Airport Debate

Supervisor Wilson should support Newport Beach

It is extremely distressing that Supervisor Tom Wilson, who is

supposed to represent the citizens of Newport Beach, is not supporting

the Newport Beach City Council in its attempt to protect residents from

an unreasonable expansion of John Wayne Airport. He is dragging his feet

when it comes to helping our city extend the settlement agreement with

the county.

We have always known Wilson makes his decisions based on what his

South County advisors dictate. Unfortunately, those views are often in

direct opposition to what is best for Newport Beach. That certainly is

the case with airport issues.

Remember when Wilson wanted us to support South County’s Measure F? At

that time, he tried to make us believe he really worried about John Wayne

expanding and stated he would fight alongside of us to stop that from

happening. He wanted us all to vote for Measure F.

That line of thinking lasted just as long as it suited South County.

Now, those same people need John Wayne to significantly expand to prevent

the need for El Toro. So, that explains Wilson’s recent statements and

actions. He couldn’t care less about Newport Beach if it interferes with

the interests of South County.

CASEY RANDALL

Newport Beach

South County obviously lawsuit-happy hypocrites

Only South County anti-airport activists would have the gall to send

out a barrage of mailers promoting their ridiculous park plan and then

file a lawsuit to stop Newport Beach from spending money to refute the

lies contained within them.

When are people going to catch on that those NIMBYs are spending

millions of dollars to deceive the public in their effort to stop an El

Toro airport?

JAMES MARTIN

Newport Beach

City Council failed to maintain same caps

It appears that the Newport Beach City Council got greedy and is now

losing. If they would have worked with South County on El Toro, they

could have kept the existing caps on John Wayne. Maybe the City Council

should reconsider its position and build the coalition that is needed to

keep John Wayne in its current state.

DOUG BURFORD

Newport Beach

Taxpayers will end up paying for Great Park

I have received several mailings promoting “The Great Park” at the El

Toro Marine base site. The flyers are beautiful with their color pictures

on glossy paper depicting palm trees in a garden setting with winding

pathways and babbling brooks. Nowhere is there a mention of the cost or

how it is to be financed.

As a prior business man, I have learned the hard way of two basic

principles that are in the same category as death and taxes:

1. There is no free lunch.

2. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

After reading each proposal, I am faced with the same question: Who

pays and how much? Is it the Feds, the state, the county, the city of

Irvine, the taxpayers? That is you and me. I don’t know about you, but

when I vote on Measure J -- for Joke -- it will not be “No,” but “[heck]

No.”

ELMER COTE

Newport Beach

County headed down another slippery slope

In the ‘70s, Gov. Jerry Brown stopped new freeway construction. Now

look at our congested freeways and the cost of catch-up we are paying. We

have not built any new power plants in the past 10 years while there has

been an increase of 5 million residents.

Gov. Gray Davis and the Democratic California Legislature have no clue

how to solve the problem. We are again playing catch-up. The bulk power

cost was $7 billion in 1999 and topped $27 billion last year. Vice

President Dick Cheney recently said we had no new gasoline refineries

constructed in the past 25 years. Look now at the pump price of $2, and

it’s still going up. Again, we will have to build refineries to catch up.

Why have we not planned for our future needs? The answers are not

simple but can be attributed in great measure to the NIMBYs. In the last

10 years, California grew by 5 million people and will continue to grow.

South Orange County grew 131.9% in the last 10 years. Now we are faced

with the same problem of growth on air transportation. We don’t have the

necessary runways or new airports to handle the ever-increasing demand.

We had no new construction for some four years; again we must play

catch-up.

The Southern California Assn. of Cities on April 4 stated that 167

million passengers will be using Southern California airways by 2020.

Orange County is projected to have about 34 million annual air passenger

needs. El Toro must fit into our future plans to satisfy our growth. El

Toro has 4,700 acres and 1,800 acres of buffer, a $10-billion gift from

the government. If the residents of this county really want another park,

after the airports needs, there are still 2,500 acres left provided we

are willing to pay its upkeep: Estimates of $5,000 to $8,000 per acre a

year for its maintenance.

Orange County can’t play catch up with the air transportation needs

because we just don’t have any more land other than El Toro. It is time

for the responsible citizens of Orange County to step up and tell the

NIMBYS. Let’s not have the same problems with our air transportation as

we have with our freeways, our gasoline or our electrical energy. The

future is now.

VIRGIL L. GALEY

Newport Beach

Supervisors only looking out for their careers

The May 14 Daily Pilot headline asked, “Will new JWA plan fly smooth?”

Not if county supervisors Tom Wilson and Todd Spitzer can help it. They

will fight the new plan because it would put more pressure on the county

to build El Toro airport.

Both Wilson and Spitzer are more interested in their political careers

than in safeguarding the citizens affected by air traffic from John

Wayne. Isn’t it interesting that both of those supervisors will not

support extending the settlement agreement but aggressively oppose any

size of an airport at El Toro?

That position defies logic considering JWA could soon double or triple

in size despite being located on a mere 500 acres of land, while the

4,700 acres at El Toro and its extensive runways would be plowed under to

plant rose gardens.

CLAUDIA DOWNS

Newport Beach