TONY DODERO -- Editor’s Notebook

The South County anti-El Toro forces may have the edge in the TV

commercial war at the present, but the local pro-airport folks are

starting their own frequent “flier” plan to combat the anti group’s

propaganda.

The pro-airport forces are making a push through the community, holding

court at local schools and passing out as much information as possible

about what it would mean to kill the airport plans for El Toro.

And they definitely have gotten people’s attention. A recent meeting at

Kaiser Elementary reportedly drew 400 folks.

The attendees got to hear what the pro-airport troops believe are the

pitfalls of Measure F, the so-called Safe and Healthy Communities

initiative that if passed would require a two-thirds majority to approve

an airport at El Toro.

And of course, they learned what might happen to John Wayne Airport

should that measure go.

Then there’s a new bumper sticker campaign.

A batch of blue and white stickers with the words “El Toro Airport: More

destinations, lower fares” are being plastered on cars all over town.

Good thing about bumper stickers is they are harder to remove than signs.

For those interested, the next pro-airport meetings are at:

* Ensign Intermediate School, Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.

* TeWinkle Middle School, Thursday, 7:00 p.m.

* Davis Education Center, Feb. 28, 7:00 p.m.

*

Pass Measure F, it will be overturned

At a recent lunch with county Supervisor Jim Silva, he told me that even

if Measure F passes, he’s sure that the courts will overturn it.

He pointed out that a judge has already said the measure was

unconstitutional.

“We’ll get an airport,” Silva said.

The message apparently being that if the pro-airport forces lose at the

polls, they’ll win in the courts.

*

You heard it here first

Speaking of Silva, the supervisor also noted that despite his bruising

campaign against Huntington Beach City Councilman Dave Sullivan in 1998,

he is already gearing up for a third run for the supervisor seat in 2002.

Silva said the term limit law that limits supervisor to two terms doesn’t

apply to him because he was already in office when it was passed.

*

Beek’s better term is “Wise Growth”

And finally. Allan Beek recently responded to a past column regarding the

newspaper’s use of the terms “slow-growth” and even “anti-growth” when

referring to the Greenlight Initiative.

Beek, a force behind the measure, which voters will get a crack at next

fall, said he has a better term.

“Wise growth.”

Don’t know that the Irvine Co. or Pacific Life officials, who have

already squashed their expansion plans for Newport Center, would agree

with that.

* TONY DODERO is the editor of the Daily Pilot. He can be reached at

(949) 574-4258 or via e-mail at [email protected].