Monday, October 2, 2006
John Wayne Airport - Common Ground for the Common Good
Among the first items that should be discussed by the new
Costa Mesa City Council following the November election is the
possible expansion of John Wayne Airport. Lest you readers think
I'm going to try to resurrect the dead carcass of the El Toro
International Airport, rest easy. That issue is dead, buried and
moldering in it's grave. That idea has become manure with which
to fertilize the biggest boondoggle in Orange County history -
The Great Park. But that's a story for another time.
No, I speak of the tenuous situation regarding the flight caps at John Wayne Airport, which is apparently being overseen exclusively by our good neighbors in Newport Beach. Sadly, we've managed to alienate them any number of ways recently, particularly on annexation issues, where our current leaders posture and pontificate despite the fact that Newport Beach holds all the cards. However, we share with Newport Beach any impact of expansion of John Wayne Airport, so I would hope our elected leaders would at least attempt to work with their peers in Newport Beach to present a united front when it comes to fending off any further expansion.
You will recall that we missed a chance to have our municipal voice heard on the El Toro issue when our then-mayor, Libby Cowan, maneuvered us away from that confrontation with her employer, the City of Irvine - all the while claiming she had no conflict of interest. Ha! No conflict, my fanny! She knew exactly what would happen if she led the charge for an airport at El Toro - she'd be looking for another job. We'll never know if it would have made a difference.
The current "leadership" in Costa Mesa doesn't seem to be able to find a way to work with Newport Beach on most issues, much less offer any assistance and support we can provide in their nearly solitary battle against the pressures of airport expansion. The November election provides us with an opportunity to place more reasonable, responsible, mature leaders on the dais so progress can be made on important issues of mutual interest which demand resolution. This is an opportunity to elect leaders who understand that Costa Mesa does not live in a vacuum - that it is part of a broader regional community in which mutual interests and concerns need to be fully vetted, debated and resolved to the mutual satisfaction of neighboring cities. That is not possible with the isolationist position the current majority on the council takes on almost every issue.
Perhaps the future of John Wayne Airport can be a starting point for our new leaders - a bit of common ground with Newport Beach from which each side can begin to build the appropriate working relationships with the other. The Newport Beach City Council may have several new faces following the election and, with any luck at all, Costa Mesa's will have two new faces, as well. This is the time for fence mending and teamwork on a common goal - fighting off any future expansion of the airport.
Who knows - it might lead to a civilized, cordial, professional relationship between our two cities. That might be too much to expect, but we can always hope.
9:41 pm pdt
No, I speak of the tenuous situation regarding the flight caps at John Wayne Airport, which is apparently being overseen exclusively by our good neighbors in Newport Beach. Sadly, we've managed to alienate them any number of ways recently, particularly on annexation issues, where our current leaders posture and pontificate despite the fact that Newport Beach holds all the cards. However, we share with Newport Beach any impact of expansion of John Wayne Airport, so I would hope our elected leaders would at least attempt to work with their peers in Newport Beach to present a united front when it comes to fending off any further expansion.
You will recall that we missed a chance to have our municipal voice heard on the El Toro issue when our then-mayor, Libby Cowan, maneuvered us away from that confrontation with her employer, the City of Irvine - all the while claiming she had no conflict of interest. Ha! No conflict, my fanny! She knew exactly what would happen if she led the charge for an airport at El Toro - she'd be looking for another job. We'll never know if it would have made a difference.
The current "leadership" in Costa Mesa doesn't seem to be able to find a way to work with Newport Beach on most issues, much less offer any assistance and support we can provide in their nearly solitary battle against the pressures of airport expansion. The November election provides us with an opportunity to place more reasonable, responsible, mature leaders on the dais so progress can be made on important issues of mutual interest which demand resolution. This is an opportunity to elect leaders who understand that Costa Mesa does not live in a vacuum - that it is part of a broader regional community in which mutual interests and concerns need to be fully vetted, debated and resolved to the mutual satisfaction of neighboring cities. That is not possible with the isolationist position the current majority on the council takes on almost every issue.
Perhaps the future of John Wayne Airport can be a starting point for our new leaders - a bit of common ground with Newport Beach from which each side can begin to build the appropriate working relationships with the other. The Newport Beach City Council may have several new faces following the election and, with any luck at all, Costa Mesa's will have two new faces, as well. This is the time for fence mending and teamwork on a common goal - fighting off any future expansion of the airport.
Who knows - it might lead to a civilized, cordial, professional relationship between our two cities. That might be too much to expect, but we can always hope.
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