CURRENT NEWS ISSUES
Let's Talk
NEWPORT - COSTA MESA DAILY PILOT
COMMUNITY COMMENTARY
Tuesday, March 21, 2000
LEONARD KRANSER
Come on, Newport -- let's talk
* LEONARD KRANSER IS CHAIRMAN OF THE EL TORO COALITION, A GROUP THAT
INCLUDES THE EL TORO REUSE PLANNING AUTHORITY, PROJECT 99, TAXPAYERS FOR
RESPONSIBLE PLANNING AND NO JETS.
The Daily Pilot points out the solution to Newport Beach residents'
airport concerns ("Time for a new look at El Toro," March 9). It says,
"Newport Beach leaders need to strike a deal with their South County
enemies: If you help us freeze John Wayne in its current state, we'll
stop our push for an airport at El Toro."
Don't call South County "enemies"; we are offering that "deal."
First of all, we wrote Measure F to require a two-thirds vote of the
people before the county could:
* Increase the operation of any existing civilian airport beyond its
current legally permissible and authorized level of operations
* Affect the physical expansion of the facilities of any existing
civilian airport beyond the current and legally authorized size
* Make any expansion or change in operations at any existing
airport. Measure F effectively prevents a John Wayne expansion.
So why is the Newport Beach City Council spending taxpayers'
money on a lawsuit to overturn Measure F?
The 2-to-1 win for Measure F says El Toro will not be built,
because the people will not allow it. The most recent polls by UCI and
Cal State Fullerton show opposition to El Toro airport exceeding
support, which is dwindling. And Newport Beach Congressman
Christopher Cox's 47th District voted 74.3% in favor of Measure F.
The alternative to building El Toro airport need not be expansion of
John Wayne, unless the Newport Beach strategy backfires. Talk of
John Wayne doubling or tripling comes only from El Toro promoters.
It's their "boogeyman" to scare residents to their pro-airport side.
Supervisor Thomas W. Wilson tried to take John Wayne expansion
off the table, but the Newport Beach City Council asked the county to
leave it on.
Realistically, there is little need for increased airport capacity in
Orange County. The much-exaggerated growth in regional air travel
demand will arise from remote and growing areas of the Inland Empire
and Los Angeles County, closer to March, Ontario and Palmdale
airports.
The Southern California Assn. of Governments predicts Orange
County's population will grow by only 14% in the next 20 years. This is
no justification for doubling, tripling -- or in the case of El Toro --
quadrupling county airport capacity.
Orange County is expected to add only 385,000 men, women and
children to its population, but the county proposes to expand airport
capacity for 28 million passengers. The El Toro plan depends on
importing these passengers from other airports and other counties.
If Newport Beach persists in its litigation and promotes a counter
initiative against Measure F, your opportunity for a "no John Wayne
expansion -- no El Toro" deal will evaporate. We urge Newport Beach
to abandon doomed, costly attempts to promote an El Toro airport and
focus on just limiting John Wayne.
As Steve Smith said in his March 13 column, "We shouldn't reject
South County's olive branch, noted that the eight cities of the El Toro
Reuse Planning Authority already have offered to fight against
expansion of John Wayne, if only Newport Beach leaders would agree
to a 'deal.' "
Talk to us. We oppose airport noise, pollution and traffic -- in all our
backyards.