The Aftermath of Measure F

* You ran some interesting articles on Thursday. One says that the passage of Measure F was a no-confidence vote in the county planning process, and the other was about a 20-year record voter turnout. I think your first conclusion is flawed because of the second article. There were many things on this ballot that galvanized the electorate into going to the polls.

Regarding the no-confidence vote, we have voted twice for an airport when it was listed as just an airport. This was a classic case in clouding an issue. The bottom line is: South County does not want an airport in its backyard. It also doesn’t want any manufacturing, transportation, jails or other dirty businesses there.

In addition, South County residents want high-capacity freeways supplemented by toll lanes so they can commute to their jobs where the great masses of unwashed live and provide services they need but do not want in their neighborhoods.

It does not get any simpler than that. If you review the sites for the two airports, anyone could see that El Toro is the better of the two. We asked so much of John Wayne that it outgrew itself years ago and is really a square peg in a round hole no matter how much money has been spent there. Nothing about it is or can be made into what Orange County needs for the future.

I am sure the fight on this issue is not over and we will once again see it on a ballot. I hope that next time it will be as only an airport conversion, and the issues will be spelled out in black-and-white, honestly and logically.

RICK CLEVELAND

Anaheim

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Measure F passed by a huge margin, but, according to Supervisor Charles V. Smith, it will be business as usual with respect to airport planning. Sixty-seven percent of the voters countywide want another chance to vote on the airport project, now that its details and impacts are more clear, with a two-thirds threshold because of the severe impacts.

A true representative would take this to heart, but with his arrogant defiance and support of a lawsuit, Smith is sounding more and more like a tyrant running some banana republic. Mr. Smith, the people of Orange County are taking back control over our government whether you like it or not. And we’re watching every move you make, from sleazy back-room deals with unions to thwarting needed jail expansion. We have only begun to fight for our rights as citizens.

KEVIN L. COOK

Aliso Viejo

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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But if it is broke, fix it quick. The vote on Measure F makes it clear that the supervisor system in Orange County is broke. Here’s my fix. Add two “at large” supervisors chosen by, and beholden to, all the voters in the county, not to a specific district. This would make it more difficult for any issue to be taken over by a single group or an agenda without a consensus from all residents. Even the World Series is determined by four out of seven, not three out of five.

MARTIN RAND

Laguna Niguel