Our view: Fire season has begun; region better prepared
Editorials, Latest news, OpinionThe 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 →
Our View: Santa Barbara sales tax measure could be tough to sell
Editorials, Latest news, OpinionWith one survey indicating solid voter support and a willing city council going along, Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider has gotten the votes necessary to place a 1 cent general sales tax hike on the ballot for November. The June 28 vote caps a discussion that began earlier this spring when the idea of a Read More →
Our view: Minimum wage hikes are hurting workers
Editorials, Latest news, OpinionCalifornia appears to be headed toward a political showdown over the $15 per hour minimum wage law. A widening chorus of restaurant chains, individual eatery owners, small businesses, nonprofits and even municipal and county governments are joining the call for a rethink of the $15 per hour timetable. We editorialized in the June 23rd edition Read More →
Our view: Amazon’s bold bet will challenge tri-county farmers
Agribusiness, Editorials, Latest news, OpinionIt’s not immediately clear how disruptive the merger of Amazon and Whole Foods will be to the global food supply chain. So far, the e-commerce giant has wreaked havoc in asymmetric directions. It disrupted the chain store concept for book sales but strengthened local vendors and sparked a surge of interest in book buying. It Read More →
Our view: Reliable electricity a must for Highway 101 corridor
Editorials, Latest news, OpinionSouthern California Edison work crews have been tearing up streets in and around Santa Barbara, finally delivering on a promise to provide more stable electric power to part of the region that’s been ignored for decades. The disruptions and occasional power outages — at the Business Times’s offices on Carrillo Street they always happen on Read More →
Our view: Climate regulations would burden small businesses
Editorials, Energy, Latest news, Opinion, Small BusinessPresident Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accords drew a swift rebuke from Gov. Jerry Brown, who declared the president “wrong on the facts and wrong on the science” before meeting with the president of China to promote Brown’s clean energy agenda. That the White House remains mum on the idea of Read More →
Our view: Vandenberg plays key role in keeping America safe
Editorials, Latest news, OpinionAn apparently successful test of an anti-missile system over the Pacific Ocean on May 30 reminds us of the diverse role that Vandenberg Air Force Base plays in the space race. Vandenberg’s capacity for lofting commercial and military satellites into orbit has made it — along with Cape Canaveral — a favored spot for government-funded Read More →
