| El Toro, California | November 1996 |
TRP Board of Directors members Denny Harris, Bert Hack and Bill Kogerman spent the week of October 22 to 25 visiting decision makers in Washington DC to lobby against the creation of a massive international airport at El Toro.
"This was a very successful trip. Everyone we visited wanted more information on this issue. They listened and were impressed with our facts. I think we changed some minds," said Harris.
The purpose of this trip was to directly contact the ultimate decision makers on El Toro, the federal government, and let them know the views of the south Orange County residents.
The Directors attended meetings with the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), with the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), with US Senator Dianne Feinstein's staff and with presidential advisors at the White House.
At the OEA and FAA meetings, the Directors explained how the process of base reuse is being rushed and without objective factual data. The FAA officials agreed to investigate the possibility of holding airport feasibility hearings soon, rather than delaying until after major reuse decisions are made. TRP will continue to pursue such hearings.
The Directors presented Senator Feinstein and the White House staffs the belief of local residents that the current 'rush to judgment' planning efforts are biased and are ignoring the true impacts of an airport. The responses at these meetings were very encouraging with promises to investigate slowing the process down to guarantee that all issues are fully studied.
"We are already planning our follow-up trips. We intend to go back soon, and often, to make sure that good intentions are turned into action," said Harris.
A new supervisor for the 5th District is expected to be named by Governor Wilson by the end of November. This opening was created by the resignation of Marian Bergeson to accept a position as education advisor to the Governor.
The 5th District is critical to the opponents of the El Toro airport because the appointed Supervisor will represent a majority of the South Orange County areas. This appointee must be able to articulate the concerns of the areas surrounding El Toro and fight attempts to 'whitewash' the negative impacts of the proposed airport.
TRP strongly believes that the replacement for Supervisor Bergeson must be a south Orange County resident with a proven record of opposing current, flawed airport plans for El Toro. Proof of opposition is necessary since we cannot afford a replacement who is a 'wolf in sheep's clothing' who, in reality, supports the airport plans.
TRP members are urged to immediately contact Governor Wilson and demand the appointment of a proven airport opponent. Write, fax, email or call the Governor today. Call three friends and ask them to join you in this effort.
Governor Wilson can be reached by mail at State Capital Room 3126, Sacramento, CA 95814. If you want to phone, (916) 445-2841; fax is (916) 445-4633. E-mail is dolson@gov.ca.gov
TRP was created as a single issue group, dedicated to fight for the highest and best use of MCAS El Toro. TRP, as a policy, will not endorse individual candidates for political office. However, the members of the Board of Directors, acting strictly as individuals, will sometimes personally endorse candidates. In this matter, as mentioned in the last newsletter, Denny Harris and Bill Kogerman are urging the appointment of the business-minded Laguna Niguel Mayor Pat Bates.
Thanks to the efforts of Dana Point resident and TRP member Len Kranser and his committee, TRP is now a part of the Internet.
The main site can be reached at the address of http://www.eltoroairport.org. This site is described as "Your One Stop for News and Information About MCAS El Toro, CA Reuse." The site contains information on all aspects of the proposed reuse, including background information and information on various airport opposition organizations, including TRP, the Orange County Business Coalition and Project '99.
The TRP portion of the site can be reached at the address http://www.trpnews.org. This portion of the site contains updates on TRP activities and the latest copy of this newsletter.
Much attention has been paid in the last few months to the California mandated planning process for the El Toro reuse. As part of any major project in California, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) detailing the affects of the project on the surrounding areas is required. The El Toro EIR will be heard by the Board of Supervisors in December.
A similar process is required by federal law for projects that involve federal property. Since MCAS El Toro is owned by the Department of Navy, a federally mandated Environmental Impact Study (EIS) is required. As with an EIR, the EIS must analyze the impacts of the proposed airport. Specifically, the EIS must address issues including geological resources, biological resources, noise, air quality, land use compatibility, environmental justice, transportation/circulation, public health and safety and aesthetics.
The first step in the EIS process is a scoping meeting to identify the significant issues to be addressed. Two meetings have been scheduled: Wednesday, November 13 at 5:30 PM at Mission Viejo High School; and Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 PM at Irvine City Hall. Plan to attend.
There are many things that concerned citizens can do to fight the international airport at El Toro. The first action is to officially join TRP as a member. This may be your single best way to stop the airport.
As a member of TRP, you will receive this monthly newsletter with up-to-the-minute information. What is more important, you become part of an organization dedicated to stopping the airport. TRP needs a large membership to fund our lobbying efforts (such as the successful trip to Washington DC) and to give voice to the residents of this area. The larger our membership, the stronger our voice and the greater our impact on the politicians who will make the ultimate decisions. A TRP membership amplifies your individual opposition.
If you are already a member, get your friends and neighbors to join. Tell them why they must get involved to stop the destruction of their neighborhoods and quality of life.
Continue to call, write and fax to our public officials to tell them your feelings on this issue. Do not underestimate the power of direct contact with our elected officials, every call and letter is carefully recorded and they do pay attention. Addresses and phone numbers are given on the Get Active! page of this site.
Plan on attending the Board of Supervisors meetings on the adequacy of the El Toro EIR. These meetings will probably last many hours as the Supervisors must allow anyone who wishes to testify. Plan on spending the whole day in Santa Ana and showing your support for the opponents of the airport. The time and place of these meetings will be in next month's newsletter.
Volunteer to help TRP. If you call the office at 770-4014, we will get you extra copies of this newsletter for distribution to your neighbors to let them know the status of the proposed airport. We also need volunteers to call members with late breaking news, such as the EIS scoping meetings or the Board of Supervisors EIR hearings. Call the office if you want to be made a part of the TRP phone tree.
On Monday, October 21, TRP held a general membership meeting at Laguna Hills High School. The meeting had an excellent attendance, with well over 200 members present.
This was the first opportunity since the defeat of Measure S for the Directors to publicly discuss the El Toro issues. The meeting included a brief report on the Washington DC trip (see story) and an extended question and answer period. The enthusiasm of the membership remains high for the fight ahead.
Due to the holidays, the next general membership meeting will not be held until January. Details of the time and date will be in next month's newsletter.
A surprise to many of us is that many south Orange County residents still do not know the facts regarding the reuse of El Toro. Measure S was defeated, in part, because less than 45% of eligible voters went to the polls last March. All of us need to work to ensure that all of our neighbors understand exactly what is being planned and the ways to fight back.
One method of informing people is at regularly scheduled meetings. Most of you are in some group or organization that holds meetings with guest speakers. Why not schedule a speaker from TRP to discuss El Toro? Besides regular speakers, the TRP office can give you the information needed for you to make a presentation. This is one of the most effective methods of building support for our efforts, with people talking to friends on an issue they deeply care about.
If you would like to schedule a speaker, or if you would like to become a speaker, please call the TRP office at 770-4014.
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