June Elections Help Airport Fight

The results of the June 2nd elections were positive in the fight against Orange County's plans for a commercial airport at MCAS El Toro. The voting in two of the three districts for Orange County Supervisor favored candidates supporting the TRP position. There is now an opportunity for the voters of this county to elect a Board that will insist on a fair evaluation of all reuse options for El Toro.

A summary of the results by district:

Second District: This district, which includes the north-west portion of the county, saw pro-airport Supervisors Jim Silva opposed by three anti-airport opponents. The results were that Silva received just 45% of the vote and is now in a November runoff election with Huntington Beach council member Dave Sullivan. Sullivan has consistently stated that he is against the current county planning effort on El Toro.

Fourth District: In this district, covering the north-east part of Orange County, two pro-airport candidates were selected for the November runoff. One of these candidates, Cynthia Coad, loaned her campaign $250,000 to make it to the runoff. The candidates opposing airport plans received 46% of the votes.

Fifth District: In the district that includes MCAS El Toro, most of south Orange County and Newport Beach, Supervisor Tom Wilson easily defeated Newport Beach council member John Hedges by almost a 2-to-1 margin.

"We are delighted with the outcome of this election. We were particularly happy to see Dave Sullivan force Jim Silva into a runoff election," said TRP Executive Director Bill Kogerman.

"This is a great opportunity for us to elect a Board of Supervisors that represents the taxpayers of Orange County, not just the special interests. The election of Dave Sullivan will provide a Board that will determine the best use for El Toro using objective facts, not political pressure. I am urging all TRP members to do everything possible to help elect Dave Sullivan," continued Kogerman.

The Dave Sullivan campaign can be reached at (714) 840-0063. Any contributions, limited to a maximum of $1000 per person, can be sent to:

Dave Sullivan for Supervisor
PO Box 2705-353
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
http://www.davesullivanforsupervisor.com

El Toro Airport "Model" On Pilot's Blacklist

W hen the county's original plan for an airport at El Toro was presented, county planners pointed to San Francisco International Airport as a model for operation of a facility with narrowly-spaced, crossed runways. Recent events have shown that even the model for an airport at El Toro is unsafe.

On June 6th, the International Federation of Airline Pilots awarded 15 black stars for those airports considered "critically deficient." Only one airport in the United States was cited for major safety problems, San Francisco.

San Francisco was listed because planes land on parallel runways with pilots often relying on visual contact. According to a pilot quoted by the London Times, "It's been known for pilots to start aiming at the wrong runway and drift across in front of the other plane."

The county's plan for El Toro has closely spaced parallel runways. This problem was highlighted in a June 27 story in the L.A. Times entitled, "El Toro Plan Defies Trend in Runway Spacing." The story tells the concerns of airport planner over the design of El Toro, pointing out that modern airports require runways to be separated by 3500 feet instead of 800 feet as currently planned for El Toro.

TRP Membership Party a Great Success

Over 100 TRP members had a great time on Saturday, June 6 at the MCAS El Toro Officers Club. Billed as "not a fund raising event", the dinner provided an opportunity to TRP members to see old friends and to hear the latest developments in the TRP fight for the best reuse of El Toro.

A highlight of the evening was the recognition of TRP members for special efforts on our behalf.

Letters Needs on Millennium Plan, Airport Safety

Letters to the Editor continue to play a critical role in shaping public perception on the future of El Toro. Recent events have highlighted two areas of particular interest, the success of the Millennium plan and a new concern about aircraft safety.

The Millennium Plan is the best use of El Toro presented. Read the special TRP News insert for details about this non-aviation plan and write to the newspapers endorsing the idea of uses that benefit the entire county, not just the special interests. Point out that the Millennium Plan will bring in more jobs, higher paying jobs and produce a superior environment than an airport.

With regard to safety, the recent award of the black star to San Francisco International Airport provides an excellent opportunity to explain how the planners of El Toro are making the same mistake. Tell the papers that the cost to build a safe airport at El Toro will dwarf the cost of the LA subway.

L.A. Times:

1375 Sunflower
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Fax: (714) 966-7711
ocletters@latimes.com

O.C. Register

P.O. Box 11626
Santa Ana, CA 92711
Fax: (714) 565-3657
letters@link.freedom.com

For a list of local weeklies, click http://www.eltoroairport.org/involved/newspapers.htm

Millennium Plan Receiving Rave Reviews

The non-aviation use Millennium Plan was released to the public at the end of March. The reaction since release has been enthusiastic and positive. The public recognizes that this is the proper reuse for El Toro. In public presentations throughout the county, the public is voicing its preference for the Millennium Plan.

We have enclosed a special insert on the Millennium Plan so you can become familiar with this superior reuse plan.

Where Does Dave Sullivan Stand?

D ave Sullivan is a man for all seasons. He is pro-business with a background in meeting the needs of a small business. He is determined to balance the economic needs of our county with thoughtful consideration of the environment. One of Dave's promises is to seek a property swap to save the Bolsa Chica bluffs in exchange for developable property at MCAS El Toro.

Volunteers for Dave's campaign can contract Sergio Prince at 770-4014. Decisions by the Supervisors will directly impact the future of MCAS El Toro. Each of us has a responsibility to ensure that the planning process is in the hands of responsible leaders – like Dave Sullivan.

TRP Director's Report by Denny Harris

I was recently part of a large delegation that visited numerous Federal agencies lobbying on behalf of a non-aviation plan for the MCAS El Toro. The delegation included: Supervisors Tom Wilson and Todd Spitzer, Chairman Richard Dixon, Vice Chair Pat Bates and Executive Director Paul Eckeles of ETRPA, Mayor Christina Shea and Council member Dave Christianson from Irvine, and Kevin Rafferty, President of the South County Chambers of Commerce. We visited the White House, Office of the Vice President, National Economic Council, Department of Defense, Office of Economic Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Air Transport Association, US Marine Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency. We met with Senators Boxer and Feinstein, and Representatives Cox, Packard, Royce and Rohrbacher.

One of our goals was to present the Millenium Plan to government officials. The other goal was to show a united front of business, government, civic and grassroots leadership opposed to the conversion of MCAS El Toro into an international airport. Our meeting with Quentin Taylor, FAA, was of great interest. Mr. Taylor confirmed that Orange County would not be granted restrictions on flights at El Toro. If the County attempts to impose restrictions, the government will withhold funding.

Major General JD Stewart, USMC, said the federal Environmental Impact Study would have primary features of both the Millenium Plan and the county's Airport Plan. I requested that the USMC not permit either interim or joint use by commercial or cargo aircraft.