Keeping the Dogfight Over El Toro Airport Aloft

* The article “More El Toro Closures?” (May 1) once again illustrates how hopelessly flawed the base reuse process has become under the stewardship of our so-called county leaders.

If there is ever to be a resolution to this matter, Supervisors Chuck Smith, Cynthia P. Coad and Jim Silva must resign immediately. It is obvious to all that these three are not capable leaders at any level.

County Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier should resign as well.

A new Local Redevelopment Authority for El Toro must be formed with the full participation of the cities most affected, Lake Forest and Irvine, and the new Board of Supervisors.

And the State Lands Commission must also be fully involved to ensure the transfer of the base does not include the transfer of a huge toxic liability.

As the old expression goes, “A new broom sweeps clean.” We certainly need four new brooms at Civic Center in Santa Ana.

RICHARD SODEN

Lake Forest

* If the supervisors choose to waste taxpayers’ time and money by placing an El Toro advisory measure on the November ballot, then we taxpayers should respond with a measure of our own: a “recall Smith, Coad and Silva” measure.

ROD FREED

Mission Viejo

* Thank you for the article May 1 on the contamination issues on closed military bases in California.

As a stakeholder involved in the cleanup process at the Marine Corps base at El Toro since 1994, I have found many of our problems rooted in the base-closing law, which allows the Navy to do all the environmental assessments and recommend remediation for which it will pay.

There is something wrong with this picture. I am an advocate of the Superfund mantra that polluters pay to clean up their messes.

MARCIA RUDOLPH

Lake Forest

* We have been residents of Irvine for more than 16 years and are strongly in favor of a commercial El Toro airport.

During the two days of demonstration flights at El Toro [last year], my wife and I, with the windows in our home open, listened intently for any aircraft noise but did not hear anything. We live in the Woodbridge area of Irvine so are fairly close to El Toro.

It makes no sense for residents of Orange County to have to drive outside the county to catch a plane. It just adds to traffic congestion, air pollution and wasted auto expense. John Wayne Airport cannot currently serve the needs of the people of Orange County.

For many years we lived in Westchester, which is immediately adjacent to LAX. While we could faintly hear the planes at LAX, it did not hurt the home values in Westchester. In fact, our values increased; part of the increase was due to the convenience of living close to the airport.

We frequently traveled by air, as did many of our neighbors, and a five-minute commute to the airport was wonderful. Of course, LAX became a major employment center, and that also helped increase property values.

Unfortunately, some Orange County politicians and their constituents have adopted a very shortsighted view to kill El Toro.

If that is allowed to happen, it will make future generations of Orange County residents very frustrated and angry that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to greatly enhance our transportation needs was destroyed by a very selfish group of people.

GORDON PATTISON

BETTY PATTISON

Irvine

* What in the world is going on?

The voters of the county just voted overwhelmingly on the future of El Toro, and the answer they provided to the supervisors was loud and clear: no airport at El Toro.

In spite of this vote and the legal changes it imposed on the county, Mittermeier and members of her staff are still presenting the supervisors with meaningless options to act on, such as a “nonbinding” vote on an airport at El Toro in November.

Do the elected supervisors run the show or does the staff, which is not elected?

The voters have spoken. If county staff [members] are not responsive to the people or the supervisors, they must go, now. That includes the CEO.

JACK WEBER

Irvine

* The sky is falling! The sky is falling! First airport proponents talk about another specific airport vote after a negative 67% clear decision.

Then supervisors report the terrible loss we will face after having spent a bundle of money to create an airport.

And today we hear that El Toro civilian activities have reported a loss of more than $600,000 instead of a profit of $500,000. The real topper is an additional corrective price tag of more than $3.5 billion statewide [because of pollution].

Conclusion? The only possible land use must be a civilian airport, in spite of the fact that most of the closed facilities are being occupied and successfully used without detoxification.

There seems to be a smell of a rat somewhere, not chemicals.

CHARLES F. DAY

Laguna Niguel

* County Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier’s behavior is outrageous. Will she stop at nothing to encourage an airport that 67% of North and South County voters have clearly indicated they do not want?

Sabotaging the services at the base by inflating their deficit is deceitful and underhanded. There are far better economic alternatives than an airport that should be used for the land at El Toro.

JODY CLARK

Laguna Niguel