Is there room at the table?

Costa Mesa should be at the table, day one, on equal footing, with

Newport Beach when discussing who should control John Wayne Airport.

John Wayne Airport is in Costa Mesa’s sphere of influence. Irvine

should also be at the table since JWA is in its sphere of influence.

But wait: The corridor cities should also be at the table because

the burdens (overflights and traffic) and benefits (revenues from

trade and tourism) of JWA accrue to them as well -- so the airport is

in their sphere of influence.

But wait: The benefits (revenues from parking and off-site

revenues from hotels, business and the overall revenue generated by

trade and tourism) and burdens (cost of additional ground

transportation) of JWA accrue to the state of California, so they

should be at the table on day one, as well.

But wait: State revenue generated by trade and tourism from the

state of California is sent (albeit disproportionately) to the

federal government, and the federal government receives the benefits

of revenue generated by JWA. But the Feds also accrue the burdens, in

terms of providing federal transportation dollars for additional road

projects. Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce --

John Wayne Airport being one airport in the national transportation

system.

The question becomes whose sphere of influence are you talking

about? Either this will be a mighty long table or a small one on

Congress.

This is why the annexation of the former Marine base at El Toro

should be stopped immediately. El Toro is no more in the sphere of

influence of one city, Irvine, than JWA is in Newport. We, the

federal taxpayers, own El Toro.

We paid for it with our taxes, and those taxes were placed in the

Defense budget. The Department of Navy has no right whatsoever to

allow our federal asset at El Toro to come under the influence of

just one city for exactly the same reasons outlined above. It seems

the future of both of these public assets will take an act of

Congress to sort out.

Finally, Newport Beach is quite late in worrying about future

expansions of John Wayne. If they wanted to control expansions, they

should have worked with all the parties above to have a reasonable

transportation system in Orange County.

They should have at least filed a lawsuit to try and stop the

annexation of El Toro by Irvine (thank you, AWG, for that). Newport

Beach should not have voted for Peter Herzog for the open position on

the Orange County Local Agency Formation, who is a virulent opponent

of El Toro airport, when the obvious candidate for Newport’s vote was

Lucille Kring of Anaheim -- a pro-airport supporter.

It really makes a person wonder about leadership and motives in

Newport Beach. Costa Mesa saw how Newport led in the El Toro fight,

so I can definitely see why Costa Mesa would want to be at the table,

representing their own interests in this discussion.

ANN WATT

Newport Beach

Having spent 30 years living in north Costa Mesa, until moving to

the Sierra Foothills in September, I definitely think the city of

Costa Mesa should not be put-off until they have a seat on any group

contemplating any kind of takeover of John Wayne Airport.

For approximately two to three years before leaving Costa Mesa, we

were subject to approach overflights for Long Beach Airport, even

though the city was told that was not the destination of the planes.

(Twin-engine jets with blue fuselages? Jet Blue, anyone?)

So, if Costa Mesa doesn’t demand to get on board now (no pun

intended), then it will only have itself to blame when and if things

go sour.

JAMES WAGNER

Coarsegold, Calif.

I am responding to the John Wayne Airport discussion raised by

Costa Mesa Councilman Allan Mansoor, with whom I agree. If control of

the airport is not shared from the start, conflict will continue as

long as the airport exists.

John Wayne Airport sits on land in Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa

Mesa and Irvine. Is there an appropriate reason for Newport Beach to

be assuming the lead and acquiring exclusivity in talks with the

county?

I really want to know the answer to that. I just don’t know.

CHARLOTTE ALEXANDER

Costa Mesa