El Toro Airport Plan Stirs Voters

* Dave Sullivan, a candidate for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, in an Oct. 18 letter to The Times, indicates both illogical and irrational thinking. I would hate to have a supervisor, voting on important issues affecting our entire county, with such shallow thinking and perception of reality as shown in this letter.

Sullivan states that “the majority of people in Orange County oppose an international airport at El Toro.” Does he forget the two countywide votes on the two initiatives that are of record, one in favor of an airport and the second defeating an initiative against an airport, sponsored by the South County?

Sullivan favored an El Toro airport at one time, but now as a candidate for the Board of Supervisors, he realizes the only way he can be elected is to kowtow to the voters in Irvine and South County.

What real evidence does Sullivan have that El Toro would “cause a 25% devaluation of 100,000 homes?” Does he have an economic study or are these figures drawn from the sky like other statistics quoted by Sullivan?

Sullivan closes by saying an El Toro airport would “destroy Orange County’s greatest resource, our quality of life.” What direct adverse effect could an El Toro airport have on the “quality of life” in areas such as Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Orange, Anaheim, Fullerton and other North County areas? Instead, an El Toro airport would particularly enhance the quality of life and economic future of these areas of the county and open the Pacific Rim for trade and tourist business for all Orange County for future generations.

We need a supervisor with more rational and logical reasoning.

IRVIN C. CHAPMAN

Costa Mesa

* Orange County voters need to realize that county supervisors were responsible for: 1) bringing about the horrible financial debacle of Orange County’s bankruptcy, 2) permitting the building of toll roads all over south Orange County and, finally, 3) they are trying to foist an expanded jail complex and an international airport upon highly populated residential areas.

Where has Jim Silva upheld the public protection with which his office has been invested? As supervisor, isn’t Mr. Silva supposed to watchdog the quality of life for all Orange County residents?

The saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is obviously not a part of the present Board of Supervisors’ vocabulary. Do they really believe that turning Laguna Beach into another Playa del Rey (where airplane noise prevents enjoyment of the beach facilities) is in the best interest of the residents living there? Is it right to even contemplate converting Irvine, or Lake Forest, or Leisure World into another El Segundo?

Wake up, voters! When you choose your supervisors and public officials, make sure they are not in the pocket of private interests, but that they are there to serve all the people whose quality of life they are entrusted to protect.

Surely, north Orange County cannot be willing to splinter this county by alienating its neighbors to the south. Would North County residents wish to have toll roads, jails or international airports located in close proximity to their homes? If voters think about their neighbors when they cast their ballots, this whole county will be much better off for it.

MYLA LICHTMAN-FIELDS

Irvine