Two Ways of Viewing One Board

Reading Dana Parsons’ column on Dec. 13, I wondered if he and I were watching the same Board of Supervisors meeting. Parsons attacked the only two supervisors who wanted to debate the airport issue: Roger R. Stanton and Don Saltarelli.

They dug into detail that would have been lost otherwise and seemed to try to work out a real compromise. Meanwhile, my supervisor, Jim Silva, sat silent and looking bored like he did as our councilperson for years. I don’t think he understood what the other two were talking about most of the time.

I don’t always agree with Stanton, especially when he is quick to support Sheriff Brad Gates, but he can never be faulted for not doing his homework and asking questions. Saltarelli is cut from the same cloth. When these two guys leave, are we going to be stuck with just bungling Jim Silva, so he can do for the county what he did for the city of Huntington Beach, which is nothing?

HAL BIXLER

Huntington Beach

* Congratulations to all on the award-winning marathon performance at the Hall of Administration.

Stanton wins the Oscar for the most convincing performance of “Mr. Nice Guy,” who saved South County residents from a fate worse than they have--the next Board of Supervisors!

The supervisors all listened so patiently to environmentalists, pilots, experts and homeowners who pointed out all the flaws in the draft environmental impact report. But because they had to accept the report, they brilliantly drafted all the “concessions.” They displayed the wisdom of Solomon! Once again the supervisors proved their genius in approving a flawed plan (matched only by the county’s bankruptcy).

What irony, however, that the day it was announced that Irvine was voted the best place to live in the United States was the very day the supervisors put an international airport there. [That will be] a very short-lived distinction for Irvine, as people this very day are contemplating how fast and where they will move.

LUCILLE WALKER

Irvine