Every Ballot Counts in the El Toro Best-of-Seven Series

Orange County newspaper stories from the future:

November 1998: “Airport Foes Prevail, Claim Momentum Shift”

Orange County opponents of a proposed international airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station claimed 53% of the vote Tuesday night and said the fight to scuttle the airport “is just now taking off.”

The victory cut the pro-airport group’s margin to 2 to 1 in the best-of-seven election series that will determine whether the county builds a new airport at El Toro. The two sides agreed six months ago on the best-of-seven format after public opinion grew increasingly unpredictable.

Airport opponents favor the so-called Millennium Plan that would convert the base to non-aviation purposes. Having lost countywide votes in 1994 and 1996, even the most optimistic “MPers” (as they have come to be known) knew that another loss would be devastating. No group has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win a Marine Base conversion vote. “Of course, no county has ever had a series like this, but, still, you have no idea how huge this was,” said MP leader Larry Agran.

George Argyros, the developer who led pro-airport forces to victory in the first two elections, discounted the loss. “There’s been a lot of propaganda from their side,” he said. “We just need to get our message back on point.”

November 1999: “MPs Knot Series 2-2, Proclaim Airport ‘Dead’ ”

Anti-airport forces won their second straight election Tuesday, sending the series to a pivotal fifth contest and causing backbiting from the other side. “Ain’t no stopping us now!” Larry Agran shouted at a post-election victory party.

Meanwhile, the pro-airport faction seemed shocked at the magnitude of the loss (64%-36%). Privately, they blamed a statement made last week by pro-airport spokesman George Argyros, who said he would “move out of Orange County” if the airport weren’t built. Exit polls indicated that Argyros’ statement triggered a significant surge in anti-airport sentiment from both North and South County voters.

March 2004: “Argyros to Pilots: Start Your Engines!”

A buoyant George Argyros promised Tuesday to “buy the first ticket at El Toro” as his forces won a narrow victory and moved within one election of securing a new international airport for Orange County. Reversing the tide that had carried anti-airport forces to two straight wins in the late 1990s, Argyros’ forces saturated the county with mailers in recent weeks that promised cheap fares and door-to-door pickup for anyone wanting to fly out of the new airport.

“It was a lousy stunt, but we didn’t have time to answer,” said a despondent Larry Agran. “We figured the public would instinctively realize you couldn’t fly from here to Paris for $75. But George [Argyros] hasn’t been a success for nothing. He outsmarted us.”

June 2009: “Decisive Airport Showdown Set”

Anti-airport forces Tuesday forced a climactic seventh election to determine whether Orange County builds an international airport on the long-abandoned El Toro Marine base. The MPs won a 52%-48% squeaker in which, oddly enough, only 100 people showed up countywide to vote. The exact tally was, in fact, 52 to 48 on what to do with the base, now the site of 11-foot weeds, a maze of fetid swamps and a number of exotic species of vermin.

The best guess for the winner-take-all seventh election was for sometime in 2012. “I’d hope for the spring,” a visibly upset George Argyros said. “Summer at the latest.”

Analysts attributed the win to a tactical switch made a year ago by anti-airport forces, in which they de-emphasized parks, museums and traditional businesses for the site and instead touted a string of tattoo parlors and all-nude juice bars. “What can I say?” said a sheepish Larry Agran, “It resonated.”

November 2014: “O.C. Vote Stuns Nation”

Capping 20 years of elections, Orange County voters deadlocked Tuesday on what to do with the former El Toro Marine base. Of 1,436,988 votes cast, 718,494 supported converting the base into an international airport and 718,494 supported a variety of other purposes, including a “Science Park” to examine the vermin and bacteria that have proliferated at the site.

Afterward, neither side seemed quite sure what to do.

“Clearly, we didn’t expect this,” Agran said. “But the opportunity to study vermin and bacteria certainly has possibilities.”

Argyros, who once matched Agran in vigor and resilience over the issue, appeared beaten down. “I’m willing to compromise,” he said, forcing a wan smile. “How about an all-nude international airport?”

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821 or by writing to him at the Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by e-mail to dana.parsons@latimes.com.