El Toro Comments Fly Into Flak

* More fiction: The Orange County Taxpayers Assn. looked into the effect of airports on property values and found that those living more than 2.3 miles away could have their homes appreciate in value (Orange County Voices, Feb. 7). That’s a good one.

Heard the one about the Federal Aviation Administration and the Airline Pilots Assn. supporting the existing crossed runways for commercial flights at El Toro?

Heard the one about the 747 that only generates 65 decibels of noise when it flies over your home?

Heard the one saying an airport at El Toro will provide quality jobs for Orange County? Heard the one saying an airport at El Toro will not increase traffic and congestion? They apparently neglected to check with the international airport right in their midst.

Let’s just look at Los Angeles International Airport. Property owners were granted a settlement by a Superior Court jury that determined jet noise had undermined their property values. Some of the money was to purchase homes of residents who successfully claimed the city had downgraded their property.

Enough with all the lies. We won’t be brainwashed with them and we won’t overlook all the facts. We live in the area and have been to LAX enough to know what traffic is like around an international airport. We can see what happens to the quality of life, what happens to the investment in our homes, what kinds of jobs an airport generates, what types of illegal activities an airport attracts, and how noisy the flights are 24 hours a day.

That’s why we don’t want another LAX in our bedroom community. We know what it will bring!

GLENDA N. MADDOX

Irvine

* The Feb. 7 Orange County Voices article by Reed Royalty, president of the Orange County Taxpayers Assn., was either refreshingly oblivious to reality or a script for a “Saturday Night Live” skit.

To pay for any airport it takes money, normally in the form of bonds. Regardless of whether the bonds are guaranteed for the bondholders or not, someone needs to front the money for those bonds, and unless we’re all missing something, that’s normally mom and pop taxpayer.

The reason you don’t see John Wayne Airport on your property tax bill is not because it’s free, as Royalty’s incredible tale states, but because it’s mixed in, or buried, with the rest of Orange County’s general revenue funds.

No statements are given as to the costs that go in and out of the general fund for John Wayne, which include hundreds of millions of dollars for the relatively recent expansions of that facility and its parking structures, paid for via bonds.

If the reason for Newport Beach’s property values is John Wayne, why are they working so hard to limit and close it, to open El Toro nine miles away? Won’t their property values decline if John Wayne closes?

I’m glad Royalty doesn’t have Alan Greenspan’s job.

DEREK QUINN

Laguna Niguel

* The El Toro airport proponents’ campaign to win support in central Orange County depends upon rerouting takeoffs straight north over the mountains rather than northwest over Tustin, Orange and Villa Park.

Otherwise, the heaviest nighttime cargo planes will depart over these politically crucial cities. But a recent letter from the FAA to the El Toro airport Web site confirms that county planners never did forward a recommendation for a straight-out departure to the FAA for its consideration.

County leaders are going ahead without FAA approval of the flight paths, despite major safety objections from the 50,000-member Airline Pilots Assn.

But, possibly fearing that the FAA might give the negative answer that airport proponents don’t want to hear, county staff seems to be playing “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Dumping their earlier good intentions, they have decided to wing it and not ask the FAA for consideration of the potentially risky takeoffs.

That step won’t be taken until after the Board of Supervisors spends millions more on El Toro and buys [into] the flawed airport plan.

LEONARD KRANSER

Dana Point

* I’m grateful we have three county supervisors that wisely voted to proceed with plans for cargo flights out of El Toro. Not only are local businesses appreciative, but our county government and taxpayers will financially benefit as they receive revenue from the cargo carriers.

Unfortunately, there are always those who find fault and complain, as indicated by letters to The Times on Jan. 31.

The two writers are troubled over the proposed six cargo flights a day out of El Toro and, oddly enough, blame Newport Beach for it.

One calls the move “inhuman and callous.” The other calls Newport Beach people “hypocrites.”

I think those adjectives would more appropriately apply to those who expect residents affected by John Wayne Airport to continually endure their normal 128 flights a day, even suggest they be increased, while at the same time have the audacity to complain about six over their own heads.

PETE DRUMMOND

Newport Beach