Blame CityCouncil for Long Beach flights...

Blame CityCouncil for Long Beach flights

I have no sympathy for West Costa Mesa residents who are

complaining of Long Beach flights over their homes, “Long Beach

flights rattle West Costa Mesa” (Aug. 22.) Why? Because they did very

little to support a new airport at El Toro.

Everyone was warned that without an El Toro airport, there would

be enormous pressure to expand other airports such as Long Beach,

John Wayne and Ontario. The time has come and so you all better go

buy some earplugs because this is just the beginning.

Wait until John Wayne also expands. Costa Mesa will be hit by both

Long Beach and John Wayne air traffic. I suggest Costa Mesa residents

go complain to the City Council that was asked -- no, begged -- to

help support an El Toro airport, which would have prevented the

problem.

Councilman Gary Monahan voiced his support, but the rest of the

council members dragged their feet and ended up doing as little as

possible. They are the ones who deserve residents’ wrath, not for

what they did, but for what they neglected to do.

LAURA ANDERSON

Newport Beach

Elected officials need to fight Measure W in courts

I wish David Ellis had mentioned which state legislators he

thought had surrendered on El Toro (Community Commentary, “Airport

funding was set aside to educate, not defeat,” Sept. 6). If he had,

we could have written letters and sent money to their opponents to

correct the problem. I am not aware of any state assembly member or

state senator up for reelection this election cycle.

However, two local politicians, Newport Beach Councilmen Tod

Ridgeway and Gary Adams, are up for reelection.

Without the Federal Aviation Administration and the Airline

Transportation Assn. signing on to the John Wayne Airport Extension

Agreement (which they have not) there are no guarantees that John

Wayne, the only international airport in Orange County, will not

grow, by default. Why stop protecting Newport Beach now -- especially

now -- when the future of John Wayne is so uncertain.

Ridgeway and Adams coincidentally hired Ellis to run their

campaigns.

The working group volunteers have done an outstanding job in the

fight against Measure W in spite of being incredibly outspent.

Twenty-one cities voted against Measure W, 14 cities voted for

Measure W. The difference? More “yes” voters came out to the polls

than “no” voters.

If some of that half-million dollars had gone toward educating

voters to get to the polls, or an absentee ballot effort made (a

suggestion made by volunteers, but flatly rejected), the court battle

would not have to be made. But it does need to be waged -- and where

are our elected officials now?

Waving the white flag. My vote would be for the guy not paid for

his passion and a donation earmarked solely for the lawsuit to

overturn Measure W.

ANN WATT

Santa Ana Heights

If it’s not one airport, it’s another, or another

I am yet another beleaguered homeowner in Costa Mesa who can no

longer sleep in the morning (as the planes start flying over my home

from 6 to 6:30 a.m. every morning), and because I work at home, I no

longer have any peace or relief from the noise.

What is the point of having strict noise restrictions at John

Wayne if planes from Long Beach have no restrictions whatsoever over

Costa Mesa?

TINA WASICK

Costa Mesa