Measure F and Airport Planning

* Re “Business: Credibility on El Toro Essential” (Sept. 11):

Judge S. James Otero should rule in favor of Measure F without further delay. Measure F does not violate state law; it simply improves the planning process by adding accountability. It will also neutralize the influence of powerful individuals and groups.

The primary flaw in the planning process is that county supervisors are not accountable to voters outside their districts. Measure F seeks to repair the flaw.

Without Measure F, county supervisors and staff will go through the motions, as they have in the past, with a biased environmental impact report and stone-faced, unresponsive public hearings. Measure F will motivate county supervisors to be credible, accountable, responsive, and to sell the plan to the entire electorate. Measure F will save the taxpayers millions of dollars by reducing litigation generated by the present flawed system.

The 67% support for Measure F proved that voters are concerned about the credibility of some county supervisors on the El Toro land-use issues.

MARCEL J. FERNANDEZ

Lake Forest

* I am in complete agreement with using the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station as an international airport. It is a natural airport site with long, low, straight-in approaches, a calm field and fuel-saving crossed runways pointing to where airplanes need to go. No one is in the noise zone at El Toro, thanks to 60 years of protection for the Marines.

Recently, Business Week published an excellent article describing “how industry and government could improve air travel now,” (“Airport Hell,” Business Week, Sept. 4.) It suggests a federal role in land use, a national airport plan and conversion of abandoned military airfields such as El Toro (mentioned twice) to civilian use.

I think we should open the airport right away for cargo and passenger use. Don’t spend another penny. All we have to do is turn on the lights.

DONALD NYRE

Newport Beach

* Why the three supervisors continue to pursue, against the wishes of the majority, is hard to fathom. There must be empty pockets to fill with my money, and these supervisors are in reality saying, “Damn you people; we know best.” Like back-alley fixers, just give me the money and power and don’t ask questions. There has to be some pretty powerful interest in play here regarding the El Toro airport, and it is not public interest.

R.A. MAIORANO

Laguna Hills