A speed bump on the way to creating a chamber-led vitality group
The most concentrated effort to date to create a Santa Barbara County economic vitality organization has hit a roadblock. And that roadblock appears to be the Board of Supervisors’ bitterly divided vote on the Santa Maria Energy project, where South County supervisors banded together to impose severe carbon emissions limits on an innovative onshore oil and gas development that had broad support in North County.
Editorial: Gorell-Brownley fight could top $10M if race tightens
The implications of the Gorell vs. Brownley race for California’s 26th Congressional District will be felt up and down the ticket on the November 2014 ballot in Ventura County, according to California Lutheran University’s veteran political watcher Herb Gooch.
Op/ed: Your holiday gift to your community should be supporting local businesses
Studies show that in cities where small businesses account for a relatively large share of the economy, communities thrive because citizens are more connected to each other, more engaged and more likely to work together to solve problems.
Editorial: 26th District race raises Naval Base’s profile
The race could turn on a single issue: The future of the district’s largest employer, Naval Base Ventura County. In remarks to the Ventura County Economic Development Association on Dec. 3, State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell said that the area faces “no greater challenge” than retaining the roughly 20,000 civilian and military jobs at the base, which sprawls across two complexes along the county shoreline.
Op/ed: Maintaining the talent flow — How to retain your best workers
The ever-increasing focus on the effective management of people, especially those who are key to an organization’s success, is one of the most important developments in management in the past 15 years. Starting with a seminal McKinsey study in 1998 and the authors’ 2001 book “The War for Talent,” the field of talent management has gained much respect and attention from scholars and practitioners across industries and national boundaries.
Editorial: Highway 101 innovation corridor needs public-private partners
The idea of creating a Highway 101 innovation corridor got a jump start on Nov. 21 when a group of entrepreneurs and supporters of entrepreneurship gathered at UC Santa Barbara. The meeting was the result of considerable spadework by State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, and her staff, who have visited with many of the organizations promoting entrepreneurship in the Tri-Counties. Dubbed the “SLO to T.O.” corridor at the meeting, the group included representatives from UCSB, California Lutheran University, Santa Barbara City College and CSU Channel Islands.
Editorial: Lawsuits could derail Paso water fix
Depending on whether and how the county government elects to fight back against the suits, the legal actions could lead to what’s known as adjudication, in which courts oversee how water rights are allocated in the basin. This happened in Santa Maria, with proceedings dragging out over a decade and costs topping $11 million.
