Salary hikes highlight exactly what
Perhaps the greatest symbol of what’s wrong about California is what author Joel Kotkin calls the entitled bureaucracy. That’s why it really sticks in our craw that assembly leaders of both parties felt absolutely no remorse about handing out $551,000 in pay increases to the assembly staff at a time when they are literally begging Read More →
Youth more resourceful than ever
A new generation of students is getting ready to graduate from our colleges and universities. The job outlook is grim. The global economy is uncertain. House prices are in a free fall. But it’s also true that this is an incredibly resourceful and tech-savvy generation and that it will be steeled in the furnace of Read More →
Navy League, base score with Stockdale
When the Navy League’s Santa Barbara Council agreed to adopt the destroyer USS Stockdale last year, it did not know that the Arleigh Burke class of fighting ships would make worldwide headlines six months later. But the Stockdale’s sister ship, the USS Bainbridge, was in the news 24/7 over Easter weekend, garnering worldwide kudos for Read More →
Region
The oldest industry in the Tri-Counties once again is proving its worth to the overall economy. Santa Barbara County reports its crops brought in $1 billion in gross revenue for another year, with strawberries, broccoli and wine grapes leading the way. This is important revenue for the region and it underscores the need for sound Read More →
Miramar takes big step forward
When Rick Caruso took over the moribund Miramar Hotel project in South Santa Barbara County a couple of years ago, few people gave him a chance of ever getting a building permit. But Caruso, recently named the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Hall of Fame winner for 2009, patiently chipped away at the massive undertaking. Opposition Read More →
Putting shareholders first
Amgen, by far the biggest company in the region by market capitalization, is proving very far-sighted on corporate governance. As the Wall Street Journal reported on April 6, the biotechnology giant has asked shareholders to complete an extensive survey of pay practices. The request was made in conjunction with the mailing of Amgen’s annual proxy Read More →
Time to bring more power to the people
Not so very long ago, California’s weak power grid made it the laughing stock of the nation. But, thanks to poor public policy choices over the past decade, the rest of the country has caught up to us. Now, President Barack Obama has hired Steven Chu, a top University of California scientist, to lead the Read More →
