The Projects are coming to Irvine!

SCAG just got the last laugh on Irvine as they prevailed in California Supreme Court that Irvine MUST build 35,000 "low income" housing units. Those Projects will sure look lovely from the orange balloon. Irvine has exhausted all appeals and there is not a damn thing they can do to get out of it. Well.......there is one thing. They could always swallow their pride, pick up the phone and accept L.A.'s previous offer to lease El Toro International Airport for TWO BILION DOLLARS! Unless Larry Agran can control that money personally, he will continue to remain uninterested. Especially when he has his own personal gravy train with the Great Pork.

Larry Agran does not care that Irvine will become a ghetto. So long as he has his gravy train. After all, he has pushed for low income housing in the past and now he has got it. Plus Laguna Beach just approved of a parking lot for the homeless to congregate. These cities are more friendly to gay marriage, and low income slackers than economic engines like the airport which would bring jobs and prosperity. Would you rather have thousands of new jobs in your city or thousands of new homeless? Apparently the illustrious leaders of those cities favor the latter.

If one thought that Irvine and neighboring cities were already insanely jealous of Newport Beach because of the gap in property values, that gap will get even wider as a flood of low income housing will further depress home values. That would not be happening if they had supported keeping El Toro International Airport. There would not be nearly 15,000 acres of buffer zone available for (undesirable) residential development. If the airport were kept open this would create demand for the existing glut of housing and instantly increase property values.

The way for south county cities to achieve parity with Newport Beach is not to hate us and hope to sink us down to their level. The way to keep pace with us is find ways to improve one's own city, create a healthy business climate and aspire to reach our level. In fact, there was an article about Laguna Niguel being very alarmed about the closure of businesses. Just imagine if tourists from El Toro were visiting Laguna Niguel and the airport was hiring lots of subcontractors from that city. Killing the Golden Goose that is El Toro not only stops it from producing golden eggs for the community, the corpse also leaves a stench. Hence, we have projects and homeless growth instead of economic growth.

El Toro will not die!

No matter how many millions Irvine spends trying to convince the public there is a "Great Park" at El Toro, people still know it is an idle airport. Look at the picture above. Other than the golf course (which Lennar subsequently ruined) does that look like a park? An objective observer would see large runways, hangars, and plenty of space. If it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, if it flies like a duck......

The Great Pork is an awful lot like the inept Oakland Raiders. We are talking SEVEN STRAIGHT YEARS OF FUTILITY! Between Larry Agran and Al Davis, it is a close tie as to who has done the most damage to the organization they represent. They are both laughingstocks that have no credibility. They resemble the regime in North Korea, secretive and paranoid.

In 7 years, the Raiders have 25 wins since their Super Bowl appearance.
In 7 years, The Great Pork has 27 acres since conning the voters. Either way over two hundred million dollars has been wasted with very little progress to date.

People know they have been scammed by the Agranistas. If El Toro were "dead" as the NIMBYs and Agranistas would like you to believe, there would not be letters to the editor and comments on message boards supporting the re-opening of El Toro International Airport. Until the runways are completely gone, the people see that there is an idle airport at El Toro waiting to be re-opened.

---

By Russ Niewiarowski
Updated: Saturday, October 10, 2009 10:37 PM PDT
Daily Pilot
October 11th, 2009
Imagine a world in which local government bodies were ruled under Mike Aguilar’s logic (“You made the choice, now live with it,” Oct. 8).

Negative impacts from airports, freeways, railway corridors, chemical plants and even violent gangs would rule and worsen, and the only way out would be to move to some isolated remote forest.

Aguilar states that he chose to live near John Wayne Airport and that it would be foolish to speak up when the noise and negative impacts worsen. The opposite is true. To not speak up is foolish.

Fortunately, this is not how the real world operates. As the population grows, so do the negative impacts associated with growth.

It is the duty of responsible citizens to speak up and to get involved to lessen negative impacts to better their community and to make a positive difference for future generations.

Look at the case of hydroelectric dams. The Columbia river has several, which power much of the northwest. Yet these beneficial dams were also destroying the salmon population. The negative impacts were studied and solutions were implemented so that both sides benefited.

Aguilar does not know the current facts associated with the JWA, nor does he know the historical facts of aviation in Orange County.

The fact is, the residential community of Santa Ana Heights was established in the 1920s, long before JWA existed.

The tract of homes I live in was built between 1962 and 1964.

The airport was used primarily for general aviation, and in 1967 it opened for commercial service.

The original NIMBY was none other than Newport Beach resident John Wayne himself who fought against the Eddie Martin airstrip being converted to accommodate commercial jets.

My community has lived with the airport and will continue to live with it. It is our desire to ensure that the airport remains a tolerable, responsible neighbor.

John Wayne and countless Newport Beach residents fought to protect their homes and communities from the negative impacts from commercial jets.

Because these activists spoke up and got involved we have a settlement agreement in effect today.

Imagine if the community had Aguilar’s attitude of “living with it” however the airport owner decided to dish it out.

There would be no cap and no curfew and many residents would be forced to move out of the communities that many, including myself, grew up in long before JWA became the looming threat it is today.

In comparison, it was Marine Corps Air Station El Toro that was built in a place and a time when Irvine and the surrounding environs was nothing but cattle grazing fields, orange groves, farming and open fields.

Even today, 50,000 contiguous acres of permanent open space exist to the north and southwest of the former MCAS El Toro base, despite the build up of residential communities that sprouted up knowing military jets were their neighbor.

Such a vast expanse of open space does not exist at JWA, but a vast expanse of homes and schools do. It is our responsibility to speak up and to be active in pursuing and implementing every viable option to safeguard and lessen the negative impacts to our communities to ensure that Newport Beach does not become the next Playa del Rey.


RUSS NIEWIAROWSKI lives in Newport Beach.

Los Angeles Times

October 13th, 2009

Conflicting views of the Great Park

Re “A soaring vision or just hot air?” Column One, Oct. 1

Is there really a question? With all the talk about creeping growth at John Wayne Airport and the lack of movement on the part of the Great Park advocates -- with the exception of the appearance of landscape architect Ken Smith, standing nobly in front of that ridiculous tethered balloon -- I think it's about time to put the question of making El Toro an airport to a vote again.

We voted for it, only to be bamboozled by Irvine's expensive PR campaign.

Nora Lehman
Newport Beach



I appreciate the focus on the Orange County Great Park. I wholeheartedly agree with the first part of your headline, "A soaring vision."

It reflects master designer Ken Smith's award-winning Comprehensive Park Plan, completed this year, that promises to put our Great Park in the same league with giants such as Golden Gate Park and Balboa Park.

We are well on our way. Major construction begins this year. Meanwhile, you missed the many events that are ongoing, such as the just-completed summer concert series that drew thousands.

Also, we are actively working to turn our nationally acclaimed design into a playground of sports fields, community farms and museums for all ages and for all time.

Larry Agran
Irvine
The writer is chair of the Great Park Corp.

---

Comrad Larry, you have all of 27 acres and a ruined golf course after $100 million down the drain. Your Great Pork is a bigger bust than Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russell combined.
Ken Smith can make pretty pictures, but that does not mean there is a park. Star Wars artists can create neat models of the Death Star, that does not mean the Death Star actually exists......unless you count Irvine City Hall.
Also, ANY location can have thousands of concert goers. For example, right here in Newport Beach, there are plenty of bands that play in garages. That would not make their garages "parks". Music can be played anywhere there is electricity.
Great Pork = FAIL!

Why is NFL Quarterback Mark Sanchez banned from South County?

The denizens of his hometown Mission Viejo have been brainwashed to hate Jets.

(Disclaimer: For the NIMBYs who are slow, this is a joke.)

OC Register readers give thumbs down to Great Pork!

All of these comments listed below made the print edition of either the Irvine World News or Register letters section. ALL of them are negative on the park. NOT one positive comment in defense of the invisible park.

As one will clearly see, the public has soured on the Great Pork. They see they have been had by the Agranistas. The only supporters left are those who are cashing in on Agran's gravy train, or those who are envious of Newport Beach and want to see our beautiful city condemned at any cost to expand the acreage of John Wayne.

Everyone else out there realizes that by re-opening the airport it would create thousands of jobs, create demand for the excessive housing stock, and be close and convenient for air travel. If a vote were held today, the airport would prevail hands down just like it did the first two times people voted for it. No amount of spending for Irvine propaganda will change that. You can't put lipstick on the Great Pig.

Irvine World News
September 17th, 2009.

VIEWS OF THE ORANGE BALLOON

The Great Park’s orange balloon ride has soared to a new milestone, with more than 100,000 riders hopping on the park’s signature feature.
The balloon ride hit the 100,000 mark in August, a little more than two years after it first took flight above the former El Toro airbase. The milestone comes as park leaders prepare for a more than $500,000 plan to replace the balloon, which has begun to fade and show its age.
The tethered helium balloon ride began as a $1.9 million gift from Lennar Corp., owner of the land surrounding the Great Park. The balloon consists of a gondola suspended below a 72-foot, 210,000 cubic foot balloon, filled with 5,500 cubic meters of helium. The gondola carries up to 30 people at a time, taking them 400 feet up.

Readers said:
MARC960 WROTE
Having the perfect color balloon is worth $500,000? With that half million you could put two people to work for 5 years at a decent wage. How about charging a $1 a ride from now on? That amount isn’t going to scare folks away. I just know deep inside the taxpayers of Orange County are ending up with the tab for this and all of the Great Pork.

JMAHONEY WROTE
Driving by this the other day we noticed that the balloon color is fading from being constantly in the sun all these months. My wife asked a good question: Does this constant exposure degrade the material of the balloon in any way? I’m sure that’s been considered (I hope), but does anyone know the answer?

ERIK1 23 WROTE
Money pit!

OCEANWANDERLUST WROTE
So far, the balloon ride has cost the city and Lennar $19 per person’s free ride? (not counting facilities and employees.) My wife and I took one of the quick flights when it first opened and I think the city could have spent our $38 much better elsewhere.

CHELSEAFC WROTE
Ha. Irvine taxpayers have to pay out $500,000 every six months to keep it Orange! It just keeps getting better!

BIGGIE WROTE
Makes you wonder about the integrity of the balloon also.

MADDIEGIRL WROTE
What a waste of money! And you all were outraged about the police protesting cuts to the department.

CARMADOGMA WROTE
Would have been much nicer to hear the first 100,000th passenger arriving at El Toro International Airport with wads of cash to dole out at Disney, Knotts and our beach communities.

VERNONDELIGHTS WROTE
Imagine how the view from the balloon will look once Irvine has to build the 35,000 "affordable" housing units as mandated per SCAG. What a great view that will be of the projects.


Orange County Register Letters
September 25, 2009

Great Park disaster

It's ironic to read the Register's lead story, "The cost of secrecy" [Sept. 23]and O.C. Supervisor Pat Bates' column "Get ready for the next disaster" in the same issue.
Although Bates' piece deals with natural disasters, the Great Park will probably be the county's next fiscal disaster.
I can't imagine denying members of a corporate board of directors the opportunity of seeing resumes of potential CEOs of that corporation. This is probably the tip of a Great Park governance iceberg.
Ivan Marks
Huntington Beach

Newport Beach ranked 8th in the nation in property values

This story in The Orange County Register shatters the old myth that having an airport nearby will somehow "lower" property values. But don't tell that to the Agranistas and their brainwashed following of anti-El Toro NIMBYs. They spent better than a decade convincing terrified voters that KEEPING El Toro International Airport open for business would harm their property values.

They also engaged in class warfare against Newport Beach by vilifying us as evil rich people who wanted to raise our property values by "closing John Wayne" and shifting our noise problem 7 miles down the road. Never mind that El Toro made plenty of noise when the Marines were there and that civilian jets are significantly quieter.


Since El Toro has been sitting idle for a while and John Wayne has increased its flight operations after the last El Toro vote, our property values are nearly TWICE as high as Irvine, which has "quiet jet free skies". They are only ranked 35th in the country, while Mission Viejo finished a distant 55th.

Now that has to really burn up some of the RINOs and NIMBYs down there who loathe Newport Beach so much. They were really hoping that by not allowing El Toro to remain open for business, that would put the heat on John Wayne to grow. It has indeed grown and we still have higher property values. Who got the last laugh?

Ladies and Gentlemen, class envy will get you nowhere in life. If you really want to get ahead and prosper, then support a business friendly climate that creates jobs and support projects that stimulate the economy such as El Toro International Airport.

The Agranistas and their imaginary Great Pork has been way over budget and severely delayed. It is rife with corruption and infighting. They do not care at all about the economic health of their own citizens, they only care about El Toro being their own personal gravy train. Remember folks, The Great Pork only benefits a select few whereas El Toro International Airport would benefit the entire county, not to mention all the world's travelers.

Bus service to LAX from El Toro!

You read that right. This is the same City of Irvine that was adamant that Orange County would NOT have enough passengers to justify an international airport at El Toro. So please tell us how there will miraculously be enough passengers to make this bus service pencil out. Sorry Irvine cannot have it both ways.

The existence of bus service to LAX clearly indicates there is a big need currently NOT being met for airport passengers within Orange County. With no sense of irony, the bus station will be right next to the idle El Toro International Airport, which could easily fill that very void.

Only a socialist myopic city like Irvine could allow a $10 billion dollars federal taxpayer asset to sit idle and subsidize bus service to send passengers elsewhere. You see folks, that is the kind of thing that happens when Democrats have majorities.

Besides, didn't Irvine claim that keeping El Toro International Airport open would cause traffic? Didn't Irvine also claim that lots of fuel trucks would clog the freeways. Now Irvine wants to clog the freeways with lots of buses going to LAX.

All of this only makes sense when one remembers that Irvine does not care about the inconvenience they cause to businesses, airport passengers, and taxpayers. All the Agranistas care about is turning El Toro into their own personal gravy train. That is why keeping El Toro International Airport open was considered "infeasible" and they spread fear, hate, lies, and class warfare to achieve their land grab objective.

For the Orange County passengers who must rely on the distant LAX to catch an international flight, they are penalized in both time and money. It is an additional 50 miles northwest of El Toro to reach LAX or a 2 hour trip. Then there is the cost of either 3.50 a gallon gas or a $20-25 bus fare to be herded around like cattle.

Irvine should not pat themselves on the back and act like they are doing the public a big favor by providing bus service to LAX. Remember, it was their corruption that made it so that Orange County no longer has international air service in the first place.

Since Irvine is now on the hook for 35,000 low income housing units as mandated by SCAG, we may as well start finding them some new low income residents for all these units. I and some buddies should go find some bums on the streets of L.A. and distribute one way bus tickets (from LAX to Irvine) to them, along with their very own bottle of Night Train for the ride.

I bet the passengers (mostly NIMBYs who weren't wise enough to vote for El Toro in the first place) coming home from a long flight from LAX will just love having smelly vagrants sharing the bus with them.

Since I have a business, I could probably get a quantity discount on bus tickets, not to mention a tax write off for doing "charity work" for the homeless. Nobody can ever say that Vernon Delights is not a generous philanthropist.

09/11

I see this giant American flag everyday from my home in Newport Beach. I love living in a patriotic pro American city. Today is 09/11 and this is a day of solemn reflection for America and a time to honor those who perished on that dark day and a time to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

Unfortunately, there are some evil anti El Toro International Airport NIMBYs out there who think 09/11 is the greatest thing to have ever happened. After that tragedy, they rejoiced that the public would be scared of airports. 09/11 (temporarily) turned the momentum against an airport in their favor.

At the time, people were so terrified of airports and jets that they would have even voted to turn El Toro into a giant landfill, homeless shelter, or prison. 09/11 also put the airline industry into a slump as people were afraid to fly. At the time a NIMBY could state there was a lack of demand. However, that was a half truth. They failed to mention that someday the airline industry would rebound and Orange County would indeed need additional capacity. NIMBYs are not exactly forward thinkers and have no forward vision. They only parrot the talking points of the Agranista Machine.

It was not a fair fight for an airport to have a vote not even 6 months after 09/11. If the vote were held today, the airport would win hands down as people would see they have been scammed.

The Great Pork is simply an imaginary boondoggle to have in place of the airport. In 2009, the park is all of 27 acres and has blown through over $100 million. Then it is getting hit left and right with both internal and external lawsuits. The latest plaintiff is Forrest Lawn Mortuary. Wouldn't it be fitting if they were the ones to put the the final nail in the coffin of The Great Pork.