Members of the council, the last ten days have produced some dramatic events in the on going saga of the El Toro airport war.

On March 6^th, the BOS on the usual 3/2 vote approved $5 million in John Wayne Airport operational funds to be provided to the OC Regional Airport Authority- a Joint Powers Authority comprised of 13 pro-airport cities, including Newport Beach. The purpose of this expenditure is to fund all activities associated with the operation and administration of OCRAA, including their $120K per year executive director, all consultants and overhead costs, as well as a public relations campaign promoting El Toro as an airport, and in opposing the new voter initiative that will be circulating soon which will repeal Measure A and kill the airport.

On March 9^th, we on the ETRPA Board of Directors met to discuss this action. ETRPA views this as an illegal expenditure of public funds for a number of very solid legal reasons and authorized our counsel to initiate legal proceedings as necessary to block this grossly negligent action by the BOS majority. That legal process is underway.

This last Tuesday, March 13^th, the City of Newport Beach voted unanimously to grant over $3.5 million to the Airport Working Group and to Citizens for Jobs and Economy. Both organizations are essentially political action committees organized for the sole purpose of building an airport at El Toro and closing John Wayne. The purpose of these funds was meticulously characterized during the council meeting as being for the purpose of conducting a significant public relations campaign to thwart the new initiative.

Although ETRPA has not had the opportunity to discuss this latest decision by Newport Beach, I personally believe that this may also constitute an illegal expenditure of public funds that warrants a serious look. It is my intention to ask my ETRPA colleagues and staff to review this action as well for the purpose of potential legal action against Newport Beach.

Make no mistake about this, Newport Beach has now made it abundantly clear that they are willing to pull out all the stops in an effort to close John Wayne Airport and force El Toro down our throats, and this cannot stand.

I intend, and I am confident that my colleagues on this council are in agreement that it is imperative to ensure that these actions by the pro airport factions do not go unanswered.

And it is time to turn it up another notch.

In the near future, the new initiative to repeal Measure A will begin circulation. It is being sponsored by the Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities chaired by TRP Executive Director, Bill Kogerman. I have recently been asked to join CSHC’s Executive Committee and intend to do so. As with every initiative process, it will be expensive. Not only for the cost of gathering the signatures, but the public awareness campaign that will be necessary to ensure success. I urge every resident and business owner in our city, as well as every resident and business owner in this county, who understand the detrimental affect an airport at El Toro will have to this region, to get actively involved in this effort.

You can help by volunteering your time to circulate petitions, and contributing financially as well. I urge all residents to visit the south county anti-airport website- www.eltoroairport.org and access the link to CSHC. We need your time and financial support now more than ever.