READERS RESPOND

AT ISSUE: While Bonnie O’Neil’s views of the Safe and Healthy Communities

Initiative sit well with most local residents, they have raised the ire

of those in South County.

Ironically, your “Flight Plan” article in the Daily Pilot on Saturday 13,

1999 was the same day I received a promotional flyer from El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority (probably along with thousands of other Orange County

residents). It had one of those slick survey cards, which could only

serve their objectives. I suspect they will use the Newport responses to

show how insensitive and hypocritical we are, and the responses from the

residents in the communities represented by the El Toro Reuse Planning

Authority, to support their contention that a vast majority of Orange

County residents oppose making El Toro into a commercial airport.

I returned their card with only one question checked. I checked yes to

“Would you favor limiting John Wayne Airport to its current size and

restrict El Toro to nonaviation use?” but added the following note: And

residents within the boundaries of the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority

would be barred from using John Wayne to limit use. In other words, let

them go to LAX and Ontario for flights.

The Sunday Los Angeles Times had a series of letters to the editor about

the subject. One, I thought, had some merit was maybe both groups should

get together to find another solution to providing for future air

transportation needs of County citizens.

KAM GLEASON

Newport Beach

Views from the south

For months I have been called a NIMBY for not wanting to build an airport

in my back yard. Now, I read Bonnie O’Neil’s article to find out an

airport is not desirable “because it can only lead to increased air

pollution, traffic congestion and a depression of economic opportunity

for this region.” Thank you Bonnie O’Neil for joining with the super

majority of South Countians who have expressed the same exact views about

El Toro and the expansion of John Wayne. Support the Safe and Healthy

Communities Initiative in March. United, we all win. Divided, Orange

County will be fractured beyond repair.

TERRY MOUNT

Lake Forest

In “Flight Plan” (Nov 13) Bonnie O’Neil warns readers: “...don’t be

fooled into thinking it (Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative) will

help you or me stop an expansion at John Wayne. Don’t take my word for

it, however, read

on.” I’ve got a better idea. Don’t take anyone’s word for it. Get a copy

of the initiative itself. Read it. Have an attorney friend who is

familiar with the current agreement, which regulates John Wayne Airport

read (and critique) it. If anyone really wants to know the facts, it’s a

relatively small matter to go straight to the source.

If, having done that, anyone in the communities nearest John Wayne are

still worried, contact Newport Beach city government and ask them why

they have repeatedly refused the opportunity to take expansion of John

Wayne off the table. Contact Supervisor Tom Wilson’s office -- they’d

probably be happy to provide the documentation.

Why, you might ask, would this be the case? Because your own city

officials don’t want to remove the threat of John Wayne expansion, even

though it is entirely within their capacity to do so. Without the looming

threat of John Wayne expanding, the “scare tactic” approach, a la Bonnie

O’Neil, doesn’t hold much water, and they haven’t got a case.

By all means take this opportunity to make a decision based solely on the

facts, minus any of the “spin” from either side of the airport debate.

See for yourself what the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative will do

for you.

MATTHEW RUIZ

Tustin