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Santa Barbara County is pushing forward with a controversial proposal for a ballot measure for a new oil production tax.
If approved, the dollar a barrel tax on would help the cash strapped county provide more funding for things like fire protection, libraries, parks, and deferred maintenance.
But, oil companies, some business leaders, and some members of the public are blasting the idea, saying it will cost jobs.
This piece, the previous piece (Santa Barbara County Considering Putting Oil Production Tax Proposal To Voters) and the related pressure being brought to bear on oil producers in adjoining Ventura County (Ventura County Supervisors Approve Fracking Questionnaire For Oil, Gas Companies Seeking Drilling Permits) are a nice introduction to the increasingly contentious relationship between local/county governments here in California and our coastal oil production companies.
This stands in stark contrast to other boom regions of our country such as Louisiana and North Dakota.