All Deserve Equal Say in Base Reuse

Every citizen of Orange County has a legitimate say and claim in the outcome of the reuse of the El Toro Marine Corps air base. The reuse decision must involve all of the people of the county. That’s what democracy in action is all about.

If Haiti, 500-plus miles from America, is in the national interest, and I think it is, why isn’t the reuse of El Toro in the interest of Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Cypress, Yorba Linda, Orange, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Habra, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Placentia, Westminster, Fountain Valley, La Habra, Stanton and Villa Park, between 10 and 20 miles away?

Why allow eight South County cities, representing about 15% of the county’s population, to control, dictate and decide for 20 other county cities, representing about 75% of the county’s population, what should be done with the air base?

Turning this matter over to two county supervisors, Thomas F. Riley and Gaddi H. Vasquez, as board Chairman Harriett M. Wieder had done, was a mistake and was partly to blame for the dilemma the county is now in. That process was wrong.

Limiting political power on a county issue that affects all citizens of the county, and assigning points to cities in proximity, smacks of child’s play and Third World-style politics in dishing out political power.

Let’s rise to a higher level and put true democracy into action. Let’s allow the county’s citizens equal input on this critical issue that will affect Orange County for centuries to come. We can still do it right and be expedient.

VICTOR JASSHINSKI

Newport Beach