Adams didn’t vote on anti-El Toro measure

June Casagrande

City Councilman Gary Adams did not vote in the 2000 primary

election that included Measure F, the anti-El Toro initiative, voting

records show.

Adams said that, on short notice, he had to go to Chicago on

business around the time the election took place and that he

certainly would have voted had he been in town.

“My business calls me out of town sometimes, but when I’m in town,

I vote,” he said. “When I have enough notice that I’ll be out of

town, I vote absentee.

“Sometimes it’s on short notice, but whenever I can vote I do,” he

said. “It goes without saying. I take it seriously.”

Adams has taken to task Rick Taylor, one of his opponents in the

upcoming council election, for some of his airport-related

campaigning because of revelations that Taylor, a major backer of an

airport at El Toro, did not vote in March on Measure W, the Great

Park initiative.

Taylor said that Measure F was very important to the city, but

that often people, including his opponent, can have good reasons for

not voting.

“The City Council was very much opposed to Measure F and he was on

that council, but people do miss elections, often for good reasons,”

Taylor said.

Measure F, a county ballot measure nicknamed the Safe and Healthy

Communities Initiative, would have required two-thirds voter approval

for airport projects, large jails in populated areas and hazardous

waste landfills.

The measure passed with a 67% majority. Newport Beach and Costa

Mesa were the only two cities that came out solidly opposed to the

measure.

Some now cite the measure as the first and deadliest blow to these

cities’ hopes of seeing a commercial airport at the closed El Toro

Marine Air Base absorb some of the future demands for Orange County

flights.

The measure was thrown out on grounds it was unconstitutional.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.