Campaign Money’s on Park for El Toro

Less than three weeks before election day, the only aggressive campaign being waged over the fate of the closed El Toro Marine base is by opponents of Orange County’s plans to build an airport there.

So far, they’ve sent several mailers countywide urging a vote for Measure W, the initiative on the March 5 ballot that would rezone the 4,700-acre property for use primarily as a public park.

But what was expected to be a significant counter effort to convince voters of the benefits of a proposed airport handling 18.8 million passengers a year has not materialized.

No one is more surprised by that than the anti-airport troops.

“We haven’t heard of them doing anything,” said Len Kranser, spokesman for Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities, the anti-airport effort based in south Orange County. “They have some signs up, but that’s it.”

Orange County supervisors had pledged to spend $6 million this fiscal year on mailers and public forums detailing the county’s airport plans. That spending was halted in December when a San Diego County judge ruled that the mailings violated state law barring government campaign advocacy.

Newport Beach had earmarked $3.7 million more to argue for an alternative to John Wayne Airport, but that spending also was stopped to settle a similar lawsuit.

Then there’s the absence of the airport campaign’s chief--and essentially only--private sector donor, billionaire businessman George Argyros, who since 1994 has spent nearly $3.5 million on initiatives.

At this time two years ago, Argyros had given $237,364 to the campaign to defeat Measure F. That initiative, on the March 2000 ballot, would have mandated voter approval before any new airport, large jail or hazardous landfill could be built near homes. It passed with 67% of the vote but was overturned in the courts.

So far this year, the committee Argyros has traditionally funded has not filed any campaign finance reports because it hasn’t raised more than $1,000, according to organizers. The other airport advocacy group, the Airport Working Group of Orange County, has reported raising $42,220 through Jan. 22.

The anti-airport “Yes on W” group reported raising $550,000 through Jan. 19. Since then, it said it has hit the $2-million mark in contributions and pledges.

Bruce Nestande, a former county supervisor who has headed Argyros’ pro-airport committee since 1994, said more money has been collected in the last month, but he declined to reveal how much. The next required campaign report is due Friday and will include the tally from a pro-airport fund-raiser held this month at Antonello’s Ristorante in Costa Mesa.

Airport advocates have been tight-lipped about their fund-raising efforts. David Ellis, the Airport Working Group’s longtime consultant, also declined to comment. Recent polls have shown Measure W leading by up to 10 percentage points--but it could be vulnerable to an infusion of funds spreading an opposing message, particularly in more populous north Orange County, which is more amenable to an El Toro airport.

Speculation abounds among anti-airport forces as to why the influence of Argyros, who recently became the U.S. ambassador to Spain, hasn’t been more visible.

Argyros, who has promoted an airport as crucial to the future economic health of Orange County, announced last spring when he was nominated for the ambassador’s post that he would end his active involvement in the airport campaign. But he didn’t indicate whether he would continue to support it financially.

Argyros couldn’t be reached for comment on whether he will contribute in the remaining weeks.

Some anti-airport activists are crediting U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who was heavily lobbied by airport foes to oppose Argyros’ nomination in the Senate. They speculated that Boxer--who built her political career fighting the commercial conversion of a closed military airfield in Marin County--had persuaded Argyros to stop his pro-airport funding once in Madrid.

Not so, according to Boxer spokesman David Sandretti.

He said Boxer and Argyros did have a telephone conversation about El Toro and Argyros’ involvement in funding the airport cause. But he said that call came after Boxer already had indicated she would support Argyros’ nomination.

“It was in the context that the concern had been raised by a number of constituents,” Sandretti said. “This issue was brought to the attention of Sen. Boxer and there was a discussion about it.”

It’s not unusual that Argyros would take a hands-off approach on a local political issue at this stage, prodded or not, said Jack Pitney, a Republican analyst who teaches government at Claremont McKenna College.

“In practice, ambassadors like to steer clear of local entanglements lest local politics cause problems for them in Washington,” Pitney said. “Obviously, there could be other factors. But ambassadors tend to focus on their diplomatic duties. His perspective has changed.”

Whatever the reason, airport foes are enjoying what so far has been a lopsided fight.

“We’re hoping that George is a practical enough individual to feel that he won’t pour any more money toward a losing cause,” anti-airport spokesman Kranser said. “Even the richest man doesn’t want to throw away a dime on a losing cause.”

Pro-airport forces were banking on getting their message out through the seven-figure public relations campaigns that were approved by county government and Newport Beach but then blocked. They insisted the messages wouldn’t be propaganda, just facts about why another airport for Orange County would be needed.

In 2000, Irvine and a coalition of cities spent $7 million fighting an airport during the Measure F campaign--spending that was not lost on county supervisors or Newport Beach council members at the time. Since Measure F didn’t mention the airport plans for El Toro, a judge allowed the local government spending to proceed.

But the county’s spending to address Measure W was halted after a judge said its “Just the Facts” literature amounted to advocacy for an airport project, which is mentioned in Measure W.

Private anti-airport groups, meanwhile, kept up aggressive fund-raising, tapping into the thousands of South County residents who staunchly oppose an airport. The pro-airport campaign has never had similar private backing.

“Having relied on government money and Argyros for so long, they’ve never generated the grass-roots fund-raising base that we have,” Kranser said.

Still, if past elections are a guide, most of the fund-raising for Measure W will occur in the days leading up to March 5.

In the 1994 election, Argyros gave $634,000 in the last two weeks before the vote. Two years ago, he donated $1 million to the fight against Measure F between the end of January and the March election. In both of those elections, however, he had already given significant early money to fuel the pro-airport campaigns.

Anti-airport forces also have raised money late in past campaigns. Two years ago, the two major “Yes on F” groups reported raising about $200,000 by late January. In the next three weeks, they raised $716,000 more. Overall, anti-airport forces spent about $1.7 million on behalf of Measure F, according to reports filed with the county registrar of voters.

Late spending can be effective in a campaign, if it is part of a strategy conceived well in advance of the final weeks, Pitney said.

“Money doesn’t instantly turn into action,” he said. “It takes time to contact vendors and go through the logistical steps” to target voters, prepare mailers and distribute literature.

One Orange County political consultant said last week that he was saving space for the “No on W” campaign on a slate mailing for Republican voters--but sold it to the “Yes on W” effort when the deadline passed without payment.

Nearly 150,000 voters have applied for absentee ballots, according to county elections officials. Brochures that arrive after their ballots are returned will be wasted.

“Some votes already have been cast,” Pitney said.