Our view: Region’s downtowns must look beyond dining
Downtowns have fought their way back from the pandemic with a combination of street closings and restaurant revitalization. But as Santa Barbara gets ready to inaugurate a new mayor and Santa Barbara and Ventura both take steps toward making car-free downtown streets more permanent, it is worth taking into account something else that’s happening across Read More →
Opinion: Exploring the economic ties between old world and new
By John Chamberlain The European economy is one of the largest on Earth, and it is also one of the richest regions as measured by assets under management, with over $32.7 trillion. The European Union’s GDP was estimated to be around $15 trillion in 2020, representing around one-sixth of the global economy. The euro is Read More →
Our View: Everyone will benefit when UCSB builds more housing
UC Santa Barbara is caught between a housing mandate and the controversial ideas of a billionaire donor. In a pair of moves that have provided plenty of fodder for headlines but little progress, Goleta announced plans to sue UC Santa Barbara, saying it has not fulfilled its pledge to provide housing for thousands of students Read More →
Opinion: REACH looks back and ahead
By Melissa James It’s a little funny looking back — though it wasn’t so funny at the time — that REACH was set to debut its 10-year regional economic action plan on March 16, 2020, the very day COVID-19 shut down our schools and communities. As a new economic action coalition serving the Central Coast, Read More →
Opinion: Putting DEI principles into practice
By Cynder Sinclair Have you been hearing more and more about organizations creating a policy to address diversity, equity, and inclusion? Sometimes referred to as “DEI” and sometimes “DEIJ,” with the J signifying justice, many nonprofits and businesses are adopting such policies as part of their board governance to guide their organization. I recently met Read More →
Opinion: Turning back the Doomsday Clock means thinking about the common good
By Jamshid Damooei The Doomsday Clock is a symbol that represents the likelihood of man-made global catastrophe. It was created and maintained since 1947 by the members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a nonprofit organization concerning science and global security issues resulting from accelerating technological advances that have negative consequences for humanity. Our Read More →
Our View: New mayor could herald changes in Santa Barbara
With preliminary results from the Nov. 2 election available as this issue of the Business Times went to press, former City Council member and retired restaurant owner Randy Rowse appeared headed for victory in the closely watched Santa Barbara mayor’s race. The early results had Rowse with 40.4% of the vote, ahead of James Joyce’s Read More →
