"The Mouth" Touts Camp Pendleton

"THE MOUTH" IS RIGHT - FINALLY
On Tuesday our old pal, The Mouth From Mesa North - writing with one of his many pen names, M.H. Millard - has a commentary appearing in the Daily Pilot suggesting using a little, teeny piece of Camp Pendleton for a new regional airport. You can read the commentary HERE.

A RARE MOMENT
As most of you know, there are few issues on which M. H. Millard and I agree, but he's got this one right. Heck, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

LARRY'S BIG ORANGE BALL
We missed the opportunity to create a regional airport at El Toro even though the voters said very clearly three times that was their preference. Only after the south county whiners finally got there way after the fourth election was that most perfect piece of real estate relegated to become even more homes. Years later that land still sits dormant, with only Larry Agran's big orange balloon as a sign of any kind of progress for all that time and money that's been spent.

VIEW OF THE RUNWAYS
Of course, from that balloon, 400 feet above the ground, you can look down at those still-pristine runways that are currently used to store boxed trees and recreational vehicles and fantasize about how great it would be to see commercial jets flying people and cargo around the world from Orange County

EASY...
Millard is correct that it might be fairly simple to carve out a small slice of Camp Pendleton and create the kind of airport so necessary to relieve the load from not only John Wayne Airport, but Lindbergh Field in San Diego, too.

RAIL MAKES IT WORK
Rail lines already connect San Diego with Orange County, so traveling to an airport at Camp Pendleton would be a snap for travelers without placing significant additional burden on already-crowded freeways.

TOO LATE?
The question now is, "Did we wait too long?" The current expansion of John Wayne does not bode well for those of us already subjected to the daily strafing by low-flying jets. Once the caps currently in place are removed in a couple years there will be extreme pressure to build a longer runway to accommodate even larger airplanes, which means that parts of Eastside Costa Mesa and the Dover Shores area of Newport Beach will become unlivable.

REMEMBER PLAYA DEL REY
If you need a reminder, this photo is of Playa del Rey, just west of Los Angeles International Airport. To accommodate the expansion of LAX, between 1965 and 1975 822 homes were vacated and over 2,000 people were relocated.
THE TIME IS NOW!
Now it the time to pick up Millard's gauntlet and begin pressuring our representatives in Washington, D.C. to consider a major regional airport at Camp Pendleton.

Righeimer's Choice

THE RIGHT DECISION...
As reported here yesterday afternoon, Costa Mesa Planning Commission Chairman Jim Righeimer has been bounced from his Daily Pilot columnist responsibilities. I think the correct decision was made, if we can believe the scenario presented by the writer of the original story in the Newport Mesa Daily Voice. Riggy was give the choice of his column or his seat on the Planning Commission. He made the right choice.

MISSING HIS COLUMN?
Certainly, the world has not come to an end for Righeimer. Many folks have commented in public and private that they will miss his columns. I, too, will miss his views on some important issues in our city. His life experience and work background is very different than mine, so his perspective on development issues is valuable to our city. And, of course, his partisan perspective on political issues will be missed, too - by some.

PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIM, THOUGH
There is nothing at all to keep Riggy, as a private citizen, from submitting a commentary to the Daily Pilot when the urge moves him. I'm sure the editors will view his submissions as they do any other and publish them if they have merit. And, there is no longer the pressure to create a column on a regular basis. Of course, Riggy will miss those "big bucks" the Pilot pays their columnists...

NOT GOING SOFT ON RIGGY
Am I going soft on Riggy? Nah - I still think he's a carpetbagger and I still think he misused his position as a columnist for political purposes. I still think he's going to make another run for City Council in the fall, which would have forced him to abandon his column in any event. This just levels the playing field a little for those who might choose to challenge him for that council seat.


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EASTSIDE CM NEIGHBORS GROUP MEETING
A reminder... tonight, Thursday, the Eastside CM Neighbor's Group will host a meeting at Kaiser Elementary School on Santa Ana Avenue at which several items of community interest will be discussed. Righeimer will give his perspective on the Fairgrounds Sale. Former councilwoman Heather Somers will discuss the future expansion of John Wayne Airport. The Banning Ranch and the Broadway Safe Route To School Project will also be discussed. Call 949-646-9773 if you have questions.

The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. and is scheduled for 2 hours.

Mr. U. Know-Who Is Right - For Once

I AGREE WITH MR. U. KNOW-WHO!
I suppose I can count on the fingers of one hand the times I've agreed with The-Brain-Who-Ate-Costa-Mesa over at the CM Press. Although I've never failed to acknowledge that he's one smart dude, his views on most subjects are diametrically opposed to mine - and we both state that emphatically as we go about trying to influence the hearts and minds of Costa Mesans.

LEN KRANSER AT IT AGAIN
However, today in his CM Press #391, he points out an article written by Leonard Kranser, my old nemesis in the El Toro Airport fights, which ran in the Orange County Register today. You can read Kranser's article HERE.

CAMP PENDLETON IS THE RIGHT CHOICE NOW
Our Neighbor over at the CM Press is right on this issue. Of course, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. He is correct that we should be pursuing the creation of an intercontinental airport on the grounds of Camp Pendleton that could serve both Orange County and San Diego to bleed off the overwhelming traffic from both airports.

NEIGHBORHOODS IN PERIL
While we still have several years until the agreement that imposes the existing caps on flights expires, it's clear to anyone paying attention that John Wayne Airport is gearing up for more, more, more. This is not good news for any resident of either Costa Mesa or Newport Beach because the impacts of any "logical" expansion will decimate our neighborhoods. Of course, those of us on the Eastside of Costa Mesa will share the greatest impact with our good neighbors over in the Dover Shores area of Newport Beach, who already feel the impact of the flights most severely.

JOHN WAYNE ALTERNATIVE NEEDED
So, I agree with our pal at the CM Press that we need to get moving on an alternative to the expansion of John Wayne Airport to meet our growing air transportation needs. We were bamboozled out of the perfect location - El Toro - by a bunch of organized South County whiners, with Kranser leading the way. That place could still become the airport we need, since virtually no progress is being made on the "Great Park" and the important infrastructure still exists.

WE NEED ACTION, NOT WORDS
The Costa Mesa City Council has said they are going to work closely with their counterparts in Newport Beach to fend off John Wayne expansion. So far, all we've heard is talk. Those that think everything is hunky-dory because the cap agreement is still in place are living in a fantasy world. Those years will zip right past and we'll find ourselves reading tail numbers from 500 feet away before too long. We cannot afford to let any time pass before serious work is done finding an alternative. Camp Pendleton seems to be the right choice.

Another Anti-Foley Diatribe

ANOTHER "SECOND HAND" BLAST AT FOLEY
A local blogger, who is intent on slamming Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley at every turn, has recently posted another jab at her, this time embedded in a critical diatribe about the activist organization, AirFair. As some may know, AirFair's role in life it to protect us from the expansion of John Wayne Airport - or whatever the official name is of that place that directs airplanes nearly over my house all day, every day. There's a link to that organization over on the right side of this page.

SINISTER SUPPORT SUSPECTED
The entry in question postulates that there is something sinister going on because AirFair seems to be supporting one Costa Mesa council member over others. Apparently, the author of the blog feels there is something suspicious about AirFair's support of Foley in her re-election bid and states flatly that "the airport issue is non-partisan and should remain that way."

JOHN WAYNE FUTURE SHOULD BE NON-PARTISAN
I agree - the airport issue is, and should be, a non-partisan issue. However, AirFair is certainly free to support council members who have demonstrated to them unwavering support for their goal of blocking any further expansion at John Wayne. Foley apparently meets that standard.

COSTA MESA'S HISTORY ON JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT ABYSMAL
The City of Costa Mesa has an abysmal history when it comes to fighting against expansion of John Wayne. A few years ago, when Libby Cowan was mayor, we missed a tremendous opportunity to rally in support of the use of El Toro as the logical choice to meet the growing demand for air transportation. I've said before, I thought Libby was trying to protect her job with the City of Irvine when she not only didn't provide leadership on the issue, but blocked every move proposed.

BEST SOLUTION GONE - DEMAND REMAINS
Now the demand remains but the perfect solution is gone and all we hear about these days is the impending demise of the agreement that currently restricts traffic at John Wayne and feeble mutterings about using surface transport to move travelers and cargo to outlying airports in the Inland Empire to quench the demand. Good luck with that!

TUNNELS BURIED?
At least the rants by those proposing a triple tunnel under Saddleback Peak to an airport on the other side of the mountain have died out - as has their web site. They were so darn passionate about that fiasco that I suspect they may have just, appropriately, gone underground and are continuing to work on it in the dark.

YET ANOTHER REASON TO VOTE FOR FOLEY
If Katrina Foley is, in fact, eager to lead the charge against further John Wayne Airport expansion, that gives us yet another reason among many to support her candidacy for re-election. An even better reason, however, is that she recognizes that blog author for what he is and doesn't take any of his guff. Unlike others on the council, she can't be controlled by that guy - as good a reason as any to vote for her in November.

Weekend Housekeeping

It's time for a little weekend housekeeping, following up on a few earlier posts.

CIVIL WAR RE-ENACTMENT PUSHED BACK TO THE FALL
In an earlier post I mentioned that the Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission would hear a proposal from a couple groups of Civil War "re-enacters" to provide a weekend-long event at Fairview Park the first weekend of April. At the time I thought that weekend might be pushing the envelope. It turns out I was correct.

During the presentation it was determined that the short time between now and the beginning of April didn't give adequate time for all the necessary permits, etc. So, this extravaganza has been pushed out to October of this year. Actually, considering the proximity to the elections in November, that might be a perfect time for this event. The way recent election campaigns have gone in this city, it might be looking a lot like Civil War in our town by that time.

BACK TO SQUARE ONE ON ANNEXATION
Regarding the probable annexation by Newport Beach of the Santa Ana Country Club and nearby neighborhoods - all of which currently reside in Costa Mesa's sphere of influence - things have taken a new twist. Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman John Moorlach - a Costa Mesa resident - has decided to stall the proceedings by not putting forward the tax plans essential to this process.
COLD WATER ON EMOTIONS
So, after the shouts of glee by the members of the country club, their neighbors and most residents of Newport Beach and the wailing and gnashing of teeth by Costa Mesa officials, we're back to square one. That means all that rancor that was created by this issue between our two cities went for naught. The residents and country club are stuck in no-man's-land and remain islands of country territory. The animosity between our two city councils has intensified, as witnessed by recent public pronouncements of some elected officials, and we still have a truck-load of common-interest projects ahead of us. And, of course, this scab will be ripped off again if and when the annexation issue is re-visited.

MOORLACH ON A ROLL - AWG NEEDS BETTER PR
That self-same person, John Moorlach, then told the assembled masses at the Airport Working Group annual meeting that they needed a better public relations effort regarding the possible (probable) expansion of John Wayne Airport. That cavalier assessment of their efforts certainly rankled attendees, but he might be right. Negotiations for an extension of the current caps on the airport cannot even begin until 2011. I'm sure most of the hard-working attendees at the meeting hoped Moorlach would stand up and say he was going to fight, tooth and nail, to prohibit any further expansion of the airport. He didn't do that. You can read Joe Bell's column on the subject HERE.

HOLD YOUR NOSE AND "GO LOCAL"
So, those of us currently being adversely affected by the present traffic load need to take the lead and ramp up the rhetoric and help find alternatives to the expansion of John Wayne Airport. We need to find alternatives to the current scheme - something called "Go Local" - that would attempt to entice us to climb aboard crowded, smelly buses to airports in the hinterlands - San Bernardino and Ontario - instead of boarding flights at John Wayne for our exotic destinations.

THE CAMP PENDLETON ALTERNATIVE
One alternative, the creation of a regional international airport at Camp Pendleton, has been espoused by myself and another local blog writer for a couple years. As distasteful as it is for me to agree with anything that guy says, he's got it right this time. It makes a lot of sense, since it could resolve traffic volume problems not only for John Wayne Airport, but San Diego's Lindbergh Field, too. So far, that proposal has gotten nowhere.

THE GREAT FIASCO, ER, PARK FALTERS
And, of course, the great frustration in all this is that there sits El Toro, runways still 98% intact, just waiting to be converted into an International Airport! Rumors of the financial difficulties and potential demise of the successful bidder, Lennar, only add to that frustration. And, the ongoing allegations of corruption swirling around the whole Great Fiasco, er, Park further add to it. Maybe we can make a deal with the Emperor Agran. Maybe we can agree to name the new airport at El Toro for him. Do you think that might assuage his ego enough that he will throw in the towel and support the best use of that chunk of Orange County? Nah, neither do I.

That's it for now....

Stop John Wayne Airport Expansion!

This morning the Daily Pilot published a commentary by Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley in which she announced that, at their meeting tomorrow evening, the Costa Mesa City Council will consider an anti-airport expansion resolution she is sponsoring. To read the text of her commentary click here.

I support Foley's view that any incursion by the John Wayne Airport into peripheral properties, such as the back nine holes on the Newport Golf Course or the site of the storage units on Bristol Street near the freeway, will only facilitate expansion of the airport beyond the current growth caps negotiated between the county and the City of Newport Beach.

Although I won't attempt to revive that dead horse, The El Toro Airport, it's worth noting that, instead of utilizing that former Marine flight facility as a commercial airport, the site will soon become home to the biggest boondoggle in Orange County history - The Great Park. The plans for this "park" include tens of thousands of homes, which will result in a population increase in that area of nearly 100,000 people! Many of those folks will certainly be air travelers, who will certainly avail themselves of John Wayne Airport.

If Costa Mesa does not join Newport Beach in their fight against airport expansion it is likely that very aggressive moves will be made to stretch the existing runways and/or to add one more to facilitate more flights. By stretching the runways the airport will be able to accommodate larger airplanes - the jumbo jets - none of which will be expected to go through the airborne gymnastics currently required of those commercial airliners flying from John Wayne. Nope, those big guys will fly straight toward the ocean without noise reduction requirements (throttling back) and maneuvering to fly down the Back Bay. When they begin to fly, the quality of life for those of us on the Westside of the Back Bay, including Newport Beach's Dover Shores and Costa Mesa's Eastside, will be significantly damaged. Our friends in Tustin, Orange and Villa Park will also suffer from the addition of the large airliners at John Wayne.

If John Wayne Airport is permitted to expand to handle the jumbo jets, like the Boeing 747-400 pictured here, for example, it will be catastrophic for our neighborhoods. That plane has a maximum take-off weight of nearly 900,000 pounds and holds around 60,000 gallons of fuel, according to the entry in Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia.

I concur with Foley that it's important for our elected officials to go on record opposing any future expansion at John Wayne Airport. Past council's failure to act responsibly regarding El Toro abetted that perfect site being turned into a "park". We cannot afford to simply standby and watch this time around. I encourage you to let your city council know just how you feel. You can email them at this address: CMCouncil@ci.costa-mesa.ca.us. Further information can be found at the web site for the grass roots organization, Air Fair, at the link I've added to the right, just below Newport Beach.


It's time to wake up and speak up - or begin making plans for your children to suffer significant health problems as the increased jet traffic spews more effluent onto our neighborhoods and playgrounds. The clock is ticking.