Minds Made Up About Airport

* So the Board of Supervisors wants to launch a public relations campaign to promote the “facts” about the airport they are proposing for El Toro (June 4). I have a few suggested ad slogans they might want to use:

“El Toro, It’s a Bargain.” While a planned, 38-million-passenger expansion at Los Angeles International Airport will cost $12 billion, and a single terminal at John Wayne cost almost half a billion, thanks to modern accounting, the brand new airport at El Toro will cost only $2 billion.

“El Toro, It Means New Jobs.” Currently, the Irvine Spectrum and surrounding business parks are cluttered with high-paying, high-tech companies. Fortunately, companies like Western Digital have promised to move out once the airport is built, making way for lots of low-paying warehouse and shipping companies. (We said “new jobs,” not “more” or “better” jobs.)

“El Toro, It Will Boost Our Economy.” Finally, Orange County can join the big time. We won’t have to suffer with our current 3% unemployment rate. We can be like Los Angeles County, with an unemployment rate of only 6%.

ARNOLD BURKE

Lake Forest

* Those of us who live in south Orange County do not have to be told that airplanes taking off or landing are so quiet you cannot hear them. And have our tax money spent to be told this? It is becoming ever more clear how Orange County ended up in bankruptcy.

I am also hearing that the runways may be “realigned.” How many billions will this cost? Where was this information when the two votes were taken? Maybe the people of North County would have thought twice had they known the impact of this on them, in both noise and taxes.

JIM WENCK

Mission Viejo

* Although I am not a resident of South County, I am unalterably opposed to the conversion of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into an international airport.

The supervisors who support this campaign to spend thousands of dollars “educating” the public on Orange County’s need for an international airport need to know that we are the public, we have been “educated,” and we do not want our tax dollars spent on the political farce being hatched up by Courtney Wiercioch’s office. Just whose pockets are being lined with our tax dollars, anyway?

PATRICIA K. GAUNT

Tustin

* I am very much in favor of converting El Toro into a civilian airport. It is feasible, safe and will generate three times as many jobs as other uses.

This is a win-win situation! Worries about noise are canceled because of the buffer zone.

LOUIS F. RUSSO

Newport Beach

* I support a commercial airport at El Toro.

It would be good for the economy of all Orange County and would meet the needs of the 21st century.

It would have a minimal effect on the environment because of the huge buffer zone. (South County, please share in this inconvenience, as does Newport Beach.)

The conversion to a commercial airport would be the least cost to the federal government. The cleanup and conversion would save hundreds of millions of dollars over any other use.

The voters have spoken twice on this issue. South County, let’s please accept it!

FRANK DONAHUE

Newport Beach

* On May 29 two stories were juxtaposed. Separately and together, they illustrate how county government now works.

In one, Irvine Mayor Christine Shea and Supervisor Todd Spitzer oppose toll road board meetings that were, and are, closed to the public.

The other describes how the county supervisors are hiring a public relations firm to tell the public what the supervisors have decided about an airport at El Toro.

Is this the way democracy now works--hold secret meetings, and then hire a P.R. firm (at public expense) to tell “the public”? As a member of “the public,” I don’t think I like it much.

DON HARVEY

Newport Beach