BOLD OPINIONS
COMMENTARY by Rick Reiff
I’VE GONE NEARLY A FULL MONTH INTO THE NEW YEAR WITHOUT OPINING ON El Toro, which is pretty good for me, no?
So please indulge me as a I drag out the dying horse and kick it.
Before they get too stale, I wanted to share a couple of opinions about El Toro that were made back in November at the Orange County Forum’s 10th anniversary program.
The theme was “Consider the Past Evaluate the Present Look to the Future,” so naturally the distinguished panelists were asked to comment on the former Marine base. Irvine Mayor Larry Agran confidently predicted passage of “The Great Park” initiative this March and the death of the airport plan. Commentator Hugh Hewitt, normally an Agran antagonist and a one-time airport supporter, enthusiastically agreed. Former Supervisor Marian Bergeson danced around the issue.
No surprises there. For politicians, regardless of party, there are only two safe positions to have on the proposed El Toro airport,strong opposition and no position.
What was noteworthy were the comments of the other two panelists, Conexant CEO Dwight Decker and Orange County Bishop Jaime Soto.
Decker noted the conflict between an airport’s economic benefits and its impact on quality of life, and then said, “I feel it would probably be best for the county if we had a new airport.” What’s noteworthy isn’t the remark itself,a lot of people agree with Decker,but that he dared to utter it. With emotions against the airport running so high, most local executives long ago clammed up. Why risk embroiling yourself, your company and your employees in controversy?
For Decker, a corporate chieftan with enough challenges at the office, to offer even a modest statement of support for what is increasingly looking like a lost cause, amounts to a profile in courage. He gets an “attaboy” from this lonely corner.
But the bishop was even bolder. Rev. Soto obviously is one cleric who doesn’t shy from speaking his mind on social issues. He said:
“With the airport issue, as well as certain other issues in south Orange County, there seems to be a certain NIMBY,nothing in my backyard,approach. As for ‘The Great Park’ idea, there is a question as to whether it really represents an attempt to provide a public purpose and a common purpose for the county. The idea of having a Great Park like Central Park in New York or Golden Gate Park in SF will depend on resolving some of the transportation issues. If those issues are not resolved, it will be a ‘great park’ for the city of Irvine, but it will mean nothing to the people of Santa Ana, or Anaheim, or other North County cities. I have misgivings about the intentions behind The Great Park and I see a strong NIMBY attitude that seems to drive the politics of this county to work against a common purpose.” Amen. , Rick Reiff
