Editorial: Pacific Capital deal moving along
There are signs that the $500 million investment by Ford Financial Fund into Pacific Capital Bancorp is inching forward. An increased offer to bondholders has met, we understand, with positive responses from a large group of investors. The expiration of TARP funding this fall means the U.S. Treasury might be highly motivated to swap its Read More →
Editorial: Small business is the real key to fixing state
A California Forward meeting for Ventura and Santa Barbara business leaders on June 16 provides a useful marker for how far California has come toward real reform — and how far it needs to go. Over the past several years, voters have overhauled the state’s method for drawing districts and, thanks in part to Lt. Read More →
Editorial: Santa Barbara, stand and be counted
The city of Santa Barbara is the latest among the region’s cities to review and update its general plan. The next public meetings are on June 22 and June 23 at 630 Garden St. This is a chance to create a denser, more energy efficient and more prosperous city that better attends to the needs Read More →
Editorial: Capps steps up on Gulf oil spill
U.S. Rep. Lois Capps usually is content to capably represent her district and stick to her strengths on issues such as education and health care. But in her response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster on the Gulf Coast, she’s demonstrated real leadership — and proven to her constituents in the 23rd Congressional District that when Read More →
Editorial: A gentleman passes
Stan Bartlett helped a regional CPA firm become a name with real brand value — not an easy thing to do. He was a founding member of Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, one of the region’s oldest accounting firms. He was a genial fellow and a quiet community leader whose accomplishments were recognized by the Santa Read More →
Editorial: Region's voters happy with the status quo
It turns out that even a deep recession, severe county budget woes, gridlock in Sacramento and a housing meltdown have not changed the core character of voters on the Central Coast. We’re pragmatists who are relatively happy keeping things the way they are. That means supervisory races in the Conejo Valley and Santa Barbara’s 2nd Read More →
Editorial: Get thee to a polling place
There’s a lot at stake in this year’s June 8 primary. Because gerrymandering is still the name of the game, primary winners in several legislative districts will have a virtual lock on the November election. Key primaries include the Democratic side in the 35th Assembly District, which covers parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, Read More →