Loud and Clear on Measure F

* The citizens of Orange County have spoken, loud and clear.

The people who should have been listening to our cries of foul about the proposed El Toro airport planning process did not hear us, took a cavalier and officious attitude, and turned their collective backs on the people.

Some of the supervisors and officials have considered that the airport was a done deal, and just went ahead with the process regardless of all the very real and very valid warnings and complaints by us.

Millions of taxpayer dollars have been literally wasted, lies and half-truths bandied about. Promises were made that were unlikely to ever be kept. Why? To feed the ego and arrogance of some few wealthy and powerful individuals. How? By the support of certain supervisors who don’t really seem to know who they are working for--for all of us, for the whole county.

Now the “war,” and that is what it is, is not over and may go on for a decade or more.

More money wasted, more schisms between people, more attorneys getting richer at the public expense. All the while the valuable and available land of the former air base will lie fallow and wasted. How sad, so very, very sad.

All we need is one or more supervisors to wake up and smell the coffee of reality. We could and we can really plan the development of the land, by cooperation, sharing the planning with the communities impacted and, yes, by being considerate and understanding of the needs of the people of Newport Beach and areas around the John Wayne airport.

We can build a beautiful and wonderful Central Park-like development, with jobs, recreation and educational potential, high-tech businesses and homes for all our people.

We can spend our taxes on creative and prosperous planning and have something to be proud of for ourselves and future generations.

Or we can have a [huge airport] in the heart of South County, with all the pollution, noise and degeneration of our environment. But the people have the right to decide, not three supervisors and a few rich developers.

EUGENE GAVIN

Mission Viejo

* It is disappointing that Measure F passed because one would think that, since the general project already has been approved twice by Orange County voters, public recognition of and agreement on the need for a regional airport has been established.

The Times rightly notes (Editorial, Feb. 13) that Measure F is poor public policy, as it will undermine the county’s efforts to resolve the conflict over the El Toro airport.

Nonetheless, that did not prevent adamant El Toro opponents from passing a flawed and detrimental measure. I certainly appreciate the many concerns that the public has expressed which we have attempted to address through the long incubation of the plan for El Toro.

But I believe that the backers of Measure F, more than the county, contributed to a breakdown in the planning process. Personal animosity and political tactics do not enhance public discourse, they expedite its demise.

The three supervisors in the majority have no personal agendas with regard to this airport, merely a concern for the future needs of our county.

There is inadequate air service for Orange County and nothing in Measure F will address this problem. If you think the nightmare of traffic on the 405 and polluted air are challenging now, imagine what the future has in store for us without a new airport, especially if the site becomes a commercial and residential development.

El Toro remains the only viable site for another regional airport. The El Toro site represents a $10-billion gift from the federal government that will be lost if we do not act promptly.

There is no way to implement the other alternatives, such as the Millennium Plan, without imposing severe burdens on the taxpayers.

The question is this: Are the airport opponents only interested in knocking the airport plan, or are they willing to negotiate in good faith to find workable solutions?

Measure F should not stop us from working together to reconcile differences and capitalize on the current economic prosperity so it exists in the future.

Despite the fact that Measure F prevailed, I will work to ensure that Orange County residents do not lose sight of the key facts surrounding the El Toro debate.

Moreover, I will continue to work to ensure that the community’s concerns about this project are addressed. It is important for all of us that this divisive debate is resolved so that the lifestyle we all have enjoyed in Orange County can once again be focused on cooperation rather than conflict.

JAMES W. SILVA

Supervisor, 2nd District

* It is clear, given Supervisor Charles V. Smith’s reaction to the voter’s easy passage of Measure F, that he doesn’t care what the people of Orange County want.

He is our employee. His constant push for an airport, which we now know that only a minority of Orange County residents want, is belligerent and self-serving.

Smith had best relax now in the knowledge that we don’t like his plan, nor his refusal to listen to what the citizens of this great county have been telling him.

The election proved that the skepticism for his personal airport plan can be found throughout the county, not just in the southern regions, as he contended for so long.

Citizens in Newport Beach now know that the rest of the county is pleased with the services offered at John Wayne Airport and that the rest of us in Orange County did not believe the lies they told throughout the campaign.

B. DIRK YARBOROUGH

Santa Ana

* With the passing of Measure F on Tuesday, Newport Beach residents are protected from any expansion of John Wayne Airport.

This is a major new tool they have to avoid airport growth. Be happy.

DICK MacNAIR

Monarch Beach

* I have major concerns about the passing of Measure F. It is terribly flawed, and so were the tactics used to persuade people to vote for it.

The public was fooled by misleading and confusing information and slick mailers. South County cities bought and paid for their victory with millions of taxpayer dollars. Trust was set aside and campaign laws ignored.

Unfortunately for the residents of our county, the pro-airport people did not have equivalent funds to refute the misinformation.

The citizens of Orange County became victims of an organized plan that will keep all unpleasant public projects out of the wealthy South County cities while forcing North County cities to shoulder the responsibility for the entire county.

I hope our court will overturn this noxious measure.

CHRIS PONSAR

Anaheim

* Are George Argyros, County Chief Executive Jan Mittermeier and the three pro-airport supervisors listening?

Measure F won by a two-thirds majority in a high-turnout election.

It’s time to wake up and be true leaders and do the will of the people. They should stop planning their monument of selfishness at El Toro. Stop wasting our money. Make plans for parks, museums, a world-class university and much-needed housing.

If they are still convinced that Orange County needs so much more airport capacity, they had better get started planning an efficient high-speed rail link to Ontario International Airport.

Even if they overturn Measure F, the court battles they are threatening could last well into 2020. By the way, Measure F means they can’t expand John Wayne either. We’ll be waiting for a thank-you card from Newport Beach.

FRANK ALVAREZ

Monarch Beach

* The word coming out of the No on Measure F camp is that the people who voted for the measure didn’t know what they were voting for.

That’s not saying much for the Orange County electorate, and I’m personally somewhat offended.

I read the description of the measure given in the sample ballot sent to all registered voters. It was quite clear to me.

DON MOERY

San Clemente

* Measure F was no doubt a flawed proposition, but its overwhelming passage says one thing.

It tells the movers and pushers that a lot of Orange County residents are getting sick and tired of being moved and pushed and that they are going to be kicking and gouging back.

BOB SPENGER

Fullerton