Airport expansion bad for everyone Regarding the...

Airport expansion

bad for everyone

Regarding the letter to the editor from Rex Ricks of Huntington

Beach (“Readying for revenge from South County residents”) March 30:

Ricks has his fears misplaced if he fears taking on the “South

County NIMBYs” more than he fears taking on the Federal Aviation

Authority and Southern California Association of Governments.

Like a lot of pro-airporters, Ricks fails to understand that the

reason South County was so successful in opposing the airport at El

Toro was not due to enormous political or financial power, but

rather, because the airport idea was a dead loser from a dozen

important perspectives to begin with. South County simply told the

public the truth: the plan would’ve been a disaster for most of

Orange County.

Had the pro-airport arguments been as persuasive and defensible,

there’d be an airport at El Toro today.

The expansion of John Wayne Airport is also a bad idea. It was

built to accommodate 14 million annual passengers during current

operating hours, and up to 18 or 20 million annual passengers with

nighttime operations. We should never allow John Wayne to expand

beyond it’s current footprint, or agree to expanded operating hours,

given the location and size constraints at John Wayne, the

unnecessary impact of nighttime operations on far too many people,

and -- most importantly -- the complete absence of any kind of

believable projection of demand in Orange County from Southern

California Association of Governments.

When will the Airport Working Group finally demand sane air travel

projections that take full account of the development of fast train

technology -- to replace up to a third of all current and future

regional landings and takeoffs?

MICHAEL SMITH

Mission Viejo

Multitude of faiths strengthens invocations

I am saddened by the controversy regarding prayers in city council

meetings. I can swear with impunity, profane without fear, but I

cannot invoke the name of my God for fear it might offend or exclude.

Religious leaders in the community are asked to pray to bless the

proceedings and deliberations of the council. These leaders are asked

because of their beliefs and every expectation should be that they

would pray from within the context of those beliefs. To request that

they abridge their language to reflect someone else’s idea of deity

is to deny the strength of diversity that is so vital to our

country’s very existence. And indeed is limiting their freedom of

speech.

I am honored and strengthened when I hear the prayer of a faithful

Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian or others uttered in my behalf using

the vocabulary that is meaningful to them. I thank them for their

faith and I am grateful that they express it. And I am grateful that

that they are able to express it freely. Let us be vigilant in that

regard.

LISA THOMAS CLAYTON

Newport Beach