Air Traffic Versus an Escape From Traffic

Re “Officials Want Restrictions Left on John Wayne Flights,” Nov. 24:

Let it be known that at an early stage of the airport’s expansion, the county fathers decided, even in the face of master planning, that the county would never be populated to the point that a larger airport was required.

When the San Diego Freeway was under construction, the state told our county leaders that it would build the freeway underground and thereby allow the runways to be extended to reduce the noise factor for Newport Beach and to accommodate larger aircraft and anticipated future county growth. However, the rich and famous of Newport Beach nixed the idea, and the runways were limited. So certain county supervisors are now pushing the proposed El Toro airport as a way to have their name emblazoned on a metal plaque.

Robert E. Davis Orange

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Irvine’s “Central Park” scam is contained in an initiative coming to the voters of Orange County soon. Irvine’s motive is not to get a park but to evade providing its share of the air traffic burden in the county. The Orange County Business Journal and the most recent study of the park estimates that the park will cost $2.2 billion to build and over $18 million a year to maintain.

In addition to the cost to the Orange County taxpayer, the initiative for the park means that Irvine’s cargo and travelers will use the freeways to go to LAX, Long Beach and Ontario, making smog all the way.

South County proponents of a park at El Toro are willing to place the burden of their air transport demands on John Wayne, Long Beach Municipal, Los Angeles International and Ontario International airports. This is not fair to those people living near these airports nor to those traveling already congested connecting freeways.

What is needed at El Toro is a commercial airport to meet the growing air transport demand and to provide jobs. A central park is not really needed. South County has more than its share.

Airport revenues will pay for all costs. El Toro airport includes 2,300 acres of wildlife preserve, park and recreation facilities.

Tony Lupian

Fullerton

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Re “Airport Support Fading,” Nov. 23:

Your article stretches 544 telephone surveys into an uncertain 52% to 47% opinion of 1,250,000 registered Orange County voters against an airport at El Toro. It’s not what I would consider reporting with unbiased integrity. It’s too bad, because in my opinion, it mars the credibility of an otherwise pretty good newspaper. In fact, it seems more like part of an organized program of publicity to intentionally spread your continuing bias against an airport at El Toro.

Vic Jashinski

Corona del Mar

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Re “The Cost of a Great Park,” Nov. 18:

Scare tactics won’t work. People are intelligent enough to see through the thin veneer of the pro-airport group.

Taxes? Unless people vote for them, there will be none. With the valuable real estate left behind by the Marines, tenants will provide ample funds to get a head start to build the Great Park. Housing units will bring a hefty sum, and then there are the warehouses, the golf course and agricultural land. Museums and monuments have been built all over the nation with private funds such as the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. The J.P. Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The Marine Life Museum under construction in Dana Point.

The anti-airport groups have raised millions of dollars to defeat the airport. I trust there will be more money raised to build the park, and it won’t take 60 years. As air travel has become more difficult and stressful, people need to get away for a change of scenery. The Great Park will fill that need.

Margot Roseman

Mission Viejo

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In a recent survey of Orange County voters, 60% of those surveyed said that they would rather the former Marine base at El Toro be converted into a Great Park than into a commercial airport (provided, of course, they didn’t have to pay for the conversion).

It seems to me those conducting the survey should have asked another, related, question: “Do you use the scheduled airlines to meet your transportation needs?” My guess is that 100% of those surveyed would have answered yes. And there’s the rub.

Most voters may want a park at El Toro; what they need there is the second commercial airport former county CEO Jan Mittermeier says Orange County can’t do without if it is to continue to compete in the world marketplace.

Norm Ewers

Irvine