Fienup: At last, an end to the ‘New Normal’
By Matthew Fienup There is one clear lesson from the first 30 days of the Trump economy. The so-called “New Normal,” a belief in the inevitability of poor economic performance following the Great Recession, is now dead. I wish I could also say that a return to robust economic growth is just around the corner Read More →
Our view: Ventura-Santa Barbara rail study a good start
Words of wisdom attributed to Chinese sage Lao Tsu hold that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Perhaps the journey to improve rail transportation between Santa Barbara and Ventura begins with a single grant. That’s at least the promise of a $50,000 award from the Santa Barbara County Association of Read More →
Requests for proposals overlook value of face-to-face communication
I’ve been in business for more than 30 years and in that time I’ve hired quite a few people. But in all that time, not once, did I hire a person based strictly on their resume and certainly I’ve never hired anyone without having met them first. In every instance, I felt it was important, Read More →
Ojai company leads way to reliable, clean energy
By Jan Dietrick The Feb. 10 article in the Pacific Coast Business Times, “Power to the people: SimpliPhi to double production at Ojai battery storage plant,” about how the Ojai company is positioning itself for growth, can be viewed through the lens of current trends in energy policy. Policy-makers in California and Washington, D.C., should Read More →
Profits should not be considered a dirty word
By Lee Schuh My wife and I recently overheard a boisterous group of 20-something women bemoan the evils of profit while we ate an early dinner at our favorite restaurant. They blamed their poor-paying jobs on those who get the profits. They complained that these profit-takers are the only ones benefiting in this society. The Read More →
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 and Hardee’s CEO Andy Puzder has withdrawn his nomination for secretary of labor.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 →
