A Plan of Action to Protect and Improve Our
Community
A Note from Larry Agran Chair of Project 99
Dear Neighbor,
An army of truth-tellers. That’s what we are — and we are proud of it.
For years now, we’ve been up against a County government hellbent on building a huge international airport at El Toro. Never mind that, according to recent polls, a majority of Orange County voters oppose it. Never mind that it’s unneeded, unworkable and unaffordable. Three County supervisors, their County executive staff, and their multi-million-dollar airport consultants apparently subscribe to the belief that with enough taxpayer money, they will eventually get their way.
Well, they won’t! The reason: that army of truth-tellers we’ve organized. We are thousands of “citizen-soldiers.” We’re armed not with guns but with careful research and solid information. Together, we’re exposing the County’s deceptions — they’re really lies. Lies about takeoff and landing patterns. Lies about the noise that around-the-clock airliners will bring. Lies about a non-existent “buffer zone.” Lies about traffic and air pollution. Lies about air safety. Lies about costs.
Fortunately, we are joined in our investigative efforts by an increasingly vigilant press. We take this opportunity to honor their work. Our lead article this month is about “El Toro Airport Watch” — OC Weekly’s hard-hitting column that has become a standard-setter for journalistic excellence with its coverage of the El Toro controversy. Page 2 , this month, is a reprint of a recent column I wrote, which was published as a guest editorial in the Times. Both the Times and the Register editorial pages have stepped up their criticism of the County’s airport plan — with good reason: The County’s plan doesn’t make sense. Our plan does. Thanks for your continuing support!
Award for Journalistic Excellence
PROJECT 99 HONORS OC WEEKLY’S “EL TORO AIRPORT WATCH”
It wasn’t quite as glitzy as the Academy Awards, but when Project 99’s management team met to evaluate press coverage of the El Toro controversy for 1997, the decision was unanimous and the applause was enthusiastic: The award for Best Overall Reporting in 1997 went to OC Weekly’s “El Toro Airport Watch.”
Written by Anthony Pignataro, “El Toro Airport Watch” is a continuing series of columns appearing in OC Weekly, the ambitious newsweekly that has quickly grown to a countywide circulation of 60,000.
In his news columns, Pignataro doesn’t pull his punches. He reflects the editorial viewpoint of the OC Weekly, which regards the proposed El Toro International Airport as an abomination. Pignataro attacks the proposal from every possible angle: noise; traffic; air pollution; cost; air safety; damage to housing values; damage to school children; damage to seniors.
A 26-year-old native Southern Californian, Pignataro reserves his harshest criticism for the craven politicians, self-serving airport boosters, and County bureaucrats who squander taxpayer money to push an international airport scheme that would do irreparable economic and environmental damage to all of Orange County — North County as well as South County.
According to Alan Ellstrand, Project 99’s Director of Media, “Anthony Pignataro and OC Weekly did a remarkable job of covering the El Toro story in 1997. Pignataro’s ‘El Toro Airport Watch’ has earned a reputation for consistently accurate reporting and analysis, even on matters that are technically complex.” Ellstrand added: “Pignataro not only writes with clarity and accuracy; he also understands the value of ridicule and biting humor — especially if it’s aimed at the rich and powerful who are trying to run roughshod over thousands of Orange County citizens.”
In recognition of excellence in journalism, Project 99’s management team voted to assemble and publish all 44 “El Toro Airport Watch” columns that appeared in 1997. They have been collected into a 60-page booklet entitled El Toro Airport Watch: A No-Nonsense Guide to the Controversy Surrounding Orange County’s Proposed El Toro International Airport.
Ellstrand concluded: “We have printed 1000 copies of this special publication. As with all our publications and materials, this valuable booklet is available upon request and without charge. We do, however, welcome voluntary donations to Project 99 in order to meet our costs and sustain our public education efforts.”
El Toro Reuse
The Long Road Back to Consensus-Building
The following guest editorial by Project 99’s Voluntary Chair, Larry Agran, appeared in the Los Angeles Times Orange County, Sunday, March 29, 1998
El Toro Airport proponents and opponents agree on one thing: The controversy isn’t about to end soon. In fact, it will intensify as Orange County residents continue to ask the still-unanswered question: What are the best possible reuses of the El Toro Marine Corps Base? Here’s the essential history. In 1993, the federal government ordered El Toro closed by mid-1999. To plan for the base’s reuse, in 1994 County leaders established a consensus-building process that included communities closest to the base — just as federal law prescribed. But early hopes for a popular reuse plan were shattered when powerful developers and Newport Beach interests decided to hijack the planning process. They launched a countywide ballot initiative, known as Measure A. The initiative had a twofold purpose: First, it predetermined the dominant reuse of El Toro by mandating an international airport at the base; and, second, it destroyed the consensus-building process by excluding South County communities from decision-making and centralizing all power over El Toro with the Board of Supervisors.
In November 1994, Measure A passed by the narrowest of margins, 51% to 49%. Self-interested developers spent over $1 million to win a bitter election that pitted North County voters against South County voters. It was the opposite of consensus-building. In fact, residents in communities nearest the base opposed a commercial airport by majorities ranging from 60% to 90%.
With Measure A on the books, airport opponents have joined together to shape a three-phased strategy that is gaining popularity across Orange County.
Phase I — Reveal the serious flaws in the County’s airport proposal . Compelled by state law and court orders, County officials are only now beginning to disclose the full extent of noise, traffic, air pollution and neighborhood blight an El Toro Airport would bring. For example, the County plans call for hundreds of takeoffs and landings daily at El Toro, including huge airliners and cargo jets that will fly just 1500-feet to 4000-feet over homes in Tustin, Villa Park, Orange and Fullerton, as well as over Irvine and all South County communities.
Phase II — Create a real choice. Within days, the seven-city anti-airport authority known as ETRPA (El Toro Reuse Planning Authority) will unveil a non-aviation reuse plan for the 4700-acre base. [Editor’s Note: The non-aviation “Millennium Plan” was presented on March 30th.] By any reasonable measure, this plan will prove to be environmentally and economically superior to the County’s airport proposal. Its centerpiece will be California’s fourth great metropolitan park, one that will rival San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, and San Diego’s Balboa Park. It will have botanical gardens, libraries, science centers, museums, performing arts facilities, veterans’ memorials and 1000 acres of native habitat served by trails and nature centers. Nearby will be hundreds of acres set aside for colleges and universities and an extension of Irvine Spectrum, where high-tech industry will provide tens of thousands of jobs for new “knowledge workers.” This will all be accessible by car and by a modern rail system, which will make use of the already-successful Irvine Train Station and Transportation Center.
Phase III — Offer a new ballot-box choice based on full information. Until recently, County officials dismissed those of us who have been urging a non-aviation reuse plan for El Toro. They claimed Measure A decided the matter — El Toro will be an international airport and that’s that. Now they are softening their approach a bit, claiming their “Airport Community” plan also provides all the wonderful non-aviation reuses we’d like. Incredibly, they boast that their busy international airport will be surrounded by parks and colleges and high-tech businesses.
Does that make sense to you? Would you send a son or daughter to a college next to a commercial jet runway? Would you take a grandchild on a nature walk with roaring aircraft just 500 feet overhead? Would you want to work in a building located under the landing path of passenger and cargo jets?
With Measure A on the books, the only way we can resolve this controversy and begin to rebuild a consensus is to return to the ballot box. But this time a vote should involve a real side-by-side choice between the County’s Airport Community Plan and the Citizens’ Non-Aviation Reuse Plan. Putting opposing plans on the same countywide ballot is a complex matter — but it must be done. And everyone should insist on honest, impartial statistics about both plans. What are the economic benefits and the environmental costs of the two plans measured in jobs, income, traffic, and air pollution? And what are the socio-economic impacts — for better or worse — on schools and neighborhoods?
Another countywide election could come as early as the year 2000 or, it seems, as late as 2005. For those who are impatient, a reminder is in order: No decision will more profoundly influence Orange County’s future than the redevelopment and reuse of El Toro. Since 1994, we’ve all suffered from the County’s leap-before-you-look philosophy. Let’s do things right this time — no matter how long it takes.
Project 99 is a special project of the Tides Center, a duly registered public charity. Donations to Project 99/Tides Center are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Project 99 Newsletter Director of Communications, Karen Byers. Director of Media, Alan Ellstrand
Project 99, PMB # 147, 5319 University Drive, Irvine, CA 92612-2935
Telephone: 714-554-5410 e-mail: Project99@aol.com
