READERS RESPOND

How much is enough? How much money should the Newport Beach City Council

provide as an alternative to the land use proposal by South County

anti-airport activists? There should be no self-imposed limit! Heck,

Irvine City Council has $11 million -- that’s million, dear readers -- in

its coffers to fight against the proposed airport at El Toro, though (not

surprisingly) I didn’t see your reporter mention that fact. It is clear

that the reporters in the local papers -- including, but not limited to,

the Daily Pilot, the Orange County edition of the Los Angeles Times and

the Orange County Register -- consistently slant their news articles

against the proposed airport. I support the Newport Beach City Council,

and any other group, to spend as much money as needed to get the airport

proposal out to the rest of the Orange County residents.

If one can’t rely on the media to report without bias, then it does take

a whole lot of money to get the word out on one’s own. This is a land-use

decision that affects the entire county, not a decision that affects only

Newport Beach and South County, as the reporters so diligently try to

portray. The former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station is a gift to the

Orange County taxpayers and an answer to the area’s regional air

transportation needs in the next millennium. We know John Wayne is

needed, all 500 acres, and we also know El Toro is need, with its 4,700

acres, to fill air-travel demands.

If the Pilot reporter wanted to report the facts regarding the Airport

Working Group Meeting held Aug. 12 at the Central Library (which 300

people attended), then the reporter would have written that Newport Mayor

O’Neil stated he does not expect John Wayne will close if El Toro

operated as an airport -- as it had when the Marines were stationed

there. I do not expect John Wayne will close either.

If there were 300 people at the meeting, and the reporter found a lone

anti-airport activist to quote, what does that tell you about where the

reporters bias lie? I’m not saying the reporter should slant the news

article the other way. Quite the contrary! Just report the facts!! Report

the content of the Airport Working Group’s presentation. That’s what we

want from the news reporters -- facts! If the newspapers won’t report the

facts on the proposed reuse of the airport at El Toro, then I say spend

as much money as needed for the Orange County residents to become

informed!

ANN WATT

Newport Beach

Regarding your question in today’s paper, “How Much is Enough,” I feel

that Newport Beach should not be limited on spending money to promote

building the El Toro airport. There is no limit on those against the

airport, so why play favorites?We are in favor of the much needed

airport, and anything that will help to bring it about is OK with us.

There is a definite need for air traffic in Orange County, and the ground

that is available should not be wasted on other things.

SIDNEY AND ELEANORE TRIGHER

Costa Mesa

I appreciate the Newport Beach City Council wisely funding the Orange

County Regional Airport Authority (OCRAA) with $150,000. The question is

not whether this was a wise decision, because of course it was! Is it

enough? Well, consider that the counter group to OCRAA (El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority, better known as ETRPA) has already spent about $8

million fighting the proposed El Toro Airport.

The city of Irvine alone has spent about $6 million and has another $17

million they are able and willing to contribute for the fight.

South County cities are willing to spend a great deal of money so that

they won’t have any jet noise. How much is Newport Beach willing to spend

so that we won’t have to endure threetimes as much as we now have? I

guess the answer is however much it takes. Our city must be protected so

that our citizens will not have their quality of life destroyed by an

enormous expansion of JWA.

BONNIE O’NEIL

Newport Beach

I am responding to your article “Newport Beach Gives $150,000 to the El

Toro Airport fight.” Your question is how much is enough. How much is

enough is when the airport is finally developed as a commercial airport

like the county voters have requested on two separate occasions. $150,000

is nothing. It is chicken feed compared to what is being spent by the

coalition of South County communities who are not only bent on protecting

their own selfish interest, but are also seeking to deny the county

voters their will. This is a struggle that has been going on for many,

many years. And this looks like we are in the last year. I think that the

cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa and all other cities that are

located in the John Wayne corridor, as well other bright-minded county

voters, should put up as much money as they can to ensure that El Toro

goes forward so that our vote means something.

MARK READE

Costa Mesa

In response to your article in the Aug. 24th paper -- Newport Beach gives

$150,000 more for El Toro Airport. How much is enough? Please, simple

logic and common sense. Save the taxpayers money. El Toro is an outdated

airport in the wrong location with serious safety and noise concerns. The

conversion of El Toro at best is an outrageous quick fix. However, Camp

Pendleton has copious amounts of land adjacent to the ocean. The location

is great with room for future expansion. I would like to suggest that

those in question adjust their egos and pursue what is best for the

communities at large. Build a new modern international airport at Camp

Pendleton with a complimentary rail system to the surrounding areas.

LARRY SCHMITZ

Newport Beach

I am outraged that [Newport Beach] is continuing to support -- with all

of the money they are spending on this -- to move the airport to El Toro.

I think it is insulting to think that we would fight the airport being in

our town, but we want it to be in somebody else’s. And they are using the

taxpayers’ money. I don’t think that the population of Newport Beach

supports this action. I think they should stop it immediately.

DONALD CORBIN

Newport Beach

Economically, this county is going to fall into a quagmire if we do not

have an international airport here. I think the entire county should

really think long and hard on this and know that it is in the best

interest for this county. We can attract numerous more jobs in this

county. More revenue. Control it. We could also use more U.P.S., FedEx,

and so on. International flights from here. Being an Orange County

resident, the thought of driving up to L.A. International is just

horrendous. And it is not much better going to San Diego. I think you can

get a lot of support from North San Diego County as well. John Wayne is

taxed to its limit. There is no more improvement or expansion that makes

any sense at that airport, possibly other than a heliport being added for

shuttling people to LAX. But that never seems to work anywhere in

California. El Toro must become an international airport.

CRAIG SULLIVAN

Balboa Island

I think the city of Newport Beach should give as much to the airport as

the citizens will allow them to give. If there is enough to give that

much, go for it.

ALAN REMINGTON

Costa Mesa

For a city such as Newport Beach, whose residents are generally so

unhappy about what residents call the “tax-and-spend U.S. Congress,” I

cannot understand how residents can accept the city throwing hundreds of

thousands of taxpayer dollars into the endless pit of a proposed airport

at El Toro. Enough already.

MARTIN BROWER

Corona del Mar