Peter Rupert, executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project, talks about why Ventura retail trends are up in Ventura County, but abysmal and their lowest in Santa Barbara since 1990. Rupert recently made a presentation at the State of Santa Barbara County event. In this podcast, Rupert talks Santa Barbara's struggles with retail. He also breaks down how planners made incorrect projections regarding cannabis tax revenues, the status of employee, the softening housing market and the upcoming recession. Rupert is one of the region's brightest economic minds.

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Josh Molina is a journalist who has worked for the San Jose Mercury News, Noozhawk, Ventura County Star and other publications. He also teaches journalism at Santa Barbara City College and Cal State University, Northridge. He is an award-winning investigative reporter who uncovered elder abuse at Beverly La Cumbre, which led to the largest civil settlement against a nursing home operator in history.