UI fund deficit requires multipronged approach
While California’s political class is salivating over the thought of tax windfalls and a spending spree, the state’s employers are coughing up $1.7 billion in payroll taxes this month to put a small patch over the state’s insolvent unemployment fund. That enormous haul was enough to close just a fraction of the $8 billion the Read More →
Baxalta’s fast exit shows need for corporate tax fix
Baxalta, we hardly knew ya. Just six months after it was spun off from parent Baxter International, Baxalta, a major employer in East Ventura County, is to be sold to Shire, an Irish firm. The future of some 1,200 employees in Westlake Village and the Newbury Park area of Thousand Oaks is now uncertain, as Read More →
Norovirus at Chipotle in Simi Valley troubling
Chipotle is an iconic consumer brand that until recently stood for hip, healthy and high-quality fast food for a high-tech generation. But lately, the Denver-based restaurant chain has been devastated by health-related problems, including a series of E. coli incidents. The once favored spot for a new generation is looking about as relevant as a Read More →
Ventura County firefighters do great job with Solimar Fire
Ventura County firefighters are a dedicated bunch. Once again, they made their point, proving over Christmas weekend that their ability to fight fires and protect private property are unmatched on the Central Coast. The so-called Solimar Fire broke out early in the morning of Dec. 26 and quickly jumped Highway 101, threatening beachside enclaves. The Read More →
Global warming aside, biggest need is housing
The climate change accords signed in Paris this month have been a vindication of Gov. Jerry Brown’s view of a less carbon intensive economy. That is no small accomplishment, which vindicates San Luis Obispo County’s decision to embrace “Big Solar” and efforts in Ventura County to combine industrial-scale solar with waste recycling to reduce carbon Read More →
Executive housing will help Ventura compete for major employers
The city of Ventura has taken a big step to secure its future as a business center for the 21st century. After a marathon session, the City Council gave preliminary approval for a plan that will eventually lead to the creation of a 55-unit executive housing development called La Viera, preserving some 200 acres for Read More →
