Our view: State needs to be smarter about water infrastructure
The dam was declared totally safe. The collapse was totally unexpected. This month’s emergency evacuation of 200,000 people below the troubled spillways at the Oroville Dam in Northern California recalled memories of a disaster right in our backyard. On March 2, 1928, as many as 600 people, many of them residents of Ventura County, died Read More →
Our view: Puzder ground into political hamburger
Just a day before his confirmation hearing, CKE Restaurants and subsidiaries Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s CEO Andy Puzder has withdrawn his nomination for secretary of labor. Puzder, a former Santa Barbara resident who was ideologically in step with President Donald Trump, was rapidly losing support from the left as well as the right. And after Read More →
Estate tax changes threaten small businesses
Jim Lisi By Jim Lisi In addition to the disproportionate effect of the estate tax on family farms highlighted by Business Times staff writer Marissa Nall, other estate tax issues are also lurking. In December, the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service held hearings on proposed regulation changes to Section 2704 of the tax code. The Read More →
Our view: Amgen’s smart moves keep it poised to grow
From its perch in Thousand Oaks, Amgen continues to be one of the savvier companies in the biopharma space when it comes to navigating drug policy and drug pricing. It continues to win the battle to keep copycat biosimilars from eroding its core franchises while gaining approval for new drugs – the latest is for Read More →
Organizational politics key to results
By Bruce Gillies Organizational politics have a bad reputation. As a leadership coach, I’ve heard many employees describe them as an impediment to getting things done. For some, the joy of receiving a promotion is tempered by the fear of getting pulled into workplace politics. In reality, organizational politics are a powerful, and almost always Read More →
Globalization vs. isolation for American business
By Gil Cisneros The Chamber of the Americas participants have been in an ongoing conversation about the future of international trade and business, especially as it relates to the Western Hemisphere, an area that has been largely neglected as our country attempts to reestablish its economic footing after the Great Recession and engages in a Read More →
Our view: Tariff on goods from Mexico would hurt avocado growers
The avocado was relegated to the ranks of niche agricultural products until some clever growers from Ventura County figured out how to grow, harvest and ship them into U.S. markets year round. By outsourcing operations to Mexico and Latin America, Calavo, Mission Produce and others extended the four-month growing season in California to 12 months Read More →
