Is Petracca Whistling a Different Tune?

I find Mark Petracca’s letter to the editor (Dec. 25, 1994) to be in conflict with his earlier published position. In his letter to The Times, he chastises the Board of Supervisors for implementing the voter mandate of Measure A, the El Toro Airport Initiative.

On Sept. 16, Petracca opined in the Irvine World News that the reuse of the Marine Corps air station site was beyond the capabilities of our political leadership. “Truth is, there’s really no elected official--at the state, county or local level--with the inclination to provide the ‘statesmanship’ required to end the bickering over who should be involved in planning El Toro’s future and get on with substantive deliberations.”

He went on further to state that the economic, social and environmental stakes involved in the reuse of El Toro are simply too important for citizens to stand idly by and watch the politicians mess up again.

For those of us who believe that a commercial airport at El Toro is critical for the long-term economic success of Orange County, we find Petracca’s belief in the electorate’s intelligence and common sense to be refreshing.

The community leaders that put Measure A on the ballot simply took a cue from Petracca and passed an initiative that requires an airport at El Toro.

Now that Measure A is a binding ordinance, he doesn’t seem too supportive of direct democracy.

It has been said that intellectual consistency is a moving target in the ivory towers of academia.

DAVID L. ELLIS

Newport Beach