More Views on El Toro Airport

* In voting against funding the El Toro airport “public education” campaign, Supervisor Jim Silva deserves congratulations on becoming the first of the three wise men to step back and take a fresh look at the madness that is El Toro airport.

Even without the campaign, aren’t we already receiving an extensive education from the county? We’re being taught a lesson in creative finance, which informs us that even though the new Denver airport cost $4.9 billion, and the Los Angeles International Airport expansion is expected to cost up to $12 billion, the county can build a new airport at El Toro for just $1.4 billion.

Our schooling on environmental impacts instructs us that a 38-million passenger commercial airport will create less noise and pollution than the current low-level military use. And of course we are receiving our lesson in flight safety, which declares that the county can operate a commercial airport at El Toro with all takeoffs and landings heading into rising terrain and subject to tail winds even though the pilots’ union has stated it is patently unsafe.

I think the most notable lesson learned to date is the true extent of the influence wielded by the development community. So powerful is this group that they can inspire our county government to trudge ahead with an airport project despite the logic that confronts them: A new airport at El Toro will cost our post-bankruptcy county billions of dollars; half the county constituency is vehemently opposed to the plan; the justification for its construction is completely without merit in light of the expansion at nearby LAX.

It is high time that all county citizens consider the possibility that the El Toro airport has less to do with a desire to increase air transport capacity than it does kowtowing to the powerful development interests.

LAWRENCE KROLL

Irvine

* Thanks to Supervisor Jim Silva for using common sense to prevent the outrageous expenditure of $463,000 of taxpayers’ money for a public relations campaign to promote the El Toro airport.

Why spend any money? Just have County Chief Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier publicly list the items of alleged “misinformation,” which she claims has been disseminated. I am quite sure that the airport opponents will be glad to meet with her in any public forum to defend their statements.

By the way, it might also be appropriate for her to have answers to some of the misleading claims made by airport proponents.

GEORGE RATNER

Laguna Hills

* Re “Irvine Explores Building Stadium on Air Base Land,” July 23:

The 85,000-seat stadium proposed by the city of Irvine reminds me of the Roman Empire. When people were over-regulated and overtaxed, the solution was to build sports arenas to keep the public interest on sports and spectacular events. In this way they could keep the attention of the public away from the problems.

GORDON MCDONALD

San Clemente

* It would be a tragedy to pass up this one-time opportunity to provide spectacular revitalization for our county by affording all our businesses and citizens a world-class transportation facility.

Many businesses are presently unwilling to commit to relocation into Orange County until such a facility is on the drawing board. It is unconscionable for a county with such a vast economic base and future potential to be shackled to an outmoded and severely limited transportation facility such as John Wayne Airport.

JAMES W. NEUMAN

Costa Mesa

* Your July 21 story about Polk County, Iowa, is the answer. They only had $3 million in bonds to pay off and a casino was the successful financial vehicle to do it.

Just think: No more junking south Orange County with an undesirable and unwanted airport. We could solve all of Orange County’s fiscal problems in one swoop.

El Toro is the ideal location for a casino. In five years it could pay off the bankruptcy, build all the new schools we need, fill all the potholes and maybe even reduce taxes. And look at all the fun people would have.

If after five or 10 years the supervisors and their greedy cohorts still insist on trashing South County, they would have all the money they need to do it first class without having to issue still more bonds.

B.H. POLLIT

Dana Point