Questions of Fairness Over El Toro Airport Plan

* It is appalling to me that South County residents complain it would be unfair to them to build an airport at El Toro while at the same time asserting that the county should instead open up John Wayne Airport to greater capacity.

For years, residents of Santa Ana Heights, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach have lived with airport noise so that all of the residents of Orange County could have a convenient airport, in effect paying a tax for the benefit of the entire county.

Due to the lack of a buffer zone like the one that surrounds El Toro, the jet noise is extremely loud, much louder than the noise that would be experienced by South County residents from an El Toro airport.

The noise continues from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m every day. Surrounding residents do not like the noise, but we deal with it.

In recent years, the population and business activity of the county, primarily South County, have exploded. This growth has been the primary reason for the significant increase in the demand for passenger and cargo service in the county.

This growth has brought increased prosperity, a significant portion of which has accrued to South County residents.

It is certainly fair for people to decide that they would rather sacrifice continued growth and prosperity than build additional airport capacity in Orange County.

However, for South County residents to suggest that the residents of Santa Ana Heights, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach should bear an even greater burden to satisfy the airport demand South County is creating, while so stridently refusing to share in this burden, is hypocrisy of the worst kind.

If airport capacity is to be added, it should be in South County, where the demand for it is being created.

Any fair-minded Orange County residents opposed to an El Toro airport should oppose any easing of capacity restrictions at John Wayne.

In addition, South County residents opposed to an El Toro airport should stop using John Wayne.

JEFF COYNE

Newport Beach

* In her letter July 25, Karen Linkletter of Newport Beach wonders if South County residents who oppose an airport at El Toro would support closing commercial airline operations at John Wayne.

If South County residents were assured there would never be a commercial airport at El Toro, they would overwhelmingly support the discontinuation of commercial flights at John Wayne.

As president of Seniors Against El Toro Airport (SAETA) and a former Costa Mesa resident, I understand how disruptive living near a commercial airport can be.

And I feel I speak for the majority of the residents of Leisure World in supporting the closing of John Wayne to commercial air traffic, if no commercial airport is built at El Toro.

I have used John Wayne only twice. I prefer taking a shuttle to LAX or San Diego, where I can obtain cheaper fares and no parking expense.

South County residents would not fight the closing of John Wayne, but Orange County businesses would.

It’s a shame if we let these pro-airport business interests destroy the quality of our lives in Newport Beach and South County. They are committed to converting our peaceful Orange County into another Los Angeles County, with all its smog and gridlock traffic.

Airports should be in communities that want airports--Palmdale, Lancaster, March Air Force Base, Victorville--with high-speed rail to get us there, not in Newport Beach or El Toro.

I and my Laguna Woods neighbors applaud and support Karen Linkletter. We share a common goal--no commercial airports in Orange County.

DAVE SCHLENKER

Laguna Woods

* El Toro airport proponents have been struggling to find a solid message in justification of ruining the quality of life for a large number of Orange County residents.

Failing that, they are confined to name calling and character assassination to rally their troops.

The purpose is becoming clearer each day: The core proponents, primarily Newport Beach residents and developers, want to close John Wayne to make their lives more comfortable.

The 3% of county residents who reside in Newport Beach are a classic case of the tail wagging the dog. They have wealth and time to plan strategies, such as hiring a public relations firm last year to help them “write” more letters to the newspapers.

Then of course there are their “legitimate” public relations expenses that can be paid for by our tax dollars via their county government-installed proxies thanks to Measure A. Since Measure A became law, all other options for El Toro have been thrown out.

Do the proponents and their proxies really speak for the county or is this more about a movement that started in the 1970s and 1980s to close John Wayne?

You only have to look at the original Measure A message and sales pitch and what has transpired for reference.

DEREK QUINN

Laguna Niguel

I was furious after reading “Cox Going to Bat for Airport Foes” (July 8).

How dare Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) use his influence to thwart the will of Orange County voters and ignore the Board of Supervisors’ decision regarding building an airport at El Toro.

This is one more example of federal officials stepping on the toes of local government and denying the results of our election process.

J. SALEZAR

Santa Ana

As chairman of the congressional committee working on Chinese espionage and the resultant loss or our nation’s secret nuclear technology, I am surprised that Cox would take any action that deprives our country of the valuable air strips available at El Toro.

He must know the importance of having those long runways in case of a national disaster.

Why then is he prepared to take actions that jeopardize the airport planning process? Does he seriously think the Millennium Plan’s giant park and museums more important than the safety an airport would provide our citizens?

CAMILLE SELTZER

Orange