March 2001 -
Click on date for story
Website Direct, March 30, 2001
March 2001 -
Click on date for story
OC Register, March 29, 2001
"Airport Group forms anew to oppose LAX expansion"
"The long dormant regional board instead favors development of
an airport at the former El Toro
Marine base."
OC Register, March 29, 2001
"Newport to fund pro-airport lobby"
LA Times, March 29, 2001
"Firm's Mission: Convert Voters to Support an El
Toro Airport"
"The county will pay Sacramento consultants $5 million for a
15-month campaign. It coincides with foes' push for ballot measure."
OC Register, March 28, 2001
"El Toro programs dip deeper into red"
"County seeks answers after report says a larger-than-expected
deficit will reach $4.5 million."
LA Times, March 28, 2001
"County to Reimburse Its Measure H Foe"
"To void the tobacco funds initiative, supervisors sued a doctor
and lost. Now they'll pay $60,000 for
his legal fees."
LA Times, March 28, 2001
"Argyros in Line to Be Ambassador"
Aviation Week's Airports, March 27, 2001
"El Toro Airport Backers Look to Mineta for Streamlining"
[Goodbye John Wayne]
LA Times, March 27, 2001
"Panel Backs Lifting Limits at John Wayne"
"El Toro Reuse Planning Authority says existing airport should
raise passenger numbers to 14 million from 8.4-million cap and add flights."
LA Times Editorial, March 27, 2001
"Stop Mixing Airport Issues "
LA Times, Newport Beach section, March 24, 2001
"Costa Mesa sets airport stance"
"Policy statement includes no mention of El Toro but advocates
no expansion of John Wayne."
LA Times, March 24, 2001
"Thousands of Hawaii Flight Bookings Based on a
Hope"
OC Register, March 23, 2001
"LAX officials call passenger projections for El
Toro flawed"
OC Register, March 22, 2001
"No landings from the west at El Toro"
"County officials decide the noise would cause problems for Irvine."
Torrance Daily Breeze.com, March 18 updated
March 21, 2001
"Anti-LAX spending: El Segundo's $1.7 million question"
"City officials hid involvement in study"
LA Times, March 21, 2001 - UPDATED
"Court Won't Rush Appeal of Measure F Ruling"
"Airport opponents denied in request for expedited hearing, likely
pushing final verdict into next year."
Website Direct, March 20 2001
Safe and Healthy Communities Executive Committee
Meets
LA Times, March 20 2001
"Winds Could Close El Toro, Pilots Say"
"Runways as now configured could be unsafe in foul weather, union
says. County downplays concerns."
OC Register, March 19, 2001
"Building a future at El Toro"
"Gary Simon, architect of the proposed airport project, knows
it faces stiff opposition."
LA Times, March 18, 2001
"Irvine Takes Over From Coalition on 2002 Measure
to Kill El Toro Plan"
"City's version of no-airport future for base features 'great
park' without Millennium Plan's commercial and residential elements."
Daily Pilot, March 17, 2001
"Anti-airport group plans to sue county"
"Costa Mesa officials to discuss plan for airports"
Website Direct, March 16, 2001
RSM Councilman urges action on El Toro
Website Direct, March 16, 2001
County Tells SCAG to Consider Pendleton
Website Direct, March 15, 2001
SCAG Projections Miss the Mark
Website Direct, March 14, 2001 – updated
Newport Beach City Council Moves Forward with $3.7
Million
Money Is Designated to Oppose Anti-El Toro Initiative
Website Direct, March 13, 2001
Where the population will grow.
Website Direct, March 12, 2001
Pro-airport phone polling underway
Boston Globe, March 10, 2001 website posted March
11
"Logan seen emerging as top polluter"
"Airport is now state's 6th-worst smog producer"
Website Direct, March 10, 2001
Newport Beach may give $3.7 million to political
action committees
Website Direct, March 9, 2001
ETRPA Board approves litigation against the County
Measure F appeal moved to San Diego
Website Direct, March 9, 2001
Laguna Niguel residents step up to the plate
Website Direct, March 9, 2001
Leaders go to Washington
LA Times - OC Register, March 9, 2001
Spitzer Wants To Go To Sacramento
Wants voters to fill his BOS seat not Gov. Davis
Website Direct, March 8, 2001
ETRPA Special Meeting suggests fireworks
OC Register, Business, March 8, 2001
"Fare relief for O.C. is set to fly"
Website Direct, March 7, 2001
Action Needed - Deadline for Comments on SCAG DEIR
is March 15
LA Times, March 7, 2001
"El Toro Expenses Could Drive Up John Wayne Fees"
Website Direct, March 6, 2001 12:54 PM
Board approves $5 million for OCRAA with an important
change
Website Direct, editorial comment, March 6, 2001
- during the meeting
Board disfunctionality shows at meeting
OC Register, Editorial March 6, 2001
Airport friends, foes misuse public funds
Website Direct, March 5, 2001 - updated 4:30
PM
ETRPA Asks for Expedited Hearing on Measure F
Cautions Board of Supervisors against violating the law
Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2001, website posted
March 4
"Google Is Smart, Fast, Honest and May Be Best
Sleuth on the Web"
LA Times editorial, March 4, 2001
"El Toro's Bottom Line"
"Just How Much Airport Do We Need?"
Website Direct, March 2, 2001
County may hand pro-El Toro group $5 million.
Board of Supervisors meeting will fuel huge PR campaign
LA Times - OC Register, March 2, 2001
"Regional Airport Plans Key on El Toro, Ontario"
"Growth: Each would get 30 million passengers a year under recommendations
of SCAG, whose proposals are non binding but influential."
Website Direct, March 1, 2001
ETRPA cautions SCAG to focus on realistic scenarios
in aviation plans
Orange County's Existing Airport Can Accommodate
Future Demand
LA Times, March 1, 2001
"Pilots Union Eases El Toro Opposition"
One of the most enduring pro-El Toro lies is that the need for an additional county airport somehow results from a heavy population influx in South County. We sorted the new census figures published in the OC Register today, and again found that:
North County added more population in the past 10 years, 253 thousand additional residents, versus 190 thousand new residents in the South. The percentage growth was greater in the South because of the smaller base figure for 1990.
Approximately three-quarters of all county residents live in what is considered North County. In addition, northern cities, like Anaheim, account for most of the tourist traffic.
Total Orange County growth of 443 thousand people scarcely justifies a new 29 million-passenger airport. Write to your newspapers to correct this persistent misconception.
Today, the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority (ETRPA) and Measure F proponent, Jeffrey Metzger asked the Fourth District Court of Appeal in San Diego to issue an order preventing the county from expanding its efforts to build the El Toro airport while the Measure F appeal is being heard.
Specifically, attorneys are asking the court to prevent the County from entering into new airport-related contracts or expanding existing contracts. The request was prompted by the county’s recent decision to spend $5 million dollars to fund a public relations effort by OCRAA to promote the proposed El Toro airport.
Measure F passed by an overwhelming 67.3% in March of 2000 but was overturned by a lower court judge in Los Angeles. It is now in the Appeal Court. The pro-airport attorneys have until April 13 to respond to ETRPA’s request for a stay.
Click here for more on the Measure F litigation.
"The Southern California Regional Airports Authority met for the first
time since 1993.
Most advocates at the meeting … spoke against a bigger LAX, whose proposed
master plan to expand to 89 million annual passengers has taken several
serious blows this week from Los Angeles political leaders."
"Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, whose district includes LAX, told the regional group - made up of elected officials from Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties - that its role should include brokering deals between rival airport factions. As an example, Galanter said opponents of Los Angeles and Burbank airport expansions both could benefit from the development of the Palmdale airport."
"The authority's interim chairman is Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, and its Orange County representative is Supervisor Charles V. Smith. Since Knabe and Smith oppose the LAX expansion and favor an El Toro airport, the composition worries opponents of an El Toro airport."
"The regional airport board … will try to find a role to play among all the other governmental groups working on aviation issues. They discussed at length their desire to find a way to both develop and implement a regional aviation plan, their official powers including the ability to "acquire, construct, operate, repair, maintain and administer airports."
The authority will hold its next meeting on April 26 at 1:30 p.m. at the Ontario Airport.
"Newport Beach will fund pro-El Toro airport groups' efforts to begin a public outreach campaign that includes developing a marketing strategy, polling and lobbying.
The City Council set aside $3.3 million for the campaign Tuesday night and gave grants totaling $270,000 to the Airport Working Group and to Citizens for Jobs and the Economy."
"A Sacramento consulting firm will oversee a $5-million, 15-month public relations blitz to sell Orange County residents on the need for a new airport at the retired El Toro Marine base. David Townsend of Townsend Raimundo Besler & Usher was told Wednesday that his company has been selected, said Art Bloomer, executive director of the Orange County Regional Airport Authority."
"The $5-million campaign, authorized last month by Orange County supervisors, represents an unparalleled burst in county spending to promote the airport. It coincides with an effort by airport foes to place another measure--the fourth--on the March 2002 ballot in hopes of finally stopping the airport."
"Townsend acknowledged that his firm would be stepping into the county's most contentious public-policy issue since the 1994 bankruptcy. Support for the new airport has slumped because of the aggressive campaigning by South County opponents. Polls last year showed that only a third of the county's registered voters supported the airport; a majority of residents said future airport growth should occur at John Wayne Airport."
"Orange County supervisors got a pessimistic report about El Toro on Tuesday - the county is losing more money than expected on interim programs there, and there is no easy fix."
"El Toro Director Gary Simon told the Board of Supervisors that … Revenue from programs such as golf, stables and recreational-vehicle storage is now expected to reach $3.8 million. To cover expenses of $8.3 million, the county will have to take $4.5 million from the general fund, Simon said. That drew sharp criticism from Supervisors Todd Spitzer and Tom Wilson, who are against a proposed El Toro airport but have long advocated using more of the former Marine base - and making more money from it."
"Simon previously had said that if the interim uses at El Toro were not in the black by July 2002, he would recommend that the county shut down everything. After the meeting, he said he still holds that opinion and, for now, he does not know how the county can turn around the deficits."
"Supervisors took a step toward boosting revenue when they approved increases in three agricultural leases on the property for an additional $46,100 a month. More than 10 growers protested the decision to extend leases without competitive bids, a process they said they had been promised by county staff. Supervisors ultimately voted, 5-0, to extend the leases with the current growers but to put two parcels up for bid a year from now."
Editor: A thousand units of base housing sit empty amidst political wrangling. The County has never reopened the Officers Club for functions. The Club was supposed to start making money again once the right to sell liquor was restored.
Many airport foes say that losing money on non-aviation activities at the base is the pro-airport strategy. Non-aviation development depends upon putting the operation in the black.
"After numerous delays, county supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved giving a Newport Beach physician $60,000 to pay his legal fees for successfully defending himself and the tobacco initiative from the county's court challenge.
"The decision ends a bitter campaign that pitted the three-member board majority against health care and community leaders over how tens of millions of dollars in tobacco settlement money would be spent. The county, at the insistence of Chairwoman Cynthia P. Coad and Supervisors Jim Silva and Chuck Smith, sued to keep the initiative off the ballot but lost. After it was approved by 65% of the voters in November, they sued to block its implementation."
"Orange County businessman George Argyros, who headed a $30-million fund-raising effort in California last year for President Bush, is being considered for an unspecified ambassadorship. Two local residents, who asked not to be named, said they were contacted recently by the U.S. State Department, which is conducting a diplomatic background check on Argyros--a routine step before any formal White House nomination."
"Rumors have swirled for months that Argyros would secure some prestigious post in the new administration should he want one."
"Argyros also has been the major private donor supporting Orange County's plans to build a new commercial airport at the retired El Toro Marine base. He has contributed about $3.5."
The Register reports that the appointment will be to Spain.
To comment on this article click here.
"Airport proponents met with DOT Secretary Norman Mineta, White House officials, Navy officials and members of Congress last week to make their case." [ETRPA delegates and Supervisors Wilson and Spitzer were in Washington the week before.]
"Even if the airport is developed, it remains to be seen whether airlines can be persuaded to operate there given the proximity of John Wayne." [Program Manager Gary] "Simon acknowledged that none of the carriers operating at John Wayne have committed to flying at El Toro, but he attributed that partly to the slow pace of the development – resulting in uncertainty that El Toro ever will be a commercial facility. According to Simon, one international and one domestic cargo carrier have asked for briefings on the airport."
"El Toro backers envision it as handling most of the airlines at John Wayne, a list that includes all majors. John Wayne would be mainly for general aviation, business jets and some smaller carriers."
"Airport growth for Orange County should be accommodated by lifting passenger and flight limits at John Wayne Airport, a move which could nearly double its capacity, [ETRPA] a coalition of South County cities declared late Monday."
"The group also considered filing a lawsuit if the county and Newport Beach, John Wayne's neighbor, attempted to maintain airport growth controls that expire in 2005… 'We'd like to see better utilization of John Wayne Airport, and that's a fair position,' Mission Viejo Councilwoman Susan Withrow, ETRPA's past chairwoman, said." ETRPA did not advocate changing the nightime curfews at JWA.
"ETRPA also passed a resolution advocating greater use of Inland Empire airports.
Editor: The Times mistakenly reports that ETRPA "backed down"
from its previous position of "pushing for the elimination of nighttime
curfews" at JWA. ETRPA has never, to this writer's knowledge, taken
such a stance. Paul Eckles' recommended
action to the authority last month, clearly states that JWA passenger
service can be increased "without lifting the nighttime curfew".
LA Times Editorial, March
27, 2001
"Stop Mixing Airport Issues "
The Times writes, "What's the sense in tying current operations and passenger service at John Wayne Airport, Orange County's only commercial airfield, to the political wars over cargo flights and El Toro's future?"
"We already have been down the road of controversy over cargo flights, with airport planners trying prematurely to shoehorn them into El Toro in order to secure an aviation precedent. Now, a clause in a county legal document over cargo flights has thrown into confusion negotiations over a completely unrelated request by Aloha Airlines, which is seeking to become the 11th commercial carrier at John Wayne."
"The airline's application would offer the first service from the county to outside the continental United States, with two daily departures to Hawaii, which increases choices for county residents. The request has been held hostage in a Board of Supervisors battle over wording in documents for renewal of leases for two cargo air carriers that have been operating from John Wayne on annual leases since 1995."
Pro-airport supervisors, the City of Newport Beach and the Airport Working Group want the agreement to require a move of cargo flights from John Wayne to El Toro "as soon as possible." Anti-El Toro supervisors don't want that clause, and since it is not binding--or even necessary to granting the slots--it should be removed."
"The board can and should find a way to accommodate both the cargo flights
at John Wayne and new service to Hawaii."
"COSTA MESA -- On airport issues, the winds are shifting in the city. The City Council softened its support this week for an airport at the closed El Toro Marine base, backing off an earlier stance."
"The council unanimously passed a resolution Monday endorsing a broader regional approach to airport planning… Yet the panel deliberately left out any reference to El Toro."
"The policy statement stopped short of endorsing Orange County's plan to build an airport at El Toro -- reversing an earlier council's position. 'I do not support an airport at El Toro,' [Councilwoman Linda] Dixon said. 'I have not seen it written anywhere that every region in every county needs an airport.'"
"The council… advocated no expansion of John Wayne Airport."
Editor: The resolution was brought to the City Council by its former member, Heather Somers, who is now working as a consultant for the City of El Segundo. In its original form, before amendments by the Costa Mesa council, the resolution called for limiting the expansion of LAX. After the story was first published here, several viewers of this website e-mailed the Council urging that they not meddle in the LAX debate.
"Aloha Airlines has already booked nearly 6,000 passengers for Orange County's first Hawaii flights from John Wayne Airport beginning May 1, even though the flights haven't been approved by county supervisors. The once-daily round-trip flight to Honolulu and a second flight to Maui beginning June 1 have been tied up for months in wrangling over the county's plan to build a new airport at the closed El Toro Marine base."
"Last month, a majority of the Board of Supervisors, the Newport Beach City Council and a Newport-based residents' group [the Airport Working Group] reauthorized the cargo flights--something they must do every year--and added a statement that cargo operations would move to El Toro 'as soon as possible.'" Supervisors Tom Wilson and Todd Spitzer balked at the inclusion of that potentially binding language.
Read the full article in the website's Early Bird Edition.
"LAX officials say a [SCAG] regional transportation proposal that projects 30 million passengers a year at El Toro by the year 2025 is flawed in its conclusions. Los Angeles International Airport officials say it is unrealistic to expect an El Toro airport and the Ontario airport to attract 30 million passengers each - and John Wayne Airport an additional 8.4 million - when they would compete for many of the same passengers."
"LAX plans to expand to serve 89 million passengers annually. The regional plan proposes that it handle 78 million."
Click here for a history of inaccurate forecasts by SCAG, the Southern California Association of Governments.
"County airport planners asked the FAA to draft a plan for jets to land at El Toro from the west over Irvine, but later scrapped that proposal out of concern for the impact of aircraft noise on homes."
"The nation's largest pilots union [ALPA] said that analysis by the Federal Aviation Administration indicates El Toro would be vulnerable to delays and cancellations in heavy winds and rains. In a letter sent by John Wayne Airport Director Alan Murphy in February 2000, the county asked the FAA to develop an instrument landing procedure for jets to land from the west over Irvine."
"The FAA prepared a draft plan for landings from the west, but then dropped it. 'There was an agreement between our airports division and the county that there may be some problems keeping the sound levels within 65 decibels on that approach, so they decided to scrap that locally,' said Jerry Snyder, an FAA spokesman.
"The pilots union has long argued that the county is making poor decisions about the runways at El Toro, arguing for several years that it is unsafe to require northern and eastern takeoffs over hills."
"This week, Wally Roberts, the pilots union technical liaison for El Toro, said the proposed FAA procedures for landings at El Toro show the county plan leaves the airport vulnerable to closure during bad weather. If the winds are strong from the south, jets will have to land from the north, the county plan says."
"However, FAA procedures provided to the pilots say that northern landings require pilots to see the runways from three miles away and with cloud cover at least 1,075 feet high."
"Roberts said that strong winds during a rainstorm could force the closure
of the airport.
The solution, he said, is the plan the county withdrew - to create
a landing procedure from the west over Irvine."
Editor: During the recent FAA tests of flight paths, the Learjet test aircraft did fly approaches into Irvine over Irvine. The County has a history of ruling out politically undesirable flight paths in Central County - at least until after the March 2002 election. Click here for correspondence with Anaheim about flights to the north.
"Politicians in tidy El Segundo boast of spending $1.7 million to fight the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport but clam up when asked to reveal just what the city of 16,000 people is getting for the taxpayers' money." The Daily Breeze reports that, "Legal experts said El Segundo appears to be violating California public records laws.
El Segundo Mayor Mike Gordon has been an aggressive promoter of an airport at El Toro to relieve air traffic at LAX. El Segundo has hired former Costa Mesa City Council member Heather Somers as a consultant, to promote El Segundo's hopes for sharing the LAX burden with Orange County residents.
"When a study released in November concluded that an LAX expansion would have disproportionately harmful effects on minority communities, El Segundo city officials hailed it as 'independent' proof that the expansion plan was flawed. They didn't mention that El Segundo … played a role in starting and shepherding the study along… Some El Segundo residents grumble that the council's secrecy is preventing them form determining if the money is being spent properly."
Click here to add comments on the Message Board.
"A state court has denied a request by anti-El Toro airport forces for an expedited appeal of a judge's decision in December to overturn last year's Measure F. The 4th District Court of Appeal on Monday denied a motion to speed up the process."
"The justices gave pro-airport attorneys 90 days to file court papers after ETRPA files its opening brief. That would push back a court hearing date--and ultimate decision--into next year. Anti-airport attorneys argued that the appeal would be 'meaningless' if county officials approve the airport as planned this fall and obtain the base property from the Navy before the court acts."
Editor: The newspapers carried the above, apparently based on comments by pro-airport attorney Barbara Lichman. ETRPA says that a ruling is still expected this year, in August or September.
An enlarged committee comprised of over 30 leaders from throughout the county, met tonight to discuss preparations for the March 2002 initiative campaign. Supervisors Tom Wilson and Todd Spitzer and former ETRPA Chairwoman Susan Withrow also reported on their Washington trip.
Jim Davy, who led the Measure F petition drive, announced that he has 23 area captains organized, and will be starting the new signature gathering in May, with a list of 2,000 volunteers.
The initiative will overturn Measure A, which narrowly passed in 1994. Measure A changed the County General Plan to designate El Toro for civilian aviation use. The new initiative will amend the General Plan to rezone the land for exclusively non-aviation uses such as parks, open space and educational use.
"As its runways are now configured, a commercial airport at El Toro could be closed several days a year because of winds and poor visibility, according to an analysis by [ALPA] the nation's largest airline pilots union. The conclusion raises safety concerns and serious doubts about whether airlines would choose to operate from a weather-restricted airfield at the retired Marine base, just seven miles from John Wayne Airport."
"Orange County planners have acknowledged that gusty winds from the south could make it too dangerous for planes to land at El Toro over Laguna Woods, as intended. The county's alternative calls for planes to land from the north over Anaheim Hills during windy or stormy conditions."
"FAA charts, obtained by The Times, show that pilots could land from the north at El Toro only in picture-postcard weather… [with requirements] nearly six times more restrictive than the visibility rules at John Wayne and Los Angeles International airports."
"Pilots are nervous about El Toro because it is surrounded by rising hills to the north and east. There are no similar obstacles near John Wayne Airport. Planes can land at LAX in virtually any weather."
"In an effort to improve safety guidelines at the proposed airport, the pilots union wants the county to bar takeoffs to the east because of the hills. [and to] allow flights over Irvine--a flight path currently excluded in the county's plan."
"County officials downplayed the pilots' concerns."
"Another key issue raised by the pilots union and others is the fate of John Wayne. The pilots believe John Wayne Airport should be closed so jets from the two airports don't interfere with one another. In addition, the Air Transport Assn., which represents the nation's major carriers, has said for years the airlines won't set up shop at both airports."
"So far, criticism about El Toro has focused primarily on takeoffs. The pilots union opposes the county's plan for takeoffs to the east and to the north. Takeoffs to the east would send planes over hills and rising terrain; takeoffs to the north, in the county plan, would require planes to clear 800-foot-high Loma Ridge, three miles off the end of the runway."
"The [County and] FAA's proposed flight procedures for El Toro note that planes leaving toward the north would have to climb to 7,500 feet using a minimum climb rate of 450 feet per nautical mile. Such an ascent is too steep for many aircraft, including planes heavily loaded with fuel and passengers, [ALPA consultant Wally] Roberts said."
"If planes must depart to the north, the pilots said, they should make an immediate left turn to avoid Loma Ridge, meaning the planes would fly over Orange and Tustin. To date, the county has refused to consider allowing flights over Irvine or turning flights over central county cities, fearing aircraft noise would attract too much political opposition."
The Register profiles Gary Simon, Director of the county's El Toro Master Development Program. "'This is going to be a big year for El Toro,' he said. Ahead lies completion of the planning for the $3 billion airport project, and beyond that, yet another initiative battle over whether El Toro should be an airport."
"Simon is charting a course for the base for this interim period before its future use is decided. To that end, he has definite ideas: The county needs to create more revenue-generating activities at the base this year to get into the black by July 2002. 'If we can't do that, my recommendation would be to close the base,' he said."
"His goal as real estate manager - to use as many buildings as possible - may not be feasible. 'My vision today is to use the best buildings - there may be only a dozen,' he said, planning to focus on special events, film shoots and possibly housing to make money at the base."
"All of those decisions are subject to the approval of his bosses - the Board of Supervisors. 'Having five bosses on its own is challenging,' Simon said. 'Having five bosses with different visions of El Toro can be even more challenging.'"
Editor: Supervisor Tom Wilson has been critical of the slow pace of getting revenue producing facilities back into use. The base housing sits vacant. The Officers Club has yet to reopen. Requests to lease buildings languish. Events have not been approved. Childrens Hospital was recently denied use of the base theater for a fundraiser because of its deteriorating condition.
Irvine's plan to create a park at the site relies on income from existing facilities to maintain the property and to produce a surplus to fund future development. For that reason, pro-airport Supervisors, Smith, Silva and Coad are thought to oppose serious efforts to put the property into the black.
"The city of Irvine has assumed control of a proposed ballot measure aimed at repealing plans for an airport at El Toro… Last year's anti-airport Measure F, which passed with 67% of the vote, was written by the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority that includes Irvine and eight other South County cities. But those involved say the authority has quietly stepped aside to let Irvine create the new initiative."
"Irvine officials argued convincingly that the city's proximity to the base earned it the right to control what might be built there. That extended to drafting the new initiative… Irvine's lawyers want to place the measure, which is expected to be unveiled next month, on the March 2002 ballot."
"Anti-airport groups agreed to expand a division of labor approved during the Measure F campaign, letting ETRPA focus on attacking the county's airport plans while Irvine studied alternatives for base redevelopment."
"The double-barrel approach weakened public support for the airport, which passed in 1994 with 51% of the vote. Opinion polls conducted last year, including the Los Angeles Times Poll, showed support for an airport slipping to around 35%."
"For three years ETRPA pushed for its Millennium Plan, a medium-sized park plus commercial development and new homes at the 4,700-acre base. The plan pushed by Irvine, though, would replace an airport approved by voters in 1994 with a 'great park' that planners hope someday will rival New York City's Central Park and Balboa Park in San Diego."
"Much credit for the new-found detente goes to the persistence of Irvine Mayor Larry Agran, who created the great-park concept and pushed its refinement. [Public] feedback suggested people didn't want an airport--and wanted more park, not less, Agran said."
"Dave Ellis, a consultant for the Airport Working Group, said county taxpayers won't be as partial to the park if they believe it could cost them to maintain and operate it… striking a likely theme for an upcoming campaign. Editor: The park plan will not need any Orange County taxpayer cost because it is funded by revenue from leasing existing base facilities, user fees, private donors, and state and federal park funds.
"South County cities say they plan to take legal action to block Orange County from paying for a public information campaign to promote a commercial airport at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station…. The county Board of Supervisors approved a $5-million payment March 6 to the Orange County Regional Airport Authority."
"The county has funneled $34.8 million since 1995 from the John Wayne Airport budget to develop an airport at El Toro, a move [ETRPA attorney Terry] Dixon criticized as illegal." Airport Director Alan Murphy says the continued spending could result in higher airport fees.
On Monday, the Costa Mesa City Council, "which has not been as unified as other cities on the county's proposal to build an airport at the closed El Toro Marine air base, is set to consider a resolution … calling for limits at Los Angeles International, Ontario and John Wayne airports, [and] construction of an airport at El Toro."
"Drafted by the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, [OCRAA] a loose coalition of North County cities, the plan was brought to Costa Mesa by former Councilwoman Heather Somers". Somers, who lost her reelection bid… "has been hired as a consultant by El Segundo" a city opposed to LAX expansion and in favor of moving air traffic to El Toro.
Editor: A former Orange County elected official is being paid, by a Los Angeles County city, to lobby Orange County cities. Her mission is to promote construction of LAX - South in the heart of Orange County. If you object, tell the Costa Mesa City Council by e-mail and write to the newspapers.
Click here for a report to the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council by that new city's ETRPA rep, Gary Thompson.
On October 23, 2000, the County of Orange wrote to the Southern California Association of Governments that the SCAG Regional Transportation Plan Update, "should analyze the effects of an international airport at Camp Pendleton". The complete letter is available in the website's section on the possibilities of an airport at Pendleton.
The Orange County Planning and Development Service Department wrote that both candidates for the Mayor of San Diego, "suggest using a small part of Camp Pendleton to build an international airport, with Orange County".
"This proposed airport includes a full service international airport with 12,000-foot-long runways separated so that they can have multiple parallel operation, (i.e. spaced 4,500 feet apart)" which is not possible at El Toro.
"This proposed airport would include about 5,000 to 6,000 acres on a portion of Camp Pendleton, which includes 126,000 acres… not shutting down Camp Pendleton."
Today is the final day for submitting comments to the Southern California Association of Governments regarding their Draft Environmental Impact Report. The report assumes that Orange County should supply more aviation capacity but fails to consider increased utilization of JWA.
The report methodology plays down population growth in outlying areas by giving considerable weight to income levels when forecasting demand by county. The assumption is that affluent residents may travel more often. However, SCAG seemingly overlooks the fact that much travel into this region is by non-residents - tourists, business visitors and those in transit to other destinations. Their travel volume and destinations are independent of local income levels.
Past SCAG forecasts of aviation demand and airport capacity have missed the mark by wide margins. SCAG historically has said that we need one more airport than was actually needed. Click here for a new website page showing past Aviation Forecasts.
The Newport Beach City Council, voted 7-0 last night, to authorize an additional $3.69 million of city taxpayer funds to fight for an airport at El Toro. The bulk of the money will be given to two Political Action Committees that will play major roles in opposing a new anti-El Toro initiative that will be on the March 2002 ballot.
The money was requested by the Airport Working Group and the Argyros-backed Citizens for Jobs and the Economy (the "No on F" committee). $150,000 will be given to the Orange County Regional Airport Authority OCRAA.
A special Airport Affairs Committee will work with the City Attorney to draft the legal agreements with the two PAC's.
There were a few questions raised regarding the legality of the expenditure, whether the city would lose control of its money, and whether the spending was prudent. However, the mood of the meeting was one of desperate need to take this "last chance" to salvage the failing El Toro project.
Some observers believe that Newport is undertaking an illegal political use of public funds to influence the outcome of an election. However, the Newport Beach attorneys are good. If they have found a legal loophole, then the ETRPA cities may need to consider similar action to level the playing field during the final months of the campaign.
The website has updated its report of future population growth throughout Southern California. We have added San Diego data and a map from SCAG - Distribution of Population Increase Between 1997 and 2025.
The City of Laguna Niguel has added airport locations to the SCAG map. Most areas of future growth are in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernadino Counties and not near El Toro. You can link to the map from here or from the Population page and print it as a handout.
Airport proponents have begun telephone testing of arguments that they may use against our new initiative. If you ever are called by a pollster, listen carefully, answer fairly and please take careful notes and write down every question that they ask. Then e-mail the information to this website for sharing with the anti-airport political strategists.
On a day when Orange County papers are filled with editorial opinion and comment, (See the website's Early Bird News) we opted to post this piece of hard news from Massachusetts.
"With almost no public notice, [Boston's] Logan Airport is quickly emerging as one of the state's single greatest contributors to summertime smog and is expected to top the list within the decade, a top state official says. Environmentalists' attention has been riveted on cleaning up pollutants spewed out by Massachusetts' oldest and dirtiest power plants…but jets at Logan are emitting tons of nitrogen oxides every year, a key ingredient in both smog, which aggravates asthma, and acid rain, which harms trees and wildlife."
"Already, the airport ranks sixth on the list of the worst emitters of smog. But state Environmental Affairs Secretary Robert Durand predicts Logan will rank number one by 2010 as the airport grows and regulators crack down on the old power plants."
'''We spent all our time on the noise issue and it turns out we closed our eyes to the bigger problem - the air,' said a community activist. 'I'd rather be deaf than not have clean air.' 'It's all a soup here of noise, vibration, the smell of jet fuel, and air pollution,' said [a resident]. 'We need to start focusing on the health effects.''"
Click here for a study of the
health impacts of an El Toro airport.
Then write
to the newspapers.
The Newport Beach City Council will meet on March 13 at 7:00 PM to consider funding requests from the Airport Working Group and Citizens for Jobs and the Economy. Both are political action committees. The AWG was recently involved in a smear campaign against City of Orange Councilman Mike Alvarez. The George Argyros backed CJ&E ran the "No on Measure F" campaign. The city has previously funded these two groups.
Agenda item 19 states that, "The City has received a request from AWG and CJE for a grant to fund an El Toro public information and outreach program (Program). A copy of the Program is attached to this memo. The Chair of the Airport Issues Committee will make an oral recommendation regarding this funding request."
The Register reports that, it will be used "for polls, meetings with business leaders, newsletters, and cable television ads. It includes spending $2.5 million for 5 million pieces of mail and $50,000 for luncheons with opinion-makers."
The ETRPA cities, including Irvine, have not provided funding to political action committees or surrogates. ETRPA attorneys hold that it is illegal for governments to spend money to influence the outcome of elections. Political groups such as Taxpayers for Responsible Planning and Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities have been entirely self-funded with private contributions.
Anyone attending the City council meeting is urged to be cautious about his or her conduct and comments, which may be televised. We regret this escalation of spending to promote an unneeded airport. If Newport Beach chooses to expend its citizens tax money, the city should follow ETRPA and Irvine's example and spend it through its own offices, where control can be maintained and relevant laws on government political spending can be followed.
All this spending won't change the public's objection to building LAX-South in the heart of Orange County!
The ETRPA Board, met in special session today, and authorized its attorney's to proceed with litigation against the County over the $5 million that Smith, Silva and Coad voted to give to OCRAA. See the related stories below, and read Supervisors Wilson and Spitzer's' letter to federal officials challenging the County expenditure.
Click for the message board thread on this topic.
It was announced that all Orange County Appeals Court judges had removed themselves from ruling on the Measure F appeal to avoid potential conflicts of interest. The appeal will be moved to San Diego County, which some observers believe to be a favorable venue on an issue of this type. Measure F was overturned in a Los Angeles court.
Over a hundred residents of Laguna Niguel and neighboring cities attended a "Last Rites for the El Toro Airport" breakfast and fundraiser this morning. Reverend Jack S. Henning, Jr. opened the meeting with his familiar benediction, "May only angels fly over our communities."
Speakers Supervisor Tom Wilson, Supervisor Todd Spitzer, Assemblywoman Pat Bates, Laguna Niguel officials and leaders of the Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities campaign organization updated the attendees regarding plans for a March 2002 initiative. The initiative will change the zoning for El Toro from aviation to a non-aviation use.
Everyone was urged to either raise or contribute $1,000 to the campaign coffers for what is expected to be a $2 million election campaign - which can only be funded by private contributions. Those who want to organize similar events for leaders in their cities should contact Tristan Krogius, Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities Fund Raising Chairman, at 949-493-5557.
Supervisors Tom Wilson, Todd Spitzer and a delegation of elected leaders from ETRPA cities are off to Washington next week. One of their agenda items will be the $5 million voted by Supervisors Smith, Silva and Coad last week to fund the pro-El Toro Orange County Regional Airport Authority.
Wilson and Spitzer sent a letter, challenging the legality of the grant, to the Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment with copies to the Administrator of the FAA and the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation. Click here to read the letter.
Todd Spitzer has declared his candidacy for the 71st asembly District, and he wants the Orange County Board of Supervisors to put an initiative before the voters next March allowing voters to choose his successor rather than the traditional Governor appointment.
"Like most California counties, Orange County is a "general law" county, bound by rules in the state constitution. One rule is: The governor fills county board vacancies."
"Should Republican Spitzer win an Assembly seat in November 2002, Davis could break the GOP's board monopoly by naming a fellow Democrat to serve the two years left on Spitzer's term.... Supervisor Charles V. Smith said he would probably oppose putting a charter initiative on the ballot just to address the succession question. Smith noted that county voters decisively rejected a charter initiative in 1996." Complete OC Register story in "Early Bird News"
"With a confident eye toward his Republican bid next year for a state Assembly seat, Supervisor Todd Spitzer said Thursday that he will ask his board colleagues to place a proposal on the ballot to prevent Democratic Gov. Gray Davis from naming his successor."
"Spitzer has been raising money since December to replace outgoing Assemblyman Bill Campbell (R-Villa Park). He transferred more than $300,000 to the race and is sitting on a formidable $425,000 war chest. He plans to formally announce his candidacy in two weeks."
"'There are five Republicans on the Board of Supervisors," Spitzer said
Thursday. "I'm confident my colleagues would want voters to replace me
with a Republican rather than have the governor appoint. The voters need
to have a voice on who my replacement would be to protect their interests,
for El Toro and every other issue.'"
For
complete LA Times story, click here
"Spitzer is going after the seat held by Bill Campbell, R-Villa Park,
who will be forced from office by term limits. The district, which includes
Orange, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and at least parts of seven
other cities, is one of the most Republican in the state and is expected
to remain so after redistricting this year - meaning a GOP Assembly member
is a virtual certainty" Complete
OC Register story here
The El Toro Reuse Planning Authority has called a special meeting of its directors for tomorrow, March 9 at 2:00 PM at the Lake Forest City Hall. The agenda includes only closed session items related to litigation.
The meeting, coming so close on the heels of the Board of Supervisors' 3-2 vote to provide $5 million to the pro-El Toro Orange County Regional Airport Authority, suggests that the Supervisors may be the target of litigation fireworks. Supervisors Wilson and Spitzer questioned whether the actions of the majority - Supervisors Smith, Silva and Coad - might constitute an inpermissible grant of public funds.
Wilson and Spitzer are asking the federal government to rule on whether the milking of John Wayne airport revenue, to fund El Toro public relations, is legal.
Members of the public who attend will be able to speak prior to the closed session, and learn of any action taken, afterwards. Stay tuned and we will post the news here.
Columnist Jonathan Lansner reports that "Southwest Air – the budget-conscious flyer's best pal – plans to expand its service out of John Wayne Airport… the new flights – to Phoenix and Las Vegas – now open up a good hunk of Southwest's low-cost flight network to O.C. folks… Southwest's decision to fly east… could be an economic tornado for local airfares."
"Southwest won these gate slots in the county's annual air sweepstakes", when the County allocates among the airlines, the very limited number of flights that are allowed under its agreement with Newport Beach.
"Southwest says it'll charge as little as $92 round trip to Phoenix and Vegas."
Editor: America West currently has a monopoly on this service from John Wayne and has been charging outrageous fares. I recently reported that America West quoted me a price that was five times as much to fly to Phoenix from JWAas it was charging from Long Beach. When I wrote to the president of the airline for an explanation, I was told that this was a private business decision.
Lansner says that the Southwest news could cut both ways in the El Toro debate. I say, let the JWA caps expire and enable Southwest to pick up a handful of additional flights. Good old market competition will then allow us to enjoy competitive airfares from our existing airport.
Citizens are urged to submit questions and comments on the Southern California Association of Governments' Draft Program Environmental Impact Report. The deadline is March 15. A SCAG committee recently recommended building a huge El Toro airport to take future load away from Los Angeles International, and that John Wayne be held to its current caps, which expire in 2005.
Click here for suggested questions, and a link to facilitate submitting your comments by e-mail.
"Orange County officials acknowledged for the first time Tuesday that the continued drain of John Wayne Airport revenues on planning for a new airfield at El Toro could mean higher fees for parking and use of the terminal."
"The county has funneled $34.8 million since 1995 from John Wayne into El Toro planning, with an additional $10.4 million to be spent through June. The figures are included in John Wayne's 2001 business plan, distributed to supervisors late last week."
"Until now, county officials have insisted that the millions spent on El Toro hasn't harmed the airport's cash reserves and that bond debt from a $300-million expansion completed in 1990 could be repaid early. But Airport Director Alan Murphy wrote in John Wayne's current business plan that covering El Toro costs 'could result in fee increases to the passengers and other airport clients.'"
"The funding warning coincides with Tuesday's approval of $5 million in airport funds to be spent over the next 15 months on a public-information campaign to promote the county's plan for the closed Marine base."
"Supervisors Todd Spitzer and Tom Wilson, who oppose the new airport, said they will ask Navy and federal aviation officials to review the county's action.
"The vote came after two hours of testimony by more than two dozen speakers. Several Inglewood residents opposed to a proposed expansion of Los Angeles International Airport urged the county to build the new airport and take the strain off more flights above their homes."
"Airport foes said the money would be spent not to inform but to 'brainwash' the public… 'You lied about noise, you lied about pollution . . . and you lied about safety in your desperation not to arouse heavily populated neighborhoods against your plan,' said Tristian Krogius of Dana Point [a Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities leader]."
"South County cities [and Krogius' group] hope to place a measure on the March 2002 ballot that would rescind the 1994 voter approval for the new airport."
Supervisors Smith, Silva and Coad voted to hand $5 million to the Orange County Regional Airport Authority with one important change proposed by Silva, which went almost undiscussed. The original motion called for the money to be paid in advance, which would have pumped the first $1 million into OCRAA on April 1. Instead, LRA Director Gary Simon now will disburse the money "after review of the work". County Counsel Lon Watson noted this fact in a brief comment, saying that "We are not giving money up front, [but Simon] will see that we comply with all laws." That slows down OCRAA some, and puts it in a potential hot seat, committing money for salaries and other programs before it has it, and before it is approved for reimbursement if Simon is careful.
Supervisors seemingly ignored the threat implied in last night's letter from ETRPA attorney Richard Jacobs. Airport Working Group attorney Barbara Lichman disagreed with the ETRPA position but County Counsel was not asked, in open session today, for an opinion.
Supervisor Spitzer said that he and Tom Wilson would send a letter to the Department of Defense asking whether the expenditure is permissible. Spitzer read a letter from County Counsel to former CEO Jan Mittermeier, which said that a similar action, proposed at that time, was not allowable.
Those speaking in favor of the spending outnumbered opponents of the measure. Newport Beach and the Inglewood area were most heavily represented.
Read the companion piece below and post your comments on the Message Board.
Evidence that El Toro attitudes permeate all board actions was apparent early in today's Board meeting.
On an early agenda item, to develop a public information program to
facilitate legalization of all
immigrants, Coad received support from only Charles Smith. Other
supervisors questioned the
appropriatness of the action. Smith, talking about immigrants as though
he was talking about El Toro,
urged his fellow members to pass the "informational program".
"Pass it today and then look into the
legalities." Smith said.
"School teacher" Coad asked her colleages to limit their discussions
to 15 minutes per item. This was an
apparent reaction to extensive challenges and questions by the anti-El
Toro supervisors.
Tom Wilson objected, noting that supervisors are mandated to represent
their constituents who can not
be present to speak for themselves, and must do their job fully.
Todd Spitzer also objected, noting that
prior boards failed to fully discuss actions leading to the bankruptcy
and objected to any "attempt to
squash discussion".
The Register writes that, "a proposal from county Supervisors Charles ' Smith and James Silva to spend about $5 million to promote an El Toro airport … smells to high heaven on ethical grounds and possibly on legal grounds as well."
"Cities in the southern part of the county that have spent money to oppose a new airport at El Toro also are subject to ethical criticism."
"'This is nothing more than a $5 million PR campaign for a candidate - the airport - which has absolutely no voter appeal,' [Supervisor Todd] Spitzer told us. He vows to write to the Federal Aviation Authority alleging misappropriation of airport funds if the proposal passes and predicts other legal action."
"The question of El Toro's future has been and is a political football. No matter how 'clean' the money and no matter how popular the cause, taxpayer funds should not be used to affect the outcome of a public policy dispute. Airport opponents hardly come to the matter with clean hands, but that doesn't make it right to use government funds to finance the other side. Maybe it's time for a moratorium on the use of public funds on this issue - by both sides."
The full text of the editorial is posted in our Early Bird News.
Today, the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority asked the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana to order an expedited briefing and hearing schedule for its appeal from the trial court decision invalidating Measure F. A normal time frame for the appeal could take several years while the expedited briefing and hearing schedule sought by ETRPA would resolve the matter by September 2001.
Under California law, Measure F remains in effect notwithstanding the trial court's ruling until the Court of Appeal decides the appeal. "Until the Court of Appeal reviews the legal issues regarding Measure F, and decides its validity, the will of the people is still the law of the County," stated ETRPA attorney Richard Jacobs.
In papers filed today with the court, ETRPA noted, "The County is doing everything it can to approve the master plan (for an airport) and take title to the El Toro base before the (Appellate) Court can rule on this appeal."
In a separate document this afternoon - a letter to the Board - Jacobs outlines the legal basis for why Measure F is in effect. "An appeal from a judgment ... operates as a stay of the judgment itself, unless the trial court or the Court of Appeal holds to the contrary upon a proper showing by the petitioner of irreparable damage to its 'business or profession.'" In plain terms, the county will have to go back to court to make the required "showing" of damage.
Jacobs also reasons that approval of $5 million for OCRAA tomorrow would be a violation of the California Environmental Quality Act. The supervisors can be personally at risk if they violate the law.
According to Richard Jacobs, "The County understands that the trial judge's ruling was only the first step in the legal review. The Board of Supervisors is trying to do everything they can to get beyond the reach of Measure F before the legal process can run its course. ETRPA fully believes that with an impartial review of the legal issues by the Court of Appeal, Measure F will prevail as the will of the people."
Click here for more on the Measure F litigation.
The Journal's Personal Technology writer, Walter Mossberg, calls Google "simply the best search site I've ever used."
The El Toro Airport website has a built-in link to Google, set up for searching either just this site or the entire World Wide Web. To search, click on the magnifying glass icon on our homepage and away you go.
"Eight years after the closure of the Marine base was announced, important decisions are being made, battle lines are being drawn and suggested plans to meet the region's needs all are being floated without the benefit of a clear set of facts about what the county's aviation obligation really is. At the heart of this confusion lies a simple truth. The county has never provided a satisfactory answer to what its own real future aviation need is, nor has it determined exactly what its basic contribution to the region should be."
"Either a smaller aviation facility at El Toro, working in tandem with John Wayne, or no El Toro airport but lifted passenger and flight caps at John Wayne without facility expansion might have resolved the dilemma."
"The county planners and their bosses in the thin majority of three on the Board of Supervisors have been no help... Through its failure to serve as an honest broker in the airport debate, the county actually fueled hostility between Newport Beach and communities surrounding El Toro."
"Sooner or later, this conversation about county needs and obligations must be conducted as a prelude to any satisfactory resolution of the local battle over airports." Click here for the full text.
Pro-airport supervisors hope to hand $5 million to a pro-El Toro airport group to fund a huge "public information" campaign. When the Board of Supervisors meet on Tuesday morning, March 6 at 9:30 A.M., agenda item #40 proposes to give the money to the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, OCRAA. OCRAA is a Newport Beach-led pro-El Toro airport group to which 15 north and central county cities belong.
Supervisors Smith, Silva and Coad are expected to approve the huge airport PR blitz, which comes on top of the $1.1 million that the trio recently approved for Washington lobbying. The money will pay for OCRAA staffing, including the $10,000 a month salary of former General Art Bloomer, and for a blizzard of PR activities. This includes the mailing of county airport literature along with community recreational brochures, inclusion of airport propaganda with city bills, cablecasts on city TV, and the organizing of community airport presentations.
The supervisors previously approved $176,000 for these types of activities but stopped them when Measure F passed. Tuesday's action is an attempt to resume spending, at an escalated pace, while Measure F is on appeal. The money will be disbursed to OCRAA at the rate of $1 million, paid in advance every three months, for the next 15 months.
It is important that citizens attend the meeting to express outrage at this waste of public funds. Call, fax or e-mail the supervisors. Most importantly, ask your friends, relatives and co-workers who live in north and central county - and who are responsible for electing Smith, Silva and Coad - to take some action now and send their own messages.
Find the Times and Register stories on their websites or in this website's Early Bird News.
"The Southern California Assn. of Governments voiced strong support for a large commercial airfield at El Toro they say should accommodate nearly 30 million passengers a year, more than even Orange County supporters of the controversial airfield recommend."
"A panel of regional leaders has recommended that the former El Toro
Marine base and Ontario International Airport absorb most of the future
regional airport growth. The Southern California Assn. of Governments suggests
that the retired Marine base take on as many as 29.7 million passengers
a year while John Wayne Airport would be capped at its current annual passenger
load of 8.4 million."
"Source: Southern California Assn. of Governments
"I'm not afraid of Orange County," said Mike Stevens, an Inglewood resident representing LAX Expansion No!. "They believe their quality of life is sanctified, but no more."
"El Toro opponents from south Orange County left Thursday's meeting frustrated."
"But Meg Waters, a leading El Toro opponent, said the group's recommendation won't mean much if Orange County residents back an initiative to kill the airport for good. Anti-airport forces are preparing an initiative for the March 2002 ballot to replace the airport with a large urban park."
The OC Register reports: "Orange County Supervisor Charles V. Smith, a regional council member, voted for the recommendation that El Toro have 30 million annual passengers and John Wayne Airport have 8.4 million. But he and other El Toro advocates say they plan a much smaller airport. Most say it should be somewhere shy of 20 million."
"Supervisor Tom Wilson, who opposes an El Toro airport, spent little time worrying over the recommendation." 'I don't know how SCAG justifies any number at any airport,'' he said. 'I don't think they have done the appropriate amount of study and understand the impact of John Wayne and El Toro.'"
"'We will have report after report after report - and after some time
I'm sure SCAG will adjust this report for something more realistic.''"
LOS ANGELES, CA - March 1, 2000 - Today, the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority (ETRPA) cautioned officials of the Aviation Transportation Committee of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to drop consideration of a potential airport at El Toro as part of the regional transportation plan. According to ETRPA chairman Allan Songstad, "We do not believe that Orange County's projected population growth of only 13 percent warrants the huge increase in aviation capacity SCAG's projections seem to indicate. It is ludicrous to believe that with projected population growth of only 350,000 Orange County airport passengers will increase from the current 7 million passengers at John Wayne to nearly 30 million by 2020." ETRPA believes that if the goal is to have Orange County handle its own domestic travel demand, then the newly expanded John Wayne airport can easily do that with no physical expansion and probably little to no increase in passengers beyond the 8.4 Map court-imposed constraints the airport has in place.
Considering the billions of public dollars that will be invested in public infrastructure including airports in the coming years, it's important that SCAG present realistic scenarios and not waste the public's time and money with proposals that do not reflect reality. "Orange County, is still paying off a significant debt from the worst municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. It cannot afford to put billions of dollars into jack hammering, leveling and rebuilding the former Marine Base into a commercial airport, right after spending $300 million dollars to modernize John Wayne airport. To achieve SCAG's projected 2020 Orange County passenger projection, every man, woman and child in Orange County would have to board an airplane 10 times per year," said Songstad.
SCAG projects aviation demand in Orange County to reach as high as 28 MAP according to some scenarios. This represents a 300% increase over the current 7 million passengers served today at John Wayne, which was built to serve 14 million annual passengers. "SCAG has not explained why they insist that the region's second largest airport should be located in Orange County. SCAG's own growth projections indicate that most of the regional growth will occur in the Inland Empire where three new airports are waiting for business, and Ontario is struggling to attract passengers."
Furthermore, SCAG has not considered the market constraints that would impact the number of passengers served in Orange County. According to LAWA's draft environmental impact report, as well as other industry experts, even if El Toro could be built as the county proposes, it would never be able to accommodate international flights. It is highly unlikely that international carriers will abandon their lucrative slots at LAX for a questionable market at El Toro. Therefore, the only demand that can reasonably be served in Orange County - or elsewhere in the region, is domestic.
SCAG's scenarios fail to take into consideration the significant safety
problems stemming from the mountains at the end of El Toro's runways, and
the implausibility of a two-airport system with John Wayne. "The
Air Line Pilots Association, Allied Pilots Association, The Air Transport
Association, Air Traffic Controllers and American Airlines have all strongly
criticized the El Toro Airport plan. The county will not operate two airports
seven miles apart. Furthermore, the airlines will not support it," stated
Songstad. "If, in the unlikely event El Toro ever opens, John Wayne
will close. Therefore, Orange County will never be able to accommodate
more aviation capacity John Wayne airport is capable of handling today."
Jean Pasco revisits the Airline Pilots' Association safety concerns about runway configurations and take-off and landing patterns in this morning's LA Times.
"...the union repeated two caveats unpopular with county airport planners: Takeoffs and landings should be allowed over the city of Irvine under certain weather conditions, and departures to the east must be forbidden because of hilly terrain"
"The county won't realign the runways and they're controlling everything that's going on," (Jon Russell, ALPA regional safety coordinator) Russell said. "Our interest is in what needs to be done for safety." "Russell said the best situation for an airport at El Toro would be for the county to close John Wayne Airport to commercial flights."
"South County airport foes viewed the pilots union statement as a modification of its original protest over the county's plan, first lodged in 1996"
"We've always known ALPA is in the business of airports," said Meg Waters, spokeswoman for a nine-city anti-airport coalition. "We're really pleased because we agree you can't operate the airport the way the county has planned. If the county is going to build an airport there, they have to be honest about what they're going to have to do."
ALPA's position has not significantly changed from a year ago, "ALPA, therefore, can not, and will not, endorse the plan as it is presented. As always, the Association is available to consult with county planners on all of the troublesome issues in order to arrive at a satisfactory resolution." Click for the full text of the ALPA statement.
For a more comprehensive understanding and background of the ALPA position, click here for a complete library of past ALPA correspondence to the County.
Click here for discussion of this issue
For more on the above, check the LA Times and Orange County Register websites.
Click here for previous news stories
