Weighing El Toro Airport’s Effects

Your article, “The Sky’s Not the Limit,” (Feb. 7) was impeccably timed. I was just preparing to write a letter in response to the mathematical machinations of E.P. Benson (Orange County Letters, Feb. 4), purportedly showing the opponents of a commercial airport at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station as “the tail wagging the dog.” In performing the same mathematical treatment to the premise that 95% of the “pro El Toro airport” letters emanate from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, I was quite amazed to see that the total population of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Tustin is 236,418--only 9% of the county’s population. Now that’s a tail!

Let’s calculate the economic damage that results from the noncompetitive environment which the capacity limit imposes. This means that all residents of Orange County who can afford to fly out of John Wayne pay artificially high prices, because the lower-fare airlines cannot get a significant toehold. Is this good for Orange County?

As a taxpayer who paid for part of John Wayne, I resent the fact that these same deep-pocketed proponents of the El Toro airport have, through previous legal actions, artificially restricted the capacity of John Wayne airport to just 8.4 million passengers per year. As your article so clearly points out, John Wayne airport’s designed capacity is 15 million passengers per year. So, why did we build this Taj Mahal to only work at 56% capacity?

Therefore, in the light of civic-mindedness, I have an idea for the next ballot initiative: a law that no additional commercial airports can be built in the county unless and until the existing facilities are at or above 85% of their designed capacity. Now that wouldn’t cost taxpayers anything, would increase the income from the existing airport, and would provide new jobs immediately!

ROBERT L. STEIN

Laguna Niguel

* During my 10 years of residence in the immediate vicinity of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, I have been impressed by the good-neighbor policy of the Marine personnel. They have made every effort to regulate flying hours to minimize noise distress to those who live and work nearby.

I hope everyone in the South County area realizes that we could not expect any such consideration from the air carriers who would occupy the base if it becomes a commercial airport. Air freight has always flown primarily at night, and those in that business must expedite flights in and out to maximize their profits. Their heavily laden multi-engine aircraft will make as much noise as do Marine fighter planes on takeoff and landing. This has been repeatedly demonstrated by the olive drab C-5 and C-14 U.S. Air Force cargo planes that visit the El Toro base occasionally.

Millionaire developers are promoting a commercial airport to make a fast buck on property values in the South County area. Only several hundred temporary construction jobs are likely to be created and the air freight forwarding companies that move in would require considerable covered space, but few employees.

The El Toro base represents a $3-billion investment in our national security by U.S. taxpayers. Should these same taxpayers now be forced to finance the modification of existing runways for the benefit of private companies’? I say no! Vote Yes on “S”.

EDWARD ENGLISH

Laguna Hills

* Re “The Sky’s Not the Limit,” Feb. 7:

I realized the power of Newport Beach residents in their struggle to rid themselves of John Wayne Airport. Most of the pro-El Toro Airport letters are signed by Newport Beach residents, who now feel a need to rid themselves of this nuisance and move it out of their backyard at their first opportunity under the guise of creating a better economic climate for Orange County. I also question the residents of north Orange County as to their feelings of having a commercial airport in their backyard and how that would affect their vote.

Your article quotes a resident as saying that “without the cap, the City of Newport Beach would not exist as we know it.” The speaker further states, “Newport Beach would become unlivable because of the constant noise.” Why should residents of Irvine, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo and Lake Forest have this forced on us by the residents of Newport Beach? We moved here knowing a Marine Corps Air Station was next store. We have listened to practice carrier landings late at night, knowing that it was practice for our pilots.

I don’t feel the same concern for the proposed nightly United Parcel Service, Federal Express and other large cargo flights out of the proposed El Toro Airport. The good folks of Newport Beach have kept that type of activity out of their backyard and didn’t consider bettering the economic climate by allowing these commercial flights late at night. Why should we?

KEITH GUIDUS

Lake Forest