More Thoughts on Use of Closed Military Bases

The 1993 Orange County Survey conducted by Dr. Mark Baldassare of UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology is quite revealing on the issue of an airport at the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro.

Since the closure of El Toro was announced last March, a concerted and orchestrated effort was organized by South Orange County cities to trash the idea of a commercial airport at El Toro. To that end, they have now developed a draft joint-powers authority document that is so heavily skewed against an airport that should this authority be recognized by (the Department of Defense), Orange county will never experience the economic rewards that an airport can provide.

This “anti-airport” position has been born out of the perception that South Orange County residents clearly do not want an airport use at El Toro. In short, if you listen to South County leaders they will tell you that “their public” violently opposes an airport.

Enter the Baldassare survey! Well, “their public” in south Orange County is not nearly as opposed to an airport as their “leadership” might profess. While 49% oppose an airport, 44% support one. Hardly the anti-airport mandate they had hoped to achieve with six months of airport bashing. Maybe the hope for jobs and a robust economy is seeping through. If George Bush had been behind in the polls by a mere five points he might have won the election.

A bigger question is at hand for Orange County’s leaders. Why are our leaders allowing a minority of the community to dictate reuse policy on El Toro? El Toro is truly a regional project. It is so geographically immense and centrally located that urban planners lay awake at night dreaming of productive uses and impacts on the entire region. So why is the region allowing such an opportunity to be squandered by anti-airport “leaders” that have no public mandate? Take a quick look at the numbers. South Orange County has about 300,000 people. 49% (147,000) oppose an airport. Orange County has about 2.4 million people. These 147,000 people represent 6.1% of Orange County’s population.

It’s time for our regional leaders to stop pandering to the vocal minority that opposes progress. Should 6.1% of our region’s population be allowed to control the fate of a potential job machine?

THOMAS COLE EDWARDS

President, Airport Working Group of Orange County Inc.

Newport Beach

* After closure, the El Toro Marine base should be designated as a park, comparable to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, (In San Francisco the Presidio military base is being transformed into a park and historical structures preserved).

The Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base should likewise be closed and converted into an Orange County/San Diego International Airport, similar to Dallas/Ft. Worth. (John Wayne Airport could then be limited to small private aircraft).

The Orange County Jail, (in the county seat, Santa Ana), should be raised to 17 stories.

It is the “quality” of life, that people value and which promotes prosperity, not unchecked commerce.

It is the search for those values that continues to drive home buyers from inner cities to the ever-expanding suburbs.

Building an airport, or conversion of the El Toro base to any other commercial use will simply diminish those values. The widening of freeways has already defoliated most of the roadside landscape that once distinguished Orange County from Los Angeles.

MELVIN D. THOMAS

Laguna Hills