THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:
Air transport just dream
By Chris Caesar and Brianna Bailey
Daily Pilot
11/15/07
If you’re hoping regional transportation authorities will find property for another airport to alleviate traffic at John Wayne Airport, forget about it.
To make matters worse, it appears that transportation planners from the Southern California Assn. of Governments are also banking on high-speed rail to steer some travelers to other regional airports, like Ontario.
Good luck with that. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is ordering 10% cuts in state spending and there’s likely little public funding for the so-called maglev trains.
In all fairness, it’s not like the transportation planners are unaware of that as they’re hoping to attract private funding for the trains.
Again, good luck with that, but it sounds like a long shot with the economy getting hammered by a sub-prime mortgage virus that’s as unshakable as Britney Spears’ paparazzi, and oil prices jumping higher than Kobe Bryant in a slam-dunk contest.
Area leaders got a hint of all this when they met this week with representatives from the Southern California Assn. of Governments.
AirFair, the local organization that advocates the cap on John Wayne traffic, sponsored the meeting.
“I thought the residents made it pretty clear to SCAG that we want them to find an alternative airport location, or put some high priority on some efficient transit system that will get people from here to an airport in Ontario or San Bernardino,” Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley said. “Clearly, people are frustrated.”
Those at Tuesday’s meeting were having none of the maglev train proposals either. Many were skeptical of the availability of funds, especially during the state’s current budget downfall.
“I think everyone saw that one of the big problems is that there is no money for any of this stuff,” AirFair President Melinda Seely said. “If there isn’t any money to fund just normal roads, then we’re going to be hard-pressed to come up with money.”
When Michael Armstrong and Michael Jones of SCAG suggested private financing for the high-speed rail, that drew more skepticism. “Of course, no one ever mentions the ‘T’ word — taxes, raising taxes — because we are in the heart of Republican territory,” Seely said. Those interested in submitting comments to SCAG regarding the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan may do so at http://www.scag.ca.gov/rtp2008/ index.htm.
Alliance formed in memory of Reagan
Rep. John Campbell has joined a new alliance of lawmakers who are taking a decidedly conservative stance on hot-button issues such as Social Security reform and making English the official language of the United States.
The project, an alliance of about 20 senators and representatives, claims it wants to invoke the spirit of President Reagan with the name Reagan 21. Campbell founded the group along with Republican Sens.
Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Jim DeMint of South Carolina, and Republican Representatives John Shadegg of Arizona, Jeb Hensarling of Texas, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Thomas Price of Georgia.
“Today, Congress has a record-low approval rating of 11%. Republicans lost the majority in part because they spent too much, had ethical lapses and did not deliver on illegal immigration and other issues ” Campbell wrote in an editorial published in the Washington Times Wednesday.
State senator changes his mind on expansion
State Sen. Tom Harman, once a firm opponent of the planned 241 expansion to I-5, now supports the measure, saying it will solve a pending congestion crisis facing his new constituents in Southern Orange County.
“[Earlier], he was obviously representing North County, and wasn’t extremely involved in the project one way or another — but, he did have concerns about running a highway through a state park,” Harman’s District Director Cynthia Determan said. Harman had previously served as an assemblyman for the 67th district, further north of the project.
Harman then took a helicopter tour of the site.
“He was convinced after seeing the project that it wouldn’t affect Trestles Beach, and he was very impressed that there were a lot of mitigation measures that would actually improve water quality at Trestles,” she said.
But, some local activists, like Mark Sappingfield of the Orange County Sierra Club, see things a little differently.
“That’s a joke,” he said, “And you can quote me on that. I’m shocked that Mr. Harman suddenly feels, all of a sudden, that it’s a good idea.”
The extension will diminish existing mitigation protections, and the run-off from traffic will cause irreparable damage to San Mateo Creek, Sappingfield said.
BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at brianna.bailey@latimes.com. CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at chris.caesar@latimes.com.
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2007 ... cape15.txt
And comments
Silverthorn wrote on Nov 15, 2007 7:01 AM:
" Isn't it great that Irvine and the spoiled rich of south county scammed and badgered everyone to not use El Toro for an airport? After all, we need the Great Pork that will result from the Irvine land grab. In reality it will result in more private development, higher traffic density and more pollution (the things they said an airport would bring) and serve a much smaller portion of the public than a much needed airport would have. And it took multiple tries (at least one illegal) to "convince" the public of what was best. Enjoy your park now? "
Len Kranser wrote on Nov 15, 2007 8:53 AM:
" Opponents of JWA expansion and opponents of the abandoned El Toro airport project can agree on the need for better ground access to inland airports like Ontario. Plans call for nearly quadrupling the air service at ONT. However, we need to be able to get there in a reasonable and predictable amount of time. Ontario has not shown the sort of growth experienced at other easier-to-reach airports in the region. See http://www.eltoroairport.org/news/curre ... -September for data on the region's travel growth at each airport. "
Great Parking Lot wrote on Nov 15, 2007 2:18 PM:
" Thank you Leonard Kranser for helping to kill El Toro Airport. You are a real service to humanity! I think you and the other South County NIMBY's should be BANNED from flying. If jets are not good enough for your back yard, then nobody else should be subjected to your flying impacts either. Otherwise for you and other NIMBY's to fly simplymakes you all flaming hypocrites! "
1 who knows wrote on Nov 15, 2007 4:54 PM:
" Kranser has some nerve. He whines that John Wayne should be increased to 12MAP to anyone who'll listen, sugests to unload the Lennar 10,000 home development (aka Great Park ) increased air demand on Ontario and then promotes his website on this forum. I guess he forgot to pimp his book too. Thanks Lenny for your leadership. Enjoy the Cristal bubbly with Bren, you've earned it! "
Georges Fair wrote on Nov 15, 2007 11:00 PM:
" Increasing John Wayne airport capacity to 12 MAP could be accomplished without adding a single flight depending upon the average current load factor. "
Truth wrote on Nov 16, 2007 6:11 AM:
" The reason there's no airport at El Toro is because the "leaders" in Newport and Costa Mesa didn't know how to wage a proper campaign. Some of these same leaders are now trying to keep caps on flights out of JWA. They'll fail again. They don't know how to clearly state what's at stake, they waste time with false options and they don't know how to rally support. Chickens with their heads cut off describes many of them. "
truthseeker wrote on Nov 16, 2007 8:22 AM:
" How about all you NIMBYs who moved near JWA, an existing airport, then whined about it? "
To Truth Evader wrote on Nov 16, 2007 3:29 PM:
" El Toro was established in 1943 well before any of you NIMBY's were even born, let alone moved in the area. So you have zero credibility when it comes to this issue. "