Arguments Continue to Fly Over El Toro Reuse Issue

* Irvine Mayor Michael Ward and Lake Forest City Mayor Pro Tem Helen Wilson wrote that we must move beyond the El Toro conflict and “commence the business of effective reuse planning that involves the right people” (Letters, Dec. 31).

I wonder in their minds who these “right people” would be. We have a situation here where, according to county figures, the area of southern Orange County, including the six cities and the unincorporated county areas, represents a population of 511,459, which is less than 20% of the total Orange County population of 2,596,511.

Considering these figures, it seems we have an extreme case of the “tail wagging the dog” as a fair representation for the entire Orange County interests as they relate to economic growth, job creation, the existing limited John Wayne Airport and the future of Orange County as it enters the competitive 21st century.

Their demands seem to indicate they wish to control the lives and economics of the entire county so their ox will not be gored by any conversion into a commercial airport of the existing 52-year-old Marine Corps air station. This is despite the fact they have the advantage and benefits of a 16,000-acre airport noise buffer around the present military airport at El Toro.

It is interesting that 95% of the letters to the editor objecting to any commercial airport development at El Toro emanate from South County. They give no consideration to the residents of Tustin and Newport Beach who have provided the air transportation for the entire county from John Wayne Airport. The jets from this airport fly directly over the homes in this area with no noise buffer for these homes. The opponents of any commercial airport at El Toro do not wish to give up their pristine lifestyle even if it prevents the economic growth and necessary comprehensive air transportation improvements required if Orange County is to have its share of the rapidly growing international markets.

We can only hope that some astute business sense will be displayed by our Orange County officials in their El Toro decisions that will affect the economic health of our county for years to come.

E.P. BENSON

Newport Beach

* It is disturbing that among the proposals being considered for the nonairport uses of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station (theme park, sports-entertainment complex, residential development, federal prison, industrial complex, transportation center), there is no serious consideration of the development of a state university.

Property for a new campus has been set aside in Ventura County. While this area does lack a state university, it does not have nearly the population density of southern Orange County. Students in the South County area who wish to attend a state university currently face significant commutes to Fullerton or Long Beach on increasingly congested freeways.

Just recently, the California State University’s Monterey Bay campus was created on part of the Fort Ord property--a success which could be emulated at El Toro.

SHARON CLARK

Irvine

* Last spring, while we were busy fighting to get Measure S on the ballot, a negative El Toro Airport report by a prestigious consulting group was quietly “sunk” by the Orange County Board of Supervisors and their political friends trying to cram a monster airport down our throat, no matter what.

The study was commissioned by the supervisors--paid for by taxpayers’ money. They expected it to support their efforts and confirm the feasibility of yet another an airport, at El Toro.

But when the airport promoters saw that instead of supporting their position the report strongly questioned the feasibility of the proposed airport, they quickly buried it.

Its findings were never published or even mentioned.

We, the people, paid for the report, want it published in its entirety, before the March ballot, and also taken into account by the Airport Reuse Commission.

Decent people are sick and tired of the shameless, self-serving distortions and “under the table” dealings of airport promoters, politicians and “expert economists” who expect to profit hugely, at our expense, from an airport we don’t need, don’t want, and can’t afford, and who want to kill any other, realistic, sensible reuse option for El Toro.

L.B. HARQUAIL

Tustin

* To accurately reflect the modern image of Orange County, let’s change the name to “Lemon County” and let’s call the proposed new El Toro airport “Lemon-Air.” Let’s have a page of the bankruptcy petition enlarged, framed and hung in the airport above the portraits of the county supervisors. You know, kind of like a framed copy of the Constitution.

And, if you like the sound of John Wayne Airport, how about this; a modest name change to Thomas Paine Airport. It sounds sort of similar. And, though Paine was no movie star he said some relevant things, among them:

”. . . Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” (From Common Sense, 1776)

MELVIN D. THOMAS

Laguna Niguel

* Re Newswatch item Jan. 21 on John Wayne Airport:

The 8.4-million passenger limit, the limit of 73 flights daily and the only recently slightly relaxed provision that bars cargo flights are a result of an agreement between the City of Newport Beach, the County of Orange and the Federal Aviation Administration due to the desires of the residents of Newport Beach to minimize the noise, traffic and pollution from aircraft. It is not just a federal limit as the article implies!

Actually, the physical capacity of John Wayne Airport has been estimated and confirmed as recently as October 1994 to be between 12 million and 15 million passengers annually!

HERBERT L. FRANKLIN

Laguna Niguel

* The absurd “airport feasibility report,” published by airport promoters on Jan. 25, projects “service demand” for 18.5 million to 55 million Orange County passengers.

Translated into simple terms it means that every person now in Orange County, men, women, children, babies, even illegal aliens, would fly five to 15 times a year.

Projected to a national level, it would equal people in the United States flying up to 3.6 billion times a year.

If you believe all that, I want to tell you about this nice bridge I have for sale in Brooklyn.

All this is typical of desperate, greedy people going to any length to “prove” the “need” for a monster airport, from which they would profit, but which we, taxpayers, don’t need, don’t want, can’t afford.

And where is last year’s report that seriously questioned the need for an El Toro airport and was then quickly buried by bankrupt Orange County supervisors and other airport proponents?

HUGH C. BOFORS

Irvine

* Re “O.C. Airport Demand Rising, Consultant Says,” Jan. 26:

Yet another study of future needs of South Orange County projected greater than a doubling of the air traffic through John Wayne Airport in less than a decade. Let us not accept the worth of a study without examining the underlying assumptions used to generate the predictions.

What does this enormous increase in the volume of air traffic really mean? It implies a growth of Orange County in its commerce and its population. Does it mean a 50% increase in the population of South Orange County? What were the assumptions of this study?

If such an increase in population is assumed, then I see real problems ahead for Orange County. How much expansion space is available for being able to provide decent housing for this increased population? Will we have to increase the population density by a large factor? How will this impact pollution and water supply? Will it significantly degrade the quality of life in Orange County? Financial progress, growth and quality of life are intimately intertwined. Let us discuss them with accuracy and honesty.

GAURANG B. YODH

Irvine