Editorial: Signs of a gradual comeback in tourism
It’s hard to overstate the powerful influence that tourism exerts over the region’s economy. In San Luis Obispo County, there really isn’t much else, outside of government, universities and agriculture. In Santa Barbara County, the post-“Sideways” wine tourism boom has added a new dimension to what was already a national and global brand as well Read More →
Editorial: A few easy steps to fix pension mess
As the region, along with the rest of the state, confronts a massive problem in funding public-sector pensions, the abuses in the city of Bell should sound a clarion call to make real reforms in a corrupt system. The Ventura County Taxpayers Association reports that in the city of Ventura alone, some $3.1 million a Read More →
Editorial: Don't threaten eminent domain lightly
Last week’s editorial encouraged the Pacific Oaks Credit Union and the owner of troubled Carriage Square, a retail property in Oxnard, to work out their differences and avoid an eminent domain action by the city. We’re pleased to see that the parties took our advice — and obviously similar advice given by civic leaders. The Read More →
Editorial: The way to San Jose
An impressive gathering of South Coast business and political leaders met July 21 to map out a strategy for restoring direct service from Santa Barbara’s airport to San Jose. This service is critical to meeting the needs of the region’s technology industry, and SkyWest Airlines’ decision to suspend the service earlier this summer did Read More →
Editorial: Oxnard, don't go nuclear on credit union
Oxnard has threatened to use eminent domain proceedings to evict a longtime tenant, Pacific Oaks Credit Union, from a troubled property known as Carriage Square. That strikes us as a harsh way to treat a financial institution that’s an important part of the lifeblood of the region’s largest city, and we’d urge the city, property Read More →
Editorial: Don't squeeze the customers
On the list of problems that might plague a commercial business district, a fight over parking might be one of the best. After all, if the idea of charging or imposing new restrictions gets any traction, it’s because the area is attracting too many customers for all of them to park conveniently. But even if Read More →
Editorial: How the South Coast can get its own Target
Someday, there will actually be a Target store on the South Coast. It’s just too bad it won’t occur in time to help either tax-poor cities or the growing numbers of job seekers in the worst economic times since the Great Depression. In case you missed a flurry of news over the July 18 weekend, Read More →
