Arguments in Favor of, Against Proposition 51

Re “ ‘Great’ Reason to Pass on 51,” Editorial, Oct. 13:

A “yes” vote on Proposition 51 will make Orange County a better place. Proposition 51 will provide local governments with money to fix dangerous roads, improve bus transportation and replace old and unsafe school buses without raising taxes. But, beyond this, Proposition 51 allocates $10 million in state funds per year to help the county create one of the nation’s finest metropolitan parks.

Another good reason to vote for Proposition 51 is that it allocates $50 million for the Fly Away program -- a transportation program that will enable Orange County air travelers to use the Irvine Transportation Center to buy their tickets, check their luggage and board an express bus to airports outside the county, including Los Angeles International, Ontario International and Long Beach airports. This is a popular centerpiece of Irvine’s strategy to meet future air travel demand without building a dangerous, noisy, polluting and unwanted airport at El Toro.

It is no secret that the California Legislature is dominated by a powerful Los Angeles delegation that is hostile to Orange County, particularly on the issue of an El Toro airport.

The most recent evidence of this hostility was the passage of AB 2333, which was designed to punish Orange County voters for opposing an El Toro airport by depriving us of tens of millions of dollars of regional state transportation funds. A veto by the governor was required to stop this ridiculous law from taking effect.

Orange County is a “donor county.” Every year we send millions of dollars to Sacramento that are redirected to Los Angeles and Bay Area counties. This disparity of dollars is particularly evident in the distribution of funds for transportation and parks. Proposition 51 will help us begin to get our fair share of state funds.

We certainly can’t expect Los Angeles politicians to allow any state money to be used to enhance the Great Park or establish a Fly Away program -- not when these same politicians are still working to dump LAX air traffic onto Orange County by building an airport at El Toro.

Proposition 51 gives Orange County voters the power to get back our fair share of the millions of dollars we have donated to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento -- and it will help us create one of America’s greatest parks for the enjoyment of every Orange County resident. Those are great reasons to vote “yes.”

Larry Agran

Mayor of Irvine

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Re “Irvine’s Great Park Plan Carries Equal Price,” Oct. 8:

Isn’t everything done by the state paid for by taxes? Once taxes are paid the money is then distributed to various projects and programs. The attack on Irvine by The Times is just that: an attack.

The tax issue was raised by the pro-airport side when it said that local taxes would be needed to build the park. This was a lie then and a lie now. If you were to ask them, an airport could have been built without any additional taxes. San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego all have parks for their citizens. Orange County should also be able to provide its residents a place to get away from the urban sprawl. With what we kick into the state coffers every year, we will just be getting what is due us.

So yes, I will be one who supports Proposition 51 come November.

Rick James

Laguna Niguel

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The Orange County cities opposed to Proposition 51 are those that would have been seriously, adversely affected by an international airport at the former El Toro Marine base.

Why shouldn’t the Great Park receive its fair share of state funding?

As for the air terminal, why would anyone object to a convenient service that would check our bags, transport us to the gate of our chosen airport and save us from the inconvenience and headache of driving, lugging bags, etc.?

Vote “yes” for Proposition 51 and allow Orange County to receive its fair share of our taxpayer dollars.

Geoffrey Collier

Irvine

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I am furious since reading that Irvine and its mayor, Larry Agran, are slipping a few plums for themselves into Proposition 51. First, the citizens of California are being asked to pay $110 million to enhance Irvine with the Great Park that was used as bait to encourage their South County cohorts to kill the perfectly located, sorely needed airport at El Toro. Then, to rub salt into the airport wound, Irvine is boldly requesting $50 million for a “remote” airport terminal, so that the traveling multitudes from South County can check luggage and board a shuttle van to John Wayne, where they will cheerfully fly over the heads of the hapless Newport Beach folk.

Let’s get a proposition that does not shower state millions on one city.

Keats Hayden

Newport Beach

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I only hope the state denies any funds for this park and uses the money to boost medical help for people on fixed incomes and reopen the medical facilities in the state that have been closed because of lack of funds. Let’s get real and help people who need help, like people on kidney dialysis that most health insurance companies no longer cover. They could use this money.

C. Byrne

Huntington Beach