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