Report Renews El Toro Debate

* Apparently, it is big news that a recent letter from the FAA affirmed that the county’s proposed El Toro flight plan could be accommodated safely (“Safe El Toro Flights Possible, Official Says,” Oct. 2). The big question is why this is news at all. El Toro was built as a jet base and has accommodated all types of aircraft safely for 50 years. It is clear that the people of this county have been so subjected to an enormous smear campaign of mailers and TV spots by the anti-airport crowd calling the airport unsafe, it was assumed to be gospel.

Unfortunately, in this era of deception with broken promises of a free “Great Park” and a “cure-all” ballot Measure F, it appears when someone finally tells the truth, it is big news.

TOM ANDERSON

Newport Beach

* And yet another government official finds El Toro is probably safe with regard to flight paths. Should anyone be surprised? No. The FAA has a vested interest in El Toro becoming an international airport. So when it concludes that flights to and from El Toro will pose no problems, it rings hollow.

El Toro is a special interest project and not recognizing the FAA as part of that interest group is a little like having a fox responsible for counting chickens as the egg production dwindles to zero. The residents of Orange County have demonstrated more common sense than to start believing yet another report that flights from El Toro would be safe, cost-effective and in the best interest of the entire county. The pro-airport forces have not given up, nor should anyone expect them to any time soon. There is still a lot of taxpayer money up for grabs, plus the federal government gets off the hook easier on cleanup if an airport is built.

With Ontario International growth paltry in 1999, why should Orange County spend an “estimated” $2.9 billion to redo El Toro? Ontario wants Orange County air passengers but has been hamstrung advertising and competing for them.

Let’s put airports where they are wanted rather than where they are not, causing animosity and antagonism as well as wasting everyone’s time and money. We should have had one heck of a party for the $40 million already wasted by our county government proving El Toro is not viable.

DEREK QUINN

Laguna Niguel