International Flights? Try LAX

* My family lives in Mission Viejo. My parents and siblings live in Laguna Niguel. Each of us moved here because of the quality of life.

Clean air, clean streets, clean beaches, excellent schools and a low crime rate were among the things that drew us to these areas.

Now we find these things we treasure threatened by the proposed conversion of El Toro to an international airport. We do not need an international airport in this area. If I want to fly internationally, I and most people I know are content to drive the extra miles to Los Angeles.

I do not want to live in Los Angeles; I do not want to live next to an airport or under a flight path. Putting an airport at El Toro would be like forcibly moving me and my family to the vicinity of the Los Angeles airport with all the crime, noise, pollution and congestion that an international airport would bring with it.

The John Wayne Airport was built at tremendous cost and is an attractive airport that is adequate for the county’s needs. I am in favor of the Millennium Plan, and I urge everyone to support it before our quality of life in South County falls by the wayside. Please do not let the almighty dollar cloud the skies and dirty the air for our children living below the flight path.

CLAUDIA KIHANO PARKER

Mission Viejo

* I and everyone I know oppose conversion of El Toro to an international airport.

I moved to Orange County for a suburban lifestyle. An international airport overhead is fundamentally inconsistent with this.

My family and I should not be subjected to noise, pollution and crime that will inevitably follow such development. It is unfair for use of the base to be converted to an international airport, just because northern Orange County voters do not care to drive to LAX. This is an undertaking of monumental proportions. It should not be allowed to continue.

RHONDA STOUT

Mission Viejo

* With demand doubling by 2020, we need El Toro with its 4,700 acres, its 10,000-foot runways and its 1,800-acre noise buffer zone to meet our flying needs.

God couldn’t have designed a better airport, so let’s get going!

BOB WOLFF

Newport Beach

* We are finally beginning to hear some common sense about the unlevel, infeasible current runways at El Toro.

A modern, 21st century commercial airport would require hundreds of millions of dollars to tear them out, put two widely separated parallel runways in a totally different configuration and then abandon the huge investment at John Wayne.

Of course, this is what private jet owners have had in mind all along. They will inherit a beautiful facility for their private use.

Orange County, however, will probably never be a functioning unit. A very angry South County may never again support needed bond issues that the north and central areas need in the coming years.

Perhaps this coming election is a good time to stop this whole charade and support the Millennium Plan.

J.F. FORD

Irvine