on Orange County residents who use LAX.
This is a reaction to the apparently growing opposition among OC residents to a commercial airport at El Toro. Already, an estimated 12 million or more OCers fly out of LAX (some 50% more than use John Wayne). The reasoning is that if OCers aren’t going to fly from somewhere closer to home, then that will increase the pressure for a massive expansion of LAX, and so OCers deserve to be dinged for their “not in my backyard” attitude.
My first reaction to this is that if the LA folks try to pull this one off, it won’t fly in court.
My second reaction is that it is a mighty unneighborly way for LA to behave, especially after all of the moral support we OCers just gave the Lakers in their drive to the championship. (As far as I know, no OCers were spotted among the hooligans torching cars or otherwise causing mayhem outside the Staples Center, either.)
But my third reaction is that this is a mighty fine idea. Maybe it will serve as a wakeup call to those who are so quick to dismiss the idea of converting El Toro’s military airfield into a commercial airfield. Heck, OCers already pay a “tax” of sorts because local air transportation supply doesn’t meet demand,we pay it in higher fares at John Wayne, or in the time and transportation cost of using LAX. And some OCers have told me they’re content with that situation, finding those costs preferable to what they fear would be the costs, in quality of life and lost property value, of a commercial airport at El Toro. If that’s the case, one more little tax is worth it, right? Why, it’s even a bargain,consider it a tip for the more impact-resistant folks of LA.
And let’s carry this LAX-tax idea one step further. Lately I’ve heard more El Toro airport opponents promoting the idea of “maxing out” John Wayne,lifting curfews, extending runways, etc.,as an alternative to use of El Toro. Alright then, let’s slap a John Wayne tax on all air passengers from South County.
The LAX tax may be a wacky idea, but it’s not the wackiest thing I’ve heard in the airport debates.
