The Santa Barbara community and the music industry lost a pioneer on November 23, 2021. Ernest Joseph Orosco, "Ernie" to everyone who knew him, was a very talented guitarist who grew up in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara musician wins long battle to receive unemployment benefits
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - We have a heartwarming follow up now to a recent Tipline Investigation. A few weeks ago, we introduced you to Ernie Orosco. The professional guitarist started selling off his instruments to survive a year after applying for unemployment benefits.
Ernie’s story struck a chord with a lot of people in our community. The pandemic shutdown killed all of his business and, like so many others, he thought his state unemployment benefits would help him when he needed it most.
Orosco invited us back to his music studio to give us an update on his long fight with the California Employment Development Department. He filed for EDD benefits in March, 2020, but all he got for the next year was the runaround.
Tipline Investigation: Local musician waiting for unemployment benefits forced to sell instruments
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - We have another followup to the chaos within California’s unemployment system. Our series of reports have clearly shown how some people are desperately trying to survive as they deal with the broken system.
Ernie Orosco and his bands, Ernie and the Emperors and The Brian Faith Band, are well known in the Santa Barbara area. They’ve played at venues up and down the coast for decades. But, when the pandemic hit the music stopped.
Orosco has suffered through tough times recently, including the death of his brother Cory.