Airport foes fuming over possible counterinitiative

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Though El Toro proponents remain tight-lipped

about the details of a competing airport initiative, supporters of the

Safe and Healthy Communities Act are already incensed at the whisper of

possibility.

Several pro-airport leaders Tuesday declined to comment on the

possible competing initiative, saying that nothing has been drafted and

no ideas have been finalized.

But leaders of the anti-airport initiative this week let their

reaction be heard loud and clear, saying they were angry at news that

Chuck Smith, chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, had met

with Newport Beach businessman George Argyros and discussed the

possibility of a competing initiative on the March ballot.

They fear the counterinitiative would slide through the board of

supervisors 3-2 pro-airport majority and get on the ballot without

pro-airport forces having to gather a single signature.

More than 5,000 anti-airport volunteers spent countless hours

gathering 190,000 signatures for their measure -- more than twice the

amount necessary to qualify the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative

for the March ballot.

If passed, the initiative would give voters the right to approve

proposed airports, jails or landfills in residential areas.

Bonnie O’Neil, a member of the Airport Working Group, said she thinks

the bitterness is unfounded because voters in two countywide elections

and the supervisors already have approved the conversion of the base into

a commercial airport.

“The Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative is just one of a hundred

different agendas they have developed to sabotage El Toro airport,” she

said. “With that in mind, I find it deplorable that they have the

audacity to publicly state their anger at airport supporters, who in

defense are planning to place a counterinitiative on the ballot.”

But airport foes asserted that if a counterinitiative were to gain the

board of supervisors’ approval, the South County community reaction would

be swift and fierce.

“There would be no other purpose in [the proponents submitting a

counterproposal] other than to somehow limit the voters right to

choose,” said Jeff Metzger, chair of the Citizens for Safe and Healthy

Communities.

James Campbell, a spokesman for Smith, said the board chairman has not

received any counterproposal, but would consider one if he did.

“[Chairman Smith] would take a look at any possible

counterinitiative,” Campbell said. “As of this point it’s purely

speculation, as he has not received any information relating to a

competing initiative.”

QUESTION: What do you think of the possible initiative to compete

with the anti-airport Safe and Healthy Communities Act on the March

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