Region
The oldest industry in the Tri-Counties once again is proving its worth to the overall economy. Santa Barbara County reports its crops brought in $1 billion in gross revenue for another year, with strawberries, broccoli and wine grapes leading the way. This is important revenue for the region and it underscores the need for sound Read More →
Miramar takes big step forward
When Rick Caruso took over the moribund Miramar Hotel project in South Santa Barbara County a couple of years ago, few people gave him a chance of ever getting a building permit. But Caruso, recently named the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Hall of Fame winner for 2009, patiently chipped away at the massive undertaking. Opposition Read More →
Putting shareholders first
Amgen, by far the biggest company in the region by market capitalization, is proving very far-sighted on corporate governance. As the Wall Street Journal reported on April 6, the biotechnology giant has asked shareholders to complete an extensive survey of pay practices. The request was made in conjunction with the mailing of Amgen’s annual proxy Read More →
Time to bring more power to the people
Not so very long ago, California’s weak power grid made it the laughing stock of the nation. But, thanks to poor public policy choices over the past decade, the rest of the country has caught up to us. Now, President Barack Obama has hired Steven Chu, a top University of California scientist, to lead the Read More →
Youth organizations strengthen
There is a considerable youth movement happening at United Way organizations up and down the region — and that’s a welcome sign. Until just a few years ago, United Way groups were getting more and more dependent on two groups of supporters — large corporate employers and wealthy individuals, typically retirees who often were the Read More →
Port of Hueneme fee a slam on small business
Here’s something that really TWICs us off. Very soon, the Department of Homeland Security will require all vendors at the Port of Hueneme and all of Southern California’s ports to have a special security pass. This pass, known as a TWIC [Transportation Workers Identification Credential], will be mandatory for truck drivers, vending machine re-fillers and Read More →
Honoring fallen heroes
Security is at the very root of any functioning economic system. And it pains us to see our law enforcement agencies under so much stress. In Oakland, four police officers have died in the line of duty, after a routine traffic stop turned into a shooting spree. In our region, the streets are becoming more Read More →
