Midnight Mike
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2002
- Posts
- 413
Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - With the earmarks of a political campaign, but without an election yet the recently formed Long Beach Alliance paraded its core group of supporters Wednesday to kick off a push for Long Beach Airport improvements.
The lunchtime gathering of about 50 people included at least four former Long Beach City Council members, executives with airport-area businesses and assorted civic and community leaders.
Blue-and-white political signs emblazoned with the slogan, "Improve Long Beach Airport!' were unveiled to counter the bright orange placards that for months have dominated City Hall meetings and city neighborhoods under the flight path stating "Say NO to Airport Expansion.'
The Long Beach Alliance was formed earlier this month but has kept its membership and support list anonymous, instead wanting a public relations blitz to launch what it calls an educational campaign about why airport improvements are needed and to show broad-based support.
Their goal, they said, is to pepper the city with facts, and not overblown "rhetoric, disinformation and scare tactics' about the controversial issue of airport improvements. The alliance also has started a Web site: www.longbeachalliance.org .
The City Council in February approved an environmental impact review of a plan that would expand the airport to 102,980 square feet from its its current 58,320 square feet. A larger 133,324-square-foot proposal, favored by the city and an advisory board, was rejected and is not being studied by the EIR.
The alliance argues that the entire community should have a voice over what airport upgrades should be done and not, as it contends, by a small neighborhood group.
"The only super-sizing going on is their deception,' alliance leader Mike Donelon, a former councilman, said about members of the neighborhood activist group, LBHUSH2, and City Councilmember Rae Gabelich, who have been outspoken that airport improvements could lead to the facility being "super- sized' and would open the door for additional noisy daily flights.
But in a core message that the alliance said will be a linchpin for their campaign, the alliance said it is against expansion of commercial flights and that any improvements are designed to make the terminal safer, more comfortable and convenient.
"I'm against expanding flights at the airport,' said former council member Del Roosevelt.
Doug Carpenter, president of Paragon Steel, said a childhood listening to plane noise in Orange County at first made him wary about airport improvements in his new home in Long Beach.
But after learning more about the improvement proposal, Carpenter changed his mind and said opponents are "distorting' the issue.
"It's not just about aesthetics,' he said. "It's about protecting jobs. It's all about improving the airport and putting its best foot forward.'
After a formal announcement, alliance leaders were peppered with questions about funding and who donated money to set up the Web site and pay for Washington, D.C., public relations firms.
Some opponents have said the alliance is the brainchild of JetBlue Airways, the airport's largest tenant. It's an assertion alliance leaders said is off-base.
Of course JetBlue is involved, said one alliance member, Curt Castagna with Aeroplex Aviation. But Castagna and others, including JetBlue representative Kristy Ardizzone, who was at the meeting, said financial and time support is being given by all alliance members.
Financing could be a key issue if the group decides to pursue a citywide initiative to let voters decide the airport improvements issue.
The city limits contributions to candidates, not to initiatives, Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood said. Any campaign contributions, including those of $1,000 or more, would be reported on schedules determined by the state.
Long Beach is researching whether it could require more frequent reporting for larger contributions, Mahood said.
The alliance also has started a Web site: www.longbeachalliance.org.
The lunchtime gathering of about 50 people included at least four former Long Beach City Council members, executives with airport-area businesses and assorted civic and community leaders.
Blue-and-white political signs emblazoned with the slogan, "Improve Long Beach Airport!' were unveiled to counter the bright orange placards that for months have dominated City Hall meetings and city neighborhoods under the flight path stating "Say NO to Airport Expansion.'
The Long Beach Alliance was formed earlier this month but has kept its membership and support list anonymous, instead wanting a public relations blitz to launch what it calls an educational campaign about why airport improvements are needed and to show broad-based support.
Their goal, they said, is to pepper the city with facts, and not overblown "rhetoric, disinformation and scare tactics' about the controversial issue of airport improvements. The alliance also has started a Web site: www.longbeachalliance.org .
The City Council in February approved an environmental impact review of a plan that would expand the airport to 102,980 square feet from its its current 58,320 square feet. A larger 133,324-square-foot proposal, favored by the city and an advisory board, was rejected and is not being studied by the EIR.
The alliance argues that the entire community should have a voice over what airport upgrades should be done and not, as it contends, by a small neighborhood group.
"The only super-sizing going on is their deception,' alliance leader Mike Donelon, a former councilman, said about members of the neighborhood activist group, LBHUSH2, and City Councilmember Rae Gabelich, who have been outspoken that airport improvements could lead to the facility being "super- sized' and would open the door for additional noisy daily flights.
But in a core message that the alliance said will be a linchpin for their campaign, the alliance said it is against expansion of commercial flights and that any improvements are designed to make the terminal safer, more comfortable and convenient.
"I'm against expanding flights at the airport,' said former council member Del Roosevelt.
Doug Carpenter, president of Paragon Steel, said a childhood listening to plane noise in Orange County at first made him wary about airport improvements in his new home in Long Beach.
But after learning more about the improvement proposal, Carpenter changed his mind and said opponents are "distorting' the issue.
"It's not just about aesthetics,' he said. "It's about protecting jobs. It's all about improving the airport and putting its best foot forward.'
After a formal announcement, alliance leaders were peppered with questions about funding and who donated money to set up the Web site and pay for Washington, D.C., public relations firms.
Some opponents have said the alliance is the brainchild of JetBlue Airways, the airport's largest tenant. It's an assertion alliance leaders said is off-base.
Of course JetBlue is involved, said one alliance member, Curt Castagna with Aeroplex Aviation. But Castagna and others, including JetBlue representative Kristy Ardizzone, who was at the meeting, said financial and time support is being given by all alliance members.
Financing could be a key issue if the group decides to pursue a citywide initiative to let voters decide the airport improvements issue.
The city limits contributions to candidates, not to initiatives, Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood said. Any campaign contributions, including those of $1,000 or more, would be reported on schedules determined by the state.
Long Beach is researching whether it could require more frequent reporting for larger contributions, Mahood said.
The alliance also has started a Web site: www.longbeachalliance.org.
