El Toro: a 2-Word Name With Hundreds of Letters
* Re “Regional Airport Plans Key on El Toro, Ontario,” March 2:
Now that the Southern California Assn. of Governments has chosen El Toro as a 29.7-million annual passenger airport, it may be wise for anti-El Toro International Airport warriors to adopt a change of heart.
With 84 cities and six counties against us, our airport fighters have little chance to win the hearts and minds of Southern California. Even the Irvine Co. could not finance the schools and roads of this whole region, as it has been doing with the city of Irvine.
No one is in the noise zone at El Toro, so all our people can claim credit for this victory. We’ll know we’ve done something good for the economy when the smiling people get off the airplanes.
For now, we must stop voting against airports. We must use this window of opportunity to open El Toro. If we don’t do it, somebody else will do it for us. I would rather be a winner in my own county, than a NIMBY sitting in a big house in a dying economy, because I failed to do what is right.
DONALD NYRE
Newport Beach
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* The citing by SCAG of the urgent need for an airport at El Toro to serve Orange County ignored the obvious fact that we have John Wayne Airport.
Of course it is easy to ignore that fact since John Wayne is a toy airport where many of the flights in and out are by private planes. Doesn’t SCAG know that in 2005, John Wayne Airport will grow up and become a real airport when all the restrictions (no night flights and restricted number of daily flights) are lifted forever?
Could this be the reason Newport Beach has spent money to push the El Toro airport plan on an already-suffering Orange County? Where has reason gone?
GLORIA MAGIDSON
Mission Viejo
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* “Just How Much Airport Do We Need?” asks your March 4 editorial “El Toro’s Bottom Line”:
My answer: Just what we now have. The existing runways at El Toro are adequate to safely accommodate a general aviation facility capable of handling the private light aircraft that now congest operations at John Wayne.
Should we destroy such a valuable asset, as advocated by proponents of a “Great Park”? Certainly not. Simply diverting these light and quiet craft to such a dedicated, private facility at El Toro could increase the capacity for and safety of commercial operations at John Wayne at little or no cost to the public.
LEON GREEN JR.
Laguna Woods
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* Your editorial circles the wagon pointing fingers. The Times is spending so much of its journalistic effort, from front to the editorial page, stirring the stew on the El Toro airport issue but adds little useful information regarding “El Toro Airport versus Great Park.”
I’ve got to chuckle when I hear the term “Great Park.” It sounds like something straight out of a government-driven economy.
Why not get off the backs of three supervisors, get off your anti-airport bias and go to work digging out and reporting on the very thing your editorial gripes about? You haven’t even scratched the surface in reporting on the airport issue.
VICTOR H. JASHINSKI
Corona del Mar
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* Re “Diverse Opinions Take Wing on El Toro Airport,” Letters, March 4:
I found no mention of the upgraded and modern Ontario International Airport. Would that county supervisors, government agencies and others conduct an open forum, without secret or closed-door planning and conniving for the benefit of a few investors. The 67% who voted against the airport and for control of expanded jails through Measure F could all participate for the county’s gain.
In the past two weeks we’ve had occasion to use Ontario going to unexpected funerals. Driving from Lake Forest using the Eastern toll road was quite easy and quick, about the same time as driving to John Wayne Airport. We parked in the remote Lot A at $6 per day and took the shuttle to a very comfortable and well-laid-out terminal and airport. Our flight on the convenient Southwest Airlines was handy and low-cost.
Flights from John Wayne with limited competition are relatively expensive, and so is parking. In the past, we have found the airport to be anything but crowded, and use is well below the designed capacity. We have lived in Lake Forest for 26 years and found this to be true each time.
Continuing to use John Wayne as it is and eliminating cargo flights is viable. Ontario would welcome this additional cargo traffic.
The “Great Park” concept for El Toro would be more than a place to pitch tents, as Bob Black states. Revenue-producing industry, universities, golf courses, public parks, a major zoo, housing and other commercial development would all be in harmony and benefit the entire region beyond Orange County. It would provide a broad spectrum of jobs.
LARRY BISHOP
Lake Forest
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* The Board of Supervisors majority and several other governmental officials once again have expressed their disgraceful contempt for their constituents, the majority of the Orange County voters. They decided to spend an additional $5 million of our hard-earned tax money.
If they had a shred of decency, they would recuse themselves, if not from public office, then at least the El Toro issue. Art Bloomer, executive director of the airport authority, openly expresses his ignorance by insinuating that the federal government is bestowing a $10-billion gift on Orange County that will be lost forever if we don’t build an airport. Talk about truth and accuracy in P.R.!
Let us not forget the campaign of misleading information before the voting for Measure A in 1994. We will not be misled again.
HANS J.ROEHRICHT
Lake Forest
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* I am disappointed the county has refused to consider allowing flights over Irvine--or turning flights over the central county cities--fearing aircraft noise would attract too much political opposition. Oh, come now! They would put that reason over the safety issue that the Airline Pilots Assn. had given as the reason for their opposition to the airport in the first place.
I agree with Jon Russell, the safety coordinator: “Our interest is in what needs to be done for safety.”
HARRIET GLEASON
Huntington Beach
