THE AIRPORT DEBATE

I enjoyed the column by Byron De Arakal on the battle for El Toro

(“Newport-Mesa should slip brass knuckles into El Toro fight,” Between

the Lines, March 14).

He is a very knowledgeable young man, and it’s too bad we don’t have

people like him on the City Council.

Is Newport Beach that much smarter than Costa Mesa? If City Council

members Chris Steel, Libby Cowan, Linda Dixon and Karen Robinson stick to

their misguided belief, Costa Mesa will be enduring more overhead traffic

from an enlarged Orange County airport.

This City Council is supposed to represent us. I trust that they do

live in Costa Mesa.

BILL HAWKINS

Costa Mesa

Reader says Measure F voices nothing

It seems there are many people in a certain geographical part of

Orange County who depend a great deal on the Measure F polling results.

They seem to think that everyone who voted for “F” is against a

commercial airport at El Toro.

Using the Measure F results, Richard Soden (“Newport Beach alone in

fight against El Toro,” The Airport Debate, March 13), took issue with my

statement that Garden Grove and other North County cities are in favor of

a commercial airport at El Toro.

I think it makes sense to take a slightly broader view of this

situation and look at other indicators to determine who is in favor of an

airport and who is not. We might consider the fact that the F measure

included things like jails and other very undesirable NIMBY items.

I wonder if Soden read the article (“Group votes to oppose JWA cap

extension,” Feb. 27) that quoted Garden Grove Mayor Bruce Broadwater as

saying the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority “is a mean-spirited

organization. They want to stop El Toro in any way they can.”

Or did he read the article (“County Considers $5 Million for Airport

P.R.,” March 3) where Garden Grove Councilman Mark Rosen said, “Measure F

has been thrown out, and it’s clear for the county to spend money, and so

will the cities, though we’re not going to squander money like Irvine. I

find it interesting that Irvine’s schools have been crying for money

while their city spent millions to send [anti-airport] mailers to Garden

Grove.”

Based on these two very specific quotes, I would find it hard to

believe that the results of the Garden Grove vote on Measure F had much

bearing on their persuasion toward an airport at El Toro.

CONRAD T. TIMPE

Corona del Mar

Authority only wants to stop El Toro

Contrary to Mike Chieffo’s letter (“No more support from group ‘is act

of defense,”’ March 6), the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority’s support or

nonsupport of a John Wayne expansion isn’t relevant.

There is an existing settlement agreement with the Federal Aviation

Administration limiting the number of passengers at John Wayne to 8.4

million a year, limiting landings and takeoffs to certain hours, and also

requires a severe climb at takeoff and throttle back for commercial

flight noise abatement.

Chieffo’s concern about the good folks in Newport and Costa Mesa is

laudable, but the planning authority couldn’t care less. Their only

agenda is to stop the El Toro airport, period.

Orange County already has alternative plans if an airport at El Toro

is not opened. Plan G will immediately increase the passenger limit at

John Wayne to 13 million.

Then in 2005 (when the FAA settlement agreement expires), Plan H will

add another runway, increase John Wayne to about three times its present

size, allow up to 28 million passengers a year, and remove all takeoff

and landing restrictions.

Since John Wayne has no noise buffer zone, and no vacant land nearby,

Orange County would have to buy homes and businesses around the airport

to get the land needed to expand, at a huge cost to taxpayers, and there

would still be no noise buffer zone. John Wayne expansion is the

alternative to El Toro, no matter what the planning authority says, and

it knows this.

MARGARET MORGAN

Costa Mesa

Should cities spend money in airport campaigns?

On March 10, Steve Smith writes about the dollars spent by Orange

County in promoting an airport for El Toro, and how terrible it is for

the county supervisors to do such a thing.

However, in his rather long article, he makes no mention of the funds

spent by cities in South County opposing this airport.

What is bad for the goose should be bad for the gander.

A city manager in North County tells me that his city has not spent

city tax funds favoring an El Toro airport, which this city does favor,

because in the opinion of the city’s attorney, it is technically illegal

for a city to spend any taxdollars in this way.

However, Smith apparently believes the South County cities have this

right.

Who is correct?

IRVIN C. CHAPMAN

Costa Mesa

Anti-airport group deceiving everyone

If Newport Beach and Costa Mesa ever needed concrete evidence that the

El Toro Reuse Planning Authority -- the South County city coalition --

tries to deceive us, it is obvious after its announcement that John Wayne

Airport should not have the settlement agreement extended.

The group sees absolutely nothing wrong with doubling the number of

flights over our heads so that its pristine community has none.

We all better wake up and smell the exhaust fumes. South County cites

have challenged us with the fight of our lives. It is them or us. If El

Toro airport is not built, count on a major increase in flights out of

John Wayne. Oh, and forget about our noise restrictions and a curfew.

That will all be in the past if the planning authority has its way.

K.P. MOVER

Newport Beach