Unshackle CSUs to move state forward
Amid the media swirl over Michael Jackson (see below), California continues to lumber toward its own tragedy — the state budget mess. But the more we look into the budget and its impacts on our region, the more we see opportunities lost and entrepreneurial efforts cast aside. Take, for example, the situation at California Polytechnic Read More →
Recognize. Neutralize. Monetize.
That should be the mantra that Santa Barbara County officials keep in mind as they navigate the media mess and potential economic bonanza posed by the death of Michael Jackson. His family’s decision — widely reported, but canceled just before press time — to hold a public viewing and memorial for the late entertainer, at Read More →
State budget farce as 10-penny opera
What will a smaller state government look like? What if it is $24 billion-a-year smaller? Those are the questions being debated in Sacramento these days. And no one is more important in that debate than Assemblymember Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo. Blakeslee recently was elected minority leader of the assembly and from that perch he Read More →
A well-deserved retirement
During our nine years in business, we’ve gotten to know Jim Lokey, first as president of Mid-State Bank & Trust and later at Rabobank, which acquired Mid-State a couple of years ago. During his time at Mid-State, Lokey worked closely with Chairman Carrol Pruett. He and his team helped build Mid-State’s branch network across the Read More →
The real-life drama over a film
The curious case of the film “Bananas!” continues to play out on screen and in the courts. On screen, “Bananas!” is a film that claims to be a documentary about Westlake Village-based Dole Food Co. and the health problems that thousands of workers in Nicaragua suffered because of exposure to pesticides. The hero is attorney Read More →
A tasty honor
For as long as there’s been a Pacific Coast Business Times, we’ve been big fans of the Far Western Tavern and the Righetti family. Their entrepreneurial spirit has kept a family business alive in the small town of Guadalupe and spawned the world-renownedj12 Susie Q barbecue sauce. Now comes word that Sunset Magazine has named Read More →
The Green Coast: A budding initiative
On June 9, more than 30 business and community leaders convened in Santa Barbara to begin the work of creating a Green Coast economic development initiative for the Tri-Counties. The Green Coast initiative began with an April column in the Business Times. The idea behind it is to reinvent the economy of our region, using Read More →
