Two Views of Silva’s Methods

* Supervisor Jim Silva says he didn’t spend enough time campaigning and that’s why he’s in a runoff. Well, he certainly spent enough money if he didn’t spend enough time. He avoided almost every debate among the candidates. Each of his appearances, except one, was when he was alone extolling his virtues. He even skipped the League of Women Voters debate.

He also says since there was another Silva in the election that confused voters. I agree with him there. He probably got a lot of Ray Silva’s votes.

During his “limited” campaigning, however, he took time to slam Ray Silva, a man of very high ethical standards who did not retaliate.

When Jim Silva was a councilman in Huntington Beach, I made the mistake of supporting him for one election. He spoke of defending the Bolsa Chica wetlands. What can I say; I was naive.

BILL HALPIN

Huntington Beach

* Regarding the letter from Achim Krauss of Foothill Ranch, “Airport Questions Still Unanswered,” Letters, June 14:

I also attended Supervisor Jim Silva’s town hall meeting in Costa Mesa on June 4 and I walked away with a very different opinion. Mr. Krauss was upset because Silva permitted questions only in written form, rather than audience members asking the questions themselves.

As executive director of the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, I have attended most of the town hall meetings as a means to assess community concerns about El Toro. At each meeting, the chairs fill up with the same 10 or so anti-airport people from South County who ask the same volatile questions in the same confrontational way.

These town hall meetings are supposed to be an opportunity for residents to learn more about the reuse of the El Toro [Marine base]. They have instead become a chance for the same few anti-airport carpetbaggers to disrupt the meeting and prevent a meaningful dialogue. So what if attendees couldn’t ask their own questions? The reason to attend the meeting isn’t to hear yourself talk--it’s to learn the facts about this major countywide public policy issue. I congratulate Silva for managing a potentially difficult situation with professionalism and permitting those who truly wanted answers to get them.

PEGGY DUCEY

Executive director

Orange County

Regional Airport Authority