John Wayne Is Not a Taxpayer Burden

Re “Citing Higher Costs, O.C. Board Raises Parking, Other Airport Fees,” March 13:

The Times reports that Supervisor Tom Wilson challenged John Wayne Airport Director Alan Murphy by asking whether planning costs for an El Toro airport were the cause of the projected operating loss at John Wayne.

Wilson knows as well as any of the supervisors that the El Toro planning funds were paid for by revenue generated at John Wayne and not by taxpayer funds.

Such expenditures were mandated by Measure A. After the events of Sept. 11, airport operating expenses rose dramatically, causing the operating loss challenged by Wilson.

Furthermore, a recent audit of John Wayne expenditures showed proper handling of the airport funds vis-a-vis El Toro.

This is another example of Wilson’s continuing but unjustified attack on John Wayne as a taxpayer burden while he is in denial that opening El Toro would bring in large amounts of revenue to the county.

William Kearns

Costa Mesa