Jobs at Airport

The Times recently sent up a cheer at the grand opening of a superstore in the San Fernando Valley, saying it would create 300 jobs for the community (“Right Place, Time for Wal-Mart,” April 27).

The editorial did admit that these are not the high-paying jobs of the old General Motors plant, and that some, but not all, come with basic benefits.

So why has the Times stood silently on the sidelines while the city of Los Angeles proposes to do away with hundreds of high-paying, high-skilled jobs at Van Nuys Airport in the form of the Stage 2 Non-Addition Rule?

More than 9,000 people rely on commerce at Van Nuys Airport for their jobs, and these are high-skilled, high-wage positions that generate more than $80 million in payroll earnings alone. Business at Van Nuys Airport is responsible for circulating almost a billion dollars in the San Fernando Valley economy each year.

The opening of Wal-Mart will be a blip on the screen in the big picture of the Valley’s economy. I support any new businesses opening in our community, but I also support doing whatever we can to ensure that our existing businesses continue to thrive.

I would have thought that The Times would too.

EVAN L. BINN, Tarzana