Measure W Language Not Just a Walk in Park

Re “Read the Fine Print, Then Vote ‘No,’” (Orange County Commentary, Jan. 27):

Shirley Conger writes that as a result of Measure W, the 4,700-acre park won’t really be a park at all, but rather be razed and developed. Conger disingenuously quotes a section of Measure W that simply reiterates existing county law and is not part of changes proposed by the measure to imply that Measure W would also apply to all geographic areas of unincorporated portions of the county.

In letters on the same page, William Kearns echoes Conger’s viewpoint that if Measure W passes, El Toro will become “wall-to-wall housing.” Yet, Bonnie O’Neill rebukes Measure W by claiming it would be unfair that “another whopping 4,700 acres” of park space would be added to South County. The inconsistencies and misrepresentations from the Newport-Mesa contingent are getting old. The only common element is that all three writers simply wish John Wayne Airport closed and its traffic moved to El Toro.

Robert L. Stein

Laguna Niguel

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Shame on you, Shirley. As a resident of Orange County, I demand that El Toro be cleaned up to the level it was before the Marines came in. That is the law and she is well aware of it. She and the rest of the pro-airport contingent would gladly take the land in a poisoned state to ram an airport through, leaving Orange County taxpayers holding the bag for the costly cleanup. What effect do you suppose an airport would have on the environment?

Measure W will not raise taxes. It simply rezones El Toro land for a park and nature preserve, making an aviation use there an impossibility. No new taxes may be levied to build the park unless two-thirds of Orange County voters say OK. It’s the law (Propositions 13 and 218).

I’ve read the fine print and I vote a resounding Yes for Measure W. I love Orange County and I want to see it become an even more desirable place to live.

Kurt Tarhan

Laguna Niguel

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Apparently leaders of the anti-El Toro airport effort believe they cannot win an election without deception. They crafted Measure F, which ignored rules in order to create an initiative that had a good chance to win. It did win, but airport proponents claim that was due to the legal flaws within it. That opinion was confirmed by two courts who, in harsh language, criticized the initiative. The first court nullified Measure F, and the appeals court confirmed that decision.

Not deterred, airport antagonists create Measure W. Unfortunately, it too is deceptive and does not give voters the whole truth. Shirley Conger points out some of the hidden information contained within it. Also, it is what the measure does not say that is of concern to me.

For instance, Measure W claims the park plan will not cost taxpayers. That is misleading because Measure W simply changes the zoning of that land. The initiative does not include costs to build the park. Credible studies indicate the park will indeed cost billions to build, and while some donations may come forth, the bulk of expenses likely will be paid by taxpayers. I refuse to be deceived this time. I’m voting no on Measure W and hope you will join me.

Judy Fry

Fullerton

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Shirley Conger’s commentary begs for a rebuttal. She worries about the use of taxpayer dollars to fund the park. Well, last time I checked, the $40-plus million that Orange County supervisors have spent, and any FAA grants to be obtained, are funds from taxes. Not to mention the bailout that taxpayers will have to eventually pay to cover the El Toro airport bonds when it fails to generate enough revenue to pay the investors; the state road funds to cover added freeway lanes; the county tax moneys to pay for aviation rights over Laguna Woods, and for soundproofing of thousands of homes and hundreds of schools.

Conger claims Measure W is “an environmentalist’s nightmare.” Let’s review the airport plan. There are the car trips per day, the tanker trunks round the clock to deliver fuel, the 400 to 800 airplane trips per day. I think we easily can see which use is the environmentalist’s nightmare. And what about the contamination already at the base? A park can be built in the several thousand “clean” acres at El Toro, avoiding the “dirty” acres while these are cleaned up, but an airport would require reconstruction of all runways, tarmacs and hangars, emitting tons of contaminated dust directly into the lungs of everyone in the county.

Lori A. Belski

Foothill Ranch

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It is so nice to find out that even the pro-airport people think that the Great Park sounds like a dream come true. And I hope it will.

Three supervisors went to Washington to seek funding for the airport from the FAA. It is much more important that our tax dollars be spent to help pay for the expensive new security systems at established airports and the higher salaried, qualified security people than help funding a new airport.

Margot Roseman

Mission Viejo

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Will the South County proponents of Measure W please explain where the money is going to come from for their grand park? They are either really naive or laying a giant smokescreen if they think they can pull it off without using taxes. Do they really expect us to believe some white knight will present them with a bucket of gold?

Or maybe the grand wizard will wave a wand and transform all this property into their utopian garden. They have been reading too many Harry Potter books. And, after this magical land transformation takes place; where will the revenues needed to maintain this grand folly come from?

The NIMBYs keep referring to Central Park, Balboa Park and Griffith Park; and I wonder just how much revenue, after expenses, these parks put back into the local economies.

Richard Bame

Anaheim Hills

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I continue to shake my head in amazement at the absurd arguments the pro-El Toro airport people would have us believe. Not building a massive international airport will be “an environmentalist’s nightmare?” Sorry, Shirley Conger. That’s right up there with the fantasy that the airport will reduce air pollution and traffic. Ultimately, the voters will decide for themselves what constitutes quality of life, be it park or airport. No amount of logic mangling from the Newport spin artists will change that.

Kurt Page

Laguna Niguel

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Re “Parallel Park: Let’s Be Like San Diego,” (Orange County Commentary, Jan. 27):

No on Measure W will allow you to sponsor the same plan as did the ladies of San Diego because South County will be given a park larger than Central Park in N.Y. and Balboa Park in San Diego combined. Additionally the Airport Park will bring South County open space up to 121,870 acres as opposed to 8,000 acres for North County.

True, the authors of Measure W did not say, “We want your tax dollars for our use.” However, we taxpayers are spending millions just to maintain an empty airport. How much more of our taxes will you need to rip up runways, and bring 50-year-old homes up to code? And how much rent will you be able to ask homeless people to pay?

How many times have you driven to the airport versus the number of times you spent 20 minutes or more to go to an open space?

John Di Bello

Newport Beach

be understood. The $134,224 annual salary that Judge Ronald C. Kline will