FEEDBACK
Our community is nourished by in-depth reporting such as Elise Gee’s on
the 19th Street bridge issue (“A bridge too far,” Dec. 9). This kind of
reporting helps tie the community together across the span of time, as
well as the span of neighborhoods and political boundaries. Consensus is
what allows disparate people to become and remain a community. But
consensus is not easy to get. Consensus on tough issues must be reached
across many divides: temporal as well as spatial; philosophic as well as
economic.
In-depth reporting shines light on the shadows in those divides. I
especially appreciate Gee’s research on the early days of the 19th Street
bridge issue, because I was not in a position to be aware of it then,
even though I lived in the area. I like to know what people were thinking
and dreaming when an issue first arose. That is nearly as important as
knowing what people are thinking and dreaming this very minute. While we
can truly live only in the present, we ignore the past at our peril. Our
community is based not only on the bedrock beneath our feet, but also on
the bedrock of our history. I welcome more in-depth investigations of
current issues.
TOM EGAN
Costa Mesa
Smith’s column insulting to airport supporters
I want to respond to the article by Steve Smith and let you know how
disappointed I am that he would write such an article (“A new NAG about
El Toro airport plan,” Nov. 27). I am astounded when he says that “...
school board officials, the City Council and the Costa Mesa city
population have not responded to the ‘veiled threats and false arguments’
for supporting an airport at El Toro.” That is such an untrue and
slanderous statement. I can’t believe it. Steve Smith, I don’t know what
you are thinking.
There is nothing false and untrue about the necessity to protect the
residents of Costa Mesa against an expanded John Wayne Airport. If you
have any doubts in your mind that John Wayne is going to expand without
El Toro, please Steve, let’s you and I have a public forum in front of
the city of Costa Mesa and debate that issue. I will be more than happy
to establish for you the error of your ways.
John Wayne Airport is already scheduled to expand to 15 million
passengers per year under Alternative F, and 25 million passengers per
year under under Alternative G. Without El Toro as an airport, the
Southern California Assn. of Governments demands that we will have to
move 30 million passengers out of Orange County by the year 2020.
Guess where they are going to be flying out of if there is no El Toro? It
is going to be John Wayne. And Steve, for you to think that there is not
going to be any expanded John Wayne and that this is somehow a veiled
threat and hyperbole is absolutely irrational and irresponsible.
Further, I want to know what you possibly think about the impact the
expanded John Wayne Airport is going to have on the school children when
you have well over 200 schools within a three- to four-mile radius of
John Wayne Airport and approximately six to 10 schools around the three-
to four-mile radius of a El Toro.
Steve, where is your sense of responsibility and obligation that the
school board should have an understanding of that issue and protect those
children?
The only thing that is irrational and the only thing that is inflated and
exaggerated is your calm demeanor in light of this very serious and real
threat to the people of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. And I can’t believe
that the Daily Pilot, a community newspaper that purports to represent
the residents of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, allows somebody like you
to write such an article.
RICHARD TAYLOR
Newport Beach
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