Three people to watch as recession ends
ColumnsDuring the past 10 years, we’ve come to rely on a select group of leaders to guide major enterprises in the Tri-Counties. Although there have been changes from time to time, that leadership has been remarkably stable. But there are signs of a changing of the guard in leadership in business, and politics as Read More →
Editorial: CEOs wanted here
OpinionThere’s nothing wrong with Santa Barbara County’s economy that a few corporate headquarters wouldn’t cure. That’s one conclusion that can be drawn from a close examination of the data behind the recent UCSB Economic Forecast Project report. Local government employment, the largest sector in the county, is pretty much flat at about 23,000. Given the Read More →
Editorial: Building sale smells like another state fiasco
OpinionFor more proof that the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is living in a world of illusion, look no farther than some serious number crunching on his proposed sale of state office buildings. Once touted as a way to close the state’s budget gap, the plan to sell and lease back 11 flagship office properties Read More →
Special Comment: Where the region's biggest bank goes from here
OpinionBest and worst of times, indeed. Behind Pacific Capital Bancorp’s decision to sell a 90 percent stake to a Texas investment firm is a recognition that the California real estate market has not yet begun to turn around. That is the nightmare the bank faced — a slow bleeding of capital, including a loss of Read More →
