Latest
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, January 13th, 2017 / Editorials, Latest news, Opinion / Comments Off on Sonos visionary hears call to mentor successor
In his typically understated way, Sonos founder John MacFarlane has quietly stepped away from his role as chief executive of the Santa Barbara-based audio company. MacFarlane, who has built one of the largest enterprises in the tech sector on the Central Coast, took to the Sonos blog on Jan. 10 to post the fact that Read More →
Read More →
Latest
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, December 23rd, 2016 / Editorials, Latest news, Opinion / Comments Off on Legislators should help manufacturing rebound
While the South Coast is reveling in its waterfront makeover, tri-county tourism is getting stronger and economists are heralding a boom in craft spirits, the manufacturing core of the region is looking more and more hollowed-out. Large sections of Simi Valley and west Ventura County and North Santa Barbara County are losing head-of-household jobs. San Read More →
Read More →
Latest
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, December 16th, 2016 / Editorials, Latest news, Opinion / Comments Off on Kurland stepping down but influence continues
PennyMac Financial’s Stanford Kurland has a habit of working in mysterious ways. A veteran of Countrywide Financial, he joined that company in the late 1970s and rose through the ranks to become its president, leaving without fanfare in 2006 — just as the excesses in the mortgage market were beginning to become apparent. In 2009, Read More →
Read More →
Latest
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, December 9th, 2016 / Editorials, Latest news, Opinion / Comments Off on No more delays in widening Highway 101
There they go again. The no-growth crowd is crowing about a newly-released environmental impact report that shows a handful of intersections on Highway 101 will experience slowdowns after the highway is widened between Carpinteria and Montecito. But to anybody who’s been following the buzzing of political gadflies around the estimated $428 million project, the complaints Read More →
Read More →
Latest
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, December 2nd, 2016 / Editorials, Latest news, Opinion / Comments Off on PG&E pact will mitigate Diablo Canyon closure
San Luis Obispo County got an early Christmas present of sorts on Nov. 28. That’s when PG&E agreed to set up a $75 million fund plus an estimated $50 million to $70 million in additional payments to mitigate the impact of the closing of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant by 2025. The agreement includes funds Read More →
Read More →
Latest
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, November 25th, 2016 / Editorials, Latest news, Opinion / Comments Off on New vision needed for Ventura County
You might call it the Ventura County conundrum. By many measures, Ventura County has recovered nicely from the recession with relatively low unemployment at 5.3 percent, steady job growth and a nascent boom in the travel and leisure sector. But a deeper dive shows some disturbing trends. Jobs have not recovered to their pre-recession peak, Read More →
Read More →
Latest
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, November 18th, 2016 / Editorials, Latest news, Opinion / Comments Off on Widening Highway 101 will reduce traffic woes
Construction on Highway 101 from Casitas Pass Road to Cabrillo Boulevard through Montecito is causing havoc for commuters trying to navigate from Ventura into Santa Barbara. The project will continue into 2020 as Caltrans-funded upgrades to the 101 are incorporated into widening for high occupancy vehicle lanes through a transportation corridor that’s absolutely crucial to Read More →
Read More →