$5 million may go to pro-El Toro campaign

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT-MESA -- Supporters of an airport for the closed El Toro Marine

base praised a move on the Orange County Board of Supervisors to fund a

public information campaign.

At its Tuesday meeting, the board is scheduled to consider a

$5-million outlay to the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, a

loose-knit coalition of North County cities lobbying for an El Toro

airport.

If approved, the money would be distributed between April 1 and June

30, 2002, in $1-million increments. The authority would receive quarterly

funding.

The funding appears to be a sure thing on a board that has been

sharply divided on the El Toro issue. Supervisors James Silva, whose

district includes Costa Mesa, Chuck Smith and Cynthia Coad have provided

the county with a pro-El Toro majority.

On Friday, Smith said he has been frustrated by the county’s inability

to get out its message about the benefits of an airport at El Toro.

“The county has not been effective at all because we’ve spent zero

money on it,” Smith said. “That’s changing.”

Supervisors Tom Wilson, whose district includes Newport Beach, and

Todd Spitzer have fought against an aviation use for the base. Neither

could be reached for comment.

South County cities have ponied up ample funding to hire a slew of

public relations firms to help sink the county’s plan. The El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority, a nine-city public agency, spent more than $2.87

million during the 1999-00 fiscal year. Irvine spent $8.1 million in the same period, records show.

One of those firms, Waters and Faubel, has served as the mouthpiece

for the cities, which have said an airport at El Toro would be unsafe. On

Friday, Meg Waters, a spokeswoman for ETRPA, said the board would be

foolish to approve the $5 million.

“They’re going to be throwing good money after bad,” Waters said.

“It’s an inappropriate use of taxpayer money.”

The county approved a $176,000 payment to the 15-city airport

authority on Nov. 23, 1999. Yet that funding was frozen shortly after the

March 2000 passage of Measure F, which barred county lobbying efforts.

Earlier this year, Gen. Art Bloomer was chosen as the new executive

director for the airport authority. Bloomer, a former commander at El

Toro and one-time Irvine councilman, has been given the assignment of

revitalizing the group.

“We haven’t been able to get our message out about why an El Toro

airport would be good for the citizens of Orange County,” Bloomer said.

“What El Toro offers us is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

If given the funding, Bloomer said he would hire public relations

firms to mount an information campaign through direct mailing and other

channels.

Silva backed Bloomer with a vote of confidence.

“I look forward to very honest and accurate information getting out

there to the people of Orange County,” Silva said.