuels danger in the summer. Fire is an ever-present danger in the West, as fires raging in California, Canada and Colorado remind us. As the current round of Read More →
