To: LA County Dept. of Public Works: Regarding the KWHP CAC January CAC meeting billed as the FINAL CAC Meeting, but because of length was planned to be continued on February 23, 2023
The subject of the meeting was a County Airport. It was produced by the County for County purposes.
Nevertheless, the County has seemingly acquiesced much of its sovereignty to the LA City Council which has demonstrated via rhetoric it desires to protect the very individuals that they have by their zoning rules have endangered, via allowing real estate development up to the very edges of the airport.
This could not have been more clearly the case as was witnessed during the January CAC meeting when a possibly biased City Councilwoman Monica Rodriquez, who openly demands that her district voices be heard, but in clear defiance to those voices and the approximate four to one pro-airport sentiment (per petition representation), one should have an open mind and she should act against the County airport, was allowed to be the opening narrative as a keynote speaker, openly stating alleged false statements of fact regarding the airport’s lack of immediate benefit to the community.
I am offering the suggestion that in retrospect, her appearance as an opening salvo was inappropriate, and I am further representing that like public news outlets afford equal time for opposing views, the same procedure might have been appropriate for LACPW to have explored. Failing that, the anti-airport argument was unfairly advantaged, and the County was seen as far too subservient to the LA City Council.
It might be noted that if the LA City Council was all that motivated to provide affordable housing and associated green spaces as some have suggested as appropriate to replace KWHP, then the LA City Council probably should not have voted just recently ten to one to allow a real estate developer to build what will be an expensive hotel for patrons on currently uninhabited city land, as opposed to affordable housing and green spaces.
In Whiteman Airport’s case, the LA City Council’s decision for closing the airport in favor of the allegedly false narrative of possibly enhancing the values of the surrounding land via development and the need for green spaces is easier, as it is County land they are attacking and not that of their own.
I am suggesting that an appropriate pro-airport advocate be given an equal opportunity keynote speaker position at the February CAC meeting.
With sincere respect,
Ron
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Ron Berinstein CFII