Caution required to fix the mortgage mess
It’s time to be wary about how the U.S. government is charging to the rescue to stem a collapse in confidence in the wake of IndyMac’s seizure and the crises at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The yellow light is flashing and storm warnings are up. U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has asked for Read More →
City taxes rear their heads again
Times could get even more taxing in the coming months as some South Coast communities mull over new taxes. In an abrupt move, the Goleta City Council on July 1 backed away from plans to place a city sales tax measure on the November ballot. If approved by voters, the measure could have derailed Read More →
First responders are worthy of our praise
It’s hard to say whether residents of the Tri-Counties will ever take wildfires and other disasters in stride. Nothing quite resembles being forced to evacuate a canyon home and leave most belongings behind. Some residents simply refuse to leave. But those trying to help – the first responders – have dedicated their lives to Read More →
Lead-free bullet maker on target
Some companies have stepped up to the mark to address an environmental issue that seriously affects the California condor. Forty-four biologists, researchers and other scientists have signed a “statement of scientific agreement” that the weight of research that condors are poisoned by ingesting lead fragments from the carcasses of wild animals felled by bullets is Read More →
Enjoy the summer and savor the arts
With summer firmly upon us, we are quite fortunate so many entertaining activities are available to us in the Tri-Counties – indoors and out. The Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles gets under way July 23. Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days are just around the corner with this year’s opening day set for July 30. Read More →
McCain energizes his campaign
Sen. John McCain brought some good ideas to the South Coast during his June 23 and 24 visit. At the top of the list, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee proposed a $300 million prize for the development of a battery with sufficient capacity and power to “leapfrog’’ those that now fuel plug-in hybrids or electric Read More →
Prison health-care facility bad for area
A proposal to spend $1 billion in taxpayer dollars for a prison-hospital complex in the Camarillo area is fraught with problems and contradictions. Ventura County’s health care executives and political leaders are questioning the location of the proposed adult prison health-care facility that would house 1,500 inmates with special medical and mental health needs on Read More →
