Airport battle turns to one-upmanship today

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Both sides in the El Toro airport war are planning

an informational showdown today.

First, the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, a coalition of

groups that support plans to build the airport, will hold a press

conference this morning to “make sure the public has accurate

information,” said Executive Director Peggy Ducey.

Then two hours later, supporters of the antiairport Safe and Healthy

Communities Initiative will meet to turn in their petition to the county

registrar.

The group, which had to collect about 71,000 signatures to qualify for

the March 2000 ballot, claims to have 180,000.

“Civilized warfare is exactly what it is,” said Jeff Metzger, chairman of

Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities. “Our initiative is not just

about airports, it’s about letting voters of the county decide where

we’re going to put airports, jails and toxic dumps.”

Organizers are expecting a number of the people who signed the initiative

to be there when it’s handed to the county.

“I’m sure there are going to be a lot of people there,” said Leonard

Kranser, the group’s spokesman. “[Supervisors Tom Wilson and Todd

Spitzer] are coming to speak and some councilmen from the City of

Orange.”

But Ducey, who until recently worked for Newport Beach on El Toro issues,

contended that a show of support won’t change the fact that the group has

been presenting “half of the truth” about the airport.

Airport authority officials say an example of such half-truths from the

antiairport faction is a mailing paid for by the city of Laguna Niguel.

Ducey said she hopes the meeting will be the beginning of a campaign that

gets out information that counters -- and possibly overshadows -- the

antiairport group’s own press conference.

“As a resident, when you vote for this, you’re not just voting to oppose

the airport,” she said. “You’re voting for something that will affect the

quality of life far, far in the future.”