April 10, 2003

Economic Outlook for Santa Barbara County Topic of April 17 UCSB Seminar

Mara Cotich

The Economic Forecast Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara will present its annual seminar on the outlook for Santa Barbara County's economy on Thursday, April 17.

Speakers at the half-day program will review the performance of the local, state, and national economies in 2002 and offer their views on the outlook for the county's economy in 2003. The 22nd Annual Santa Barbara County Economic Forecast Seminar will be held at the Lobero Theatre, 33 East Canon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara. Registration and breakfast (at El Paseo Restaurant) begin at 7 a.m. The speaking program begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at noon.

The UCSB Economic Forecast Project is a research unit that provides regional economic data, analysis, and forecasts to the community.

Bill Watkins, executive director of the Economic Forecast Project and a former research economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., will present the Santa Barbara County economic review and forecast.

Other speakers and their topics include:

·Dan Walters, a syndicated columnist whose work now appears in more than 50 California newspapers: "The California Budget Crisis"

·Alan Reynolds, an economist, columnist, senior fellow of the Cato Institute, and a former vice president and chief economist at the First National Bank of Chicago: "Taxing Times: Bush Tax Plans and the War Budget"

·David Hayes-Bautista, a professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and director of the university's Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture:

"Demographics of the New Economy"

Admission to the seminar is $200 per person and includes a copy of The 2003 Santa Barbara County Economic Outlook, featuring some 175 pages of data and analysis, including graphs and tables. (The book can be purchased separately for $106.86, including shipping.)

To register for the seminar, or for more information, contact the UCSB Economic Forecast Project by phone, (805) 893-5159; or fax, (805) 893-2754.

Information about the UCSB Economic Forecast Project's programs, publications, and research activities can be found at www.ucsb-efp.com.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.