Measuring up to the competition

Jasmine Lee & Greg Risling

NEWPORT-MESA -- With the primary election just 10 days away, El Toro

advocates are feverishly fighting Measure F during what is perhaps the

most crucial time in a political campaign.

Volunteers for the Airport Working Group have in the past two months held

community meetings, sponsored by local PTAs, telling residents that the

passage of Measure F could devastate Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.

Meanwhile, anti-airport forces have continued to gain momentum in the

campaign, which has consisted of many mailers and several television

commercials. A recent Times Orange County poll found that 56% of

residents countywide would vote for Measure F.

If passed, the measure, which is designed to block the county’s plans for

a $2.9-billion airport at the closed Marine Corps base at El Toro, would

require a two-thirds majority of voters to approve certain projects, such

as commercial airports, hazardous waste landfills and jails.

If a second airport is not built, the county could expand John Wayne

Airport, according to an environmental study of the El Toro project.

The El Toro advocacy group has focused on the possibility of a John Wayne

expansion, which could, in a worst-case scenario, result in the

demolition of 700 acres around the airport to make room for another

runway and a second terminal.

“I sincerely believe that if there’s no El Toro, this is what will happen

to John Wayne because it’s the only game in town,” said Tom Naughton,

president of the Airport Working Group, at a meeting this week.

Another meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Davis Education Center

in Costa Mesa.

The group’s volunteers most recently made presentations Thursday at

TeWinkle Intermediate School in Costa Mesa, and Wednesday at Ensign

Intermediate School in Newport Beach.

At Ensign, more than 100 people attended despite wet weather to hear

descriptions of a John Wayne Airport gone out of control.

Costa Mesa Mayor Gary Monahan, one of the speakers, said people need to

spread the word -- telling their neighbors and writing letters to

politicians.

For the most part, residents here have eagerly received the pro-airport

message, vowing to become involved in the campaign against Measure F and

protesting angrily about South County residents who are fighting an El

Toro airport.

But Edward Carels, who has attended some of the meetings, said he had

heard the same speech before. The Newport Beach resident said he wanted

to see action.

“We sit here in these boring meetings, listening to these words,” he

said. “We’re being very civilized ... But what can we do to demonstrate

that we are passionate, too?”

Carels, who has lived in Newport Beach for 20 years, suggested local El

Toro supporters do something drastic, such as park thousands of cars

around John Wayne Airport in protest.

Newport Beach Councilwoman Norma Glover, also a speaker, said South

County has already won the war of emotion.

“I think that we’re the older part of the county; we’re used to acting in

a more civilized way,” Glover said. “South County is still evolving. It’s

like a young pup.”

She said the way for airport advocates to win was through bureaucracy.

The turnout was much lower at TeWinkle, where rows of empty chairs far

outnumbered the 20 residents who turned out. Presenters once again sold

the point that the rest of the county should share the burden of living

under a flight path.

“We are doing more than our share,” said AWG member Tom Anderson. “I

think South County is trying to stall this proposal until 2005 and then

hit us with the John Wayne expansion.”

The few people who attended did voice their opposition to Measure F.

Ellen Carroll, TeWinkle’s PTA president, said her mind was already made

up before she attended the meeting.

“I don’t want to see John Wayne expand -- bottom line,” she said. “The

chances of expansion are greater if Measure F passes.”