The nation needs airport at El Toro...

The nation needs

airport at El Toro

There are compelling reasons for opening a Los Angeles El Toro

international airport, and I would like to share my reasons with

other readers to compare to reasons of their own: “Vote may reopen

local airport row,” Daily Pilot, May 12.

* El Toro’s four jumbo-jet runways are needed now to accommodate

passenger demand.

* Los Angeles operates four airports in several counties. El Toro

would make five.

* The Navy issued a flawed Record of Decision that allows

nonaviation use of an airport.

* Los Angeles’ offer to pay billions of dollars in lease payments

and revenue sharing makes the recent auction look like chump change.

* The courts can set aside any Navy action that is found to be

“arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in

accordance with the law.”

* The decision of the Navy to auction the property for nonaviation

use ignores the overriding national and regional need for the runways

at El Toro airport.

* Any and all means, including litigation, must be used to acquire

Los Angeles El Toro international airport for the nation.

DONALD NYRE

Newport Beach

L.A. should fix its

own problems first

Bravo to the Daily Pilot for its May 15 editorial, “Quit meddling,

Los Angeles.” The newspaper calls a Los Angeles effort to take over

El Toro “insulting and arrogant” to the voters and leadership of

Orange County.

A 2003 Cal State Fullerton public opinion poll showed that

three-quarters of Orange County residents oppose the idea of a Los

Angeles-run airport at the former Marine base. Even many who favored

an airport object to Los Angeles’ involvement.

Handing control of an airport in the heart of Orange County to Los

Angeles, or to a regional airport authority acting as L.A.’s

surrogate, is fraught with dangers. It means handing politicians of a

big city that can’t manage its own affairs control of the noise

footprint, road traffic, pollution, surrounding land use and a host

of important decisions involved in building and running a major

infrastructure enterprise.

LEONARD KRANSER

Editor, El Toro Info Site

Dana Point

Airport stance is a disservice to community

Your editorial “Quit meddling, Los Angeles,” May 15, misses the

point. The Daily Pilot should be representing the interests of the

residents of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. Instead, you oppose Los

Angeles’ attempt to improve the availability of air transportation to

these same residents.

Majorities in both Newport Beach and Costa Mesa have voted to

approve the opening of an El Toro international airport. The need for

air passenger service is greater now as it is more and more difficult

to obtain seats on flights out of John Wayne Airport. Why are you

opposing the will of the people you are supposed to represent?

The Los Angeles City Council and Board of Airport Commissioners

are to be congratulated for their proposal to operate the El Toro

airport. This is in the public interest of the Southern California

region.

We should give the Los Angeles elected officials our total support

for this worthwhile plan to open and operate the best airport in the

region, El Toro.

SHIRLEY A. CONGER

Corona del Mar