Readers Respond -- El Toro money cannot be recouped

I figure we spent too much (“$60 million jeopardized in El Toro

crash,” March 8). Wasn’t it against the law for the city of Newport Beach

to give money to the Airport Working Group, which is in violation of the

state law?

I don’t see why they were spending any money because what we’re

talking about here is location, location -- not in my backyard, but

yours.

When you look at this whole situation, it’s beginning to look like

Cook County and Chicago, except they haven’t filed bankruptcy yet.

DONALD RAY

Lido Isle

The answer of course depends on whether you win or lose. When you win,

the amount of porridge is just right. If you lose, it is either too

little or too much depending on whether your wallet is made of expandable

alligator or tight cloth.

Perhaps the real question, dear editors, should be, “How did we waste

so much money, where did we go wrong and how can we do better for the

future?” Let’s look:

* In 1993, the federal government said it would turn over the 4,700

acres to the county for free. They assumed we would use it responsibly.

Instead, we turned the issue into a civil war. It seems no accident --

that two days after this week’s “nay” vote -- the military suddenly

reclaimed and recouped the land. Sort of like a parent taking back a toy

from a child using it irresponsibly.

* Newport Beach and the county laid out $60 million. South County

cities spent $40 million.

* The aggregate result is that both North and South not only lost the

land, but coughed up $100 million for the privilege.

Granted hindsight is 20/20 but how much more might we have all gained

with a honey rather than vinegar strategy? Working together we could have

had the land and devoured the money for visionary development, too.

In this perspective, the answer to the Pilot’s initial question is too

much.

MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK

Newport Beach

Your March 8 headline “$60 million jeopardized in El Toro crash” is a

poor choice of words that makes the headline completely erroneous.

Jeopardize means to be placed at risk. The $60 million is not at risk;

it is spent, sunk, gone.

Hopefully, some of the environmental work paid for by the $60 million

will prove to be useful in the future.

The beneficiaries of these sunk funds are the consulting firms and law

firms that were employed in the promotion of the failed airport project.

It’s time to move on and spend the next $60 million to benefit many,

rather than a few.

DAVID BARTH

Corona del Mar

Election results on the planned El Toro international airport look

more and more indecisive as anti-airport people field weird and risky

initiatives, (“Great Park readies for takeoff,” March 6). The latest

initiative, Measure W, was defeated in 18 cities and passed in 15 cities.

The large city of Huntington Beach was 60% no. Costa Mesa was 60% no,

and Newport Beach, my city, was 85% no. The only thing that made the

initiative pass was turnout disparity between north and south. The small

town of Aliso Viejo was 6% no, but this will turn around when businesses

realize they need the planned El Toro international airport.

As adjudication of these strange initiatives rise to higher and higher

courts, I hope the greater good of the country is followed and NIMBYs are

no more.

DONALD NYRE

Newport Beach

I think Newport Beach spent too much. They got what they deserved.

They want everything.

They’re like spoiled brats. They wanted John Wayne Airport, too, many

years ago. They got it, so live with it. Why ruin a perfectly nice little

city or cities.

They do not want the airport. They’re right. They shouldn’t have it.

VI DOSS

Costa Mesa

I think the article in the Daily Pilot regarding the El Toro money

spent is an excellent one. It’s balanced, and I think fundamentally the

money is gone -- it’s not going to be retrieved.

I believe that, over time, the Newport Beach City Council and George

Argyros were never successful in convincing South County people to accept

Newport Beach airport noise for the jobs to be mainly for Inland Valley

and North County people and the reduction in South County property

values.

It was clear, very much from the start, that Newport Beach wanted to

shut down John Wayne. I think that many people felt that the hundreds of

millions of dollars that had been put into successful John Wayne just

were not funds to walk away from for a few people in Newport Beach.

I don’t really think that another $60 million would have made a

difference had Newport Beach and the county supervisors spent more money.

I don’t think it would have made a difference because the growth in

political power relative to South County has grown to the extent that on

a popular vote, the measure would fail.

I now hope we can get on to seeing how we can make the most out of

this, now, development opportunity for our county. I think the bottom

line is that there are now too many people in South County for Newport

Beach to send its airport noise problem to them against their will.

I think that’s the bottom line, and I don’t think money would make any

difference -- nor jobs for North County and inland or anything. I think

they could have spent anther $60 million and had the same results.

JIM MOTTERN

Irvine