Editorial: Rise of the Wall Street machines
We’re not the only people who’ve seen eerie similarities between the compacted crash of the stock markets in early May and the Black Monday crash of 1987. A slowly recovering economy, clashing views over currencies and computerized trading were all factors in the October 1987 crash as well as the mini-crash that happened May 7. Read More →
Editorial: Finally, signs of life in the housing market
The housing market is sending a few positive signals — a welcome development, though not enough to conclude that a sustained recovery is yet at hand. The latest reports from DataQuick show home prices across Southern California are recovering from last year’s depressed levels, as the drop in sales volume has leveled off. Double-digit gains Read More →
Editorial: Greece could be our future
We can’t let the European-led rescue plan for Greece pass without a note or two about California. Obviously the excesses of the regime in Athens run closely parallel to the excesses of the various regimes in Sacramento. Too many civil servants make too much money. Too little time has been spent on telling the truth Read More →
Editorial: In Santa Barbara DA race, chance to focus on economic crime
In an important race to be decided in just a few weeks, Josh Lynn and Joyce Dudley are mounting a spirited campaign for Santa Barbara County district attorney. This tussle between Dudley, the deputy DA, and Lynn, the chief trial attorney in the office, has become a fight to burnish tough-on-crime credentials. A blitz Read More →
Editorial: Higher ed fights for the future of the region
In a letter to business leaders, University of California President Mark Yudof argues forcefully for California to abandon budget cuts for higher education and fulfill the promise it made to state residents 50 years ago. What’s unique about this communication is that instead of pursuing a UC-first strategy, Yudoff and his counterparts at the California Read More →
Editorial: CEOs wanted here
There’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
For 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 →
