Opportunity Amid Fiscal Crisis

Local governments strapped for cash have increasingly considered selling property or letting private firms operate facilities such as jails and hospitals if it would save money. A favorite target has been government-run airports.

Los Angeles looked at selling or leasing its international airport but has settled so far for raising landing fees. Orange County, stunned by bankruptcy, is now considering putting John Wayne Airport on the block. It is an idea worth exploring, but county officials need to have their eyes open to the obstacles.

A key stumbling block is the federal government’s reasonable assertion that because it financed many improvements at airports, including air traffic control towers and runways, it deserves a chunk of the proceeds from any sale. So although at least one potential buyer has expressed interest in John Wayne Airport, the county would not get all the money. Even when an airport’s fees are raised, federal law usually requires that the increased revenue be spent on operations related to the airport.

Orange County officials said they also will consider selling county property that is now leased for parking lots and other uses. That, too, needs to be examined. The county’s devastating multibillion-dollar loss will mean pain, but it also offers a chance to re-examine and reinvent government. That is an opportunity that must be seized.