|
| |
News
5th District Council Challengers Support Charter Amendment Letting Voters Stop Any Attempted City Hall Increase In Allowable LB Airport Flights, But Incumbent Kell Says Measure Not Needed
We provide transcript excerpts from ELB Lakewood Village Neighborhood Ass'n forum
(March 8, 2002) -- Two days after Orange County voters opted to park at El Toro and remove an incumbent Supervisor who favored an airport, candidates for ELB's 5th district Council seat say they'd support a LB City Charter change to let LB voters stop any future Council attempted increase in LB Airport flights, a measure incumbent Councilwoman Jackie Kell says is not needed.
Responding to a question posed by LBReport.com at the March 7, 2002 candidate forum held by the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Ass'n, Council candidates John Donaldson and Ananya Mullane both said they favor a Charter change giving the public the right to approve any future increase in allowable flights at the publicly owned Airport.
Mr. Donaldson said, "I'm scared to death of this City Council. On any given Tuesday night, they can make decisions that will impact our children's children and we need to limit some of that decisionmaking," adding "We need to protect ourselves, and...we have to strengthen the neighborhoods, which are the backbone of this community, and we have to take major decisions that can affect the future of this city out of the spontaneous hands of city government..."
Ms. Mullane said, "I think what's important is that the people have a say. I think that it's unfortunate that [on] a lot of important issues, the people haven't had a say. I think that's what's wrong right now with the City Council..."
However, 5th district Councilwoman Jackie Kell indicated she believes the 3d, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th district Councilmembers will not vote to allow increased flights now or in the future:
"This Council, and let me tell you, there are five members, the airport impacts the 3d district, the 4th district, the 5th district, the 7th district and the 8th district. That's five votes. This Council is not for increasing the flights whatsoever...There's five members on that Council and I'm right in the middle of it and we are not going to vote for any increased flights whatsoever."
Councilwoman Kell said LB should make clear to LB's (likely) new Congressional representative Juanita Millender-McDonald (D., Carson-LB) [new district covers 80% of LB, including part of ELB], a member of a key House Aviation subcommittee, that "we don't want the federal government or the FAA increasing flights in our area."
Absent a Charter Amendment giving voters the right to say no, a vote by five (of nine) Councilmembers could increase allowable airport flights, although no incumbent Councilmember has publicly supported this and several have said they oppose it.
LBReport.com provides lengthier transcript excerpts below.
|
|
Question from LBReport.com publisher Bill Pearl
On Tuesday [March 5], Orange County voted to turn El Toro into a park and threw out an incumbent Supervisor who favored a pollution creating, health risking, safety worsening, freeway clogging, home value degrading airport. [audience laughter]
I believe all of you have said you support the current limit on Long Beach flights, but that could be overruled by eight other Councilmembers, including Councilmembers in the future, who don't represent us.
To put teeth in the policy you've said you favor, will you agendize sending to the Charter Amendment Committee the following:
Placement on the ballot of a measure requiring a vote of the people to approve any increased flights beyond the current allowable level or any major change to the Airport's EIR?
John Donaldson
Absolutely, Bill. You know that it's one of the things that I stand for, and that I'm scared to death of this Council. On any given Tuesday night, they can make decisions that will impact our children's children, and that we need to limit some of that decisionmaking. Some decisions are just far too important for this Council to make on a whim, particularly with the biased advise they get from our city management...
Our city management is totally caught up in tax and revenue generation. Hotel bed tax is what they're all about. That's what tourism is all about. They're not about the community. In fact, they make more money, the poorer this city gets, the more money flows into city management.
We need to protect ourselves, and again we have to strengthen the neighborhoods which are the backbone of this community. And we have to take major decisions that can affect the future of this city out of the spontaneous hands of city government.
Yes to a charter amendment. I want what most of you have had. I want my children to want to live in the house that they were raised in. They won't do it if that airport expands.
Councilwoman Jackie Kell
Well, let me put it this way. The FAA, the Federal Aviation Administration, has the most to say about what happens at that airport because they built it, the federal government built it and that's why they have more say about it...
...[W]hen Mr. Pearl talked about El Toro, the citizens don't want an airport there, that puts more pressure on all the other airports in the region. Probably more flights will go to Ontario airport.
However, this Council, and let me tell you, there are five members, the airport impacts the 3d district, the 4th district, the 5th district, the 7th district and the 8th district. That's five votes. This Council is not for increasing the flights whatsoever.
Now we don't know what Congress is going to do. We don't know what our...[likely new] Congresswoman Juanita McDonald [D., Carson-WLB; new redistricting includes roughly 80% of LB] is going to do. She sits on the federal [House] Aviation Transportation [Committee]. We absolutely have to work with her and make her understand that we don't want the federal government or the FAA increasing flights in our area.
But there's five members on that Council, and I'm right in the middle of it, and we are not going to vote for any increased flights whatsoever.
Ananya Mullane
To answer your question, yes. I think that what's important is that the people have a say. I think that it's unfortunate that [in] a lot of important issues, the people haven't had a say. I think that's what's wrong right now with the City Council.
I think too many times, the individuals, the neighborhoods, have not had a say. So I agree with you. I don't think that we should by any means increase the flights there. We should try to do our best that we can in order to maintain it...
Return To Front Page
Copyright © 2002 LBReport.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
Third parties may cite portions as fair use if attributed to "LBReport.com" (print media) or "Long Beach Report dot com" (electronic media).
