Steve Smith -- WHAT’S UP?

Before I tell you a story, here’s my position: I am firmly against any

expansion of John Wayne Airport and I will vigorously fight any such

plans, both in this space and elsewhere.

But don’t ask me to endorse a big, noisy, smelly airport eight miles down

the road at El Toro. If a big, noisy, smelly airport is not good for us,

it’s not good for our neighbors in El Toro, either.

Here’s the story. Ten days before Tuesday’s vote, the El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority, a coalition of South County cities, passed this

resolution:

“Now therefore be it resolved, that the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority

Board of Directors calls upon the Board of Supervisors to formally

terminate any further consideration of alternatives for the expansion of

John Wayne Airport; and be it further resolved, that the El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority and its member communities and organizations will join

hands with the communities around John Wayne Airport to oppose expansion

of John Wayne Airport and promote community-friendly solutions for Orange

County’s transportation needs.”

The authority’s offer to help stop the expansion of John Wayne is sincere

and those who were at the meeting will tell you that it did not pass

without debate. The panel’s concern, however, was not over ratifying the

resolution, but if it was worded strongly enough.

On Feb. 29, the day of the meeting, polls showed Measure F pulling away

with their anti-airport war chest full of money. Thus, the main reason

for the authority to pass the resolution was to show their willingness to

help our locals achieve what they’ve stated all along was their goal --

that is, stopping the possible expansion of John Wayne.

The authority was ahead in the polls. They had lots of money left with

which to fight. Now, does that seem to be a good time to offer an olive

branch to your opposition?

And if you are the opposition, wind out of your sails, coffers dry and

just six days before you’re trying to get people to believe that all you

want is to stop the expansion of John Wayne, is it a good idea to tell a

newspaper that you’re suspicious of the helping hand that was offered?

Of course not, but the day after the authority’s offer, Tom Naughton,

president of the Airport Working Group, told the Daily Pilot, “Just

because they say ‘we want to work with you’ doesn’t really mean much.

There has never been a plan from them except talk.”And from Newport Beach

City Councilman Gary Adams, we read, “I’m very suspicious of it.”

Suspicious of what, exactly? Suspicious of an offer to help stop the

expansion of John Wayne by a group that was less than a week away from

driving a huge nail into the coffin of the El Toro airport?

Here is the answer to anyone who is still suspect of the reuse

authority’s motives: in an e-mail I received two days ago, two days after

Measure F passed, anti-airport leader Eileen Moskow wrote to me, “What is

the next move? How can we get the two sides together, and really work

toward making everyone happy?”

That, my friends, does not smack of someone who is taking their ball and

going home. They want to help us. The pro-airport crowd should stop

pushing the El Toro plan and concentrate solely on a campaign to limit

the expansion at John Wayne.

A parallel campaign will not work. After all, why should the authority or

any other South County anti-airport organization help us stop John Wayne

when we have vowed to continue the fight to build an airport at El Toro?

And if you think you don’t need their support to stop John Wayne, think

again. After last Tuesday’s crushing defeat, the last thing I’d want is

to have those folks on the other side pushing for a bigger airport at

John Wayne.

The time for suspicion, rhetoric, divisiveness and distortion is over.

Now both sides have the same goal: the end of any plans to expand John

Wayne. (Eileen also wrote that she wouldn’t mind seeing it disappear,

too, a thought that has appeared in this space. But for now, we’re

concentrating on achievable goals).

Supervisor Tom Wilson, who correctly pointed out last November that “the

clock is ticking,” is ready to help the Airport Working Group stop the

expansion of John Wayne before time runs out in 2005. The El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority is ready to help them stop the expansion of John Wayne

before time runs out in 2005. And although I could not confirm the offer

before my deadline, I have reason to believe that Rep. Christopher Cox

(R-Newport Beach) will also help them fight any expansion.

All we need is the Airport Working Group, but you won’t find them working

to stop John Wayne. They’ll be in court, trying in vain once again to

convince everyone that what is bad for the twin cities is good for El

Toro.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. He can be

reached via e-mail at o7 dailypilot@latimes.comf7 , or call our Readers

Hotline at (949) 642-6086.