Wilson Names Argyros to Military Base Panel
Following protests that Orange County was not represented on a statewide military base reuse committee, Gov. Pete Wilson announced Thursday the appointment of prominent Newport Beach developer George Argyros to the panel.
Argyros, one of the largest apartment owners in Orange County, a major Republican contributor and former owner of the Seattle Mariners baseball team, was among six people added to the task force. Eight other members were named to the panel in July.
At the time of the July announcement, Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez protested that Orange County deserved representation, given the fact it was losing both El Toro and Tustin Marine Corps air stations.
The task force Wilson announced in July included San Diego Mayor Susan Golding as chairwoman with four members from Northern California and members from Los Angeles, Santa Monica and San Bernardino County.
In addition to Argyros, Wilson Thursday appointed Marybel Batjer of Sacramento, retired Rear Adm. David Bottorff of Redwood City, Randal Hernandez of Long Beach, James Johnson of Oakland, and former Army Secretary Michael Stone of San Francisco.
Wilson formed the task force to pressure the federal government to return the closed bases to job-producing uses.
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