Airport Debate

Anti-El Toro groups trying to con everyone

Pete Rabbitt wrote a telling note regarding the Great Park plan being

a transparent subterfuge for permitting unbridled development at the

closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station base if South County scuttles the

needed commercial airport (“Development more likely than a Great Park,”

July 3).

Unfortunately, the pro-airport folks were listed as the instigators of

this attempted bait and switch scam. The reality is that the con folks

are the conspirators of this South County con job.

The pro-airport folks want the needed Orange County Central Air park,

where the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station is and will be

protected by thousands of acres of permanent parkland.

To point out the difference between pro and con: If pro is the

opposite of con -- what is the opposite of progress? Congress and, of

course, the South County contingent.

GEORGE MARGOLIN

Newport Beach

Accusations could start flying with planes

The Daily Pilot encouraged people to respond to the question, “Why do

you think there is such a discrepancy between countywide opinion and

Newport Beach’s opinion on an airport at El Toro?”

While I found one response you printed interesting and having good

points, it didn’t hit the overwhelming cause of why people voted for El

Toro airport twice with Measure A and Measure S, but now have suddenly

turned against it.

Hopefully, the response was not the only one you received because

asking that question should cause a deep burning emotion within every

Newport Beach resident.

When I realize that South County NIMBYs might succeed in their efforts

to rob Orange County of an El Toro airport, I have a deep pit in my

stomach produced by fear that without El Toro, we will see a major John

Wayne expansion, anger that we allowed anti-El Toro cities to outspend

and manipulate public opinion against the proposed airport,

disappointment that our city leaders were outsmarted and outspent by

those from Irvine, and regret that most Newport Beach residents have

remained rather apathetic and mostly uninvolved in this fight.

When we all wake up to the sound of screaming jets over our homes and

snarling traffic jams in and out of the city, the questions and

accusations over how it all happened will be flying right along with

those planes.

CLAUDIA DOWNS

Newport Beach

Flight may soar over South County

As I understand it, the El Toro runway V-plan would launch departing

flights over the coast between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach.

Can’t you just imagine the residents of Pelican Point, Newport Coast,

Marriott Villas, Crystal Cove and Irvine Cove living with the constant

roar of commercial jet engines? We could call it El Segundo South.

ANN MERRITT

Corona del Mar

Great Park much too expensive an option

I do not like the fact there’s a chance of a 16% increase in annual

passenger limit at John Wayne Airport. I think that we should keep the

restrictions exactly as they are. I think we have a beautiful city here

and by expanding the John Wayne Airport capacity any degree, it would

just make this city less than what it should be.

I don’t know whether we necessarily need to do El Toro as an airport

if we could convince the public to use Ontario International Airport.

That would make sense, but if the public’s not going to use Ontario, then

I think we in the southern part of Orange County need to step up to the

plate. That is, to open up El Toro as an airport.

I’m totally against the Great Park. I think the park is going to be

expensive and is going to cost us money. I think that’s ever so true, and

I said that from day one. People have said that you cannot do a park

museum unless you have the land and the art that somebody is donating. I

don’t think there’s someone out there to do that. Anyway, the Great Park,

to me, is just something that’s farfetched, out of this world.

DEBORRAH LUGO

Newport Beach