SCAUWG.ORG EDITORIAL: Response to CityWatch 11/24/2025 – “This Is Bullshit”: Monica Rodriguez Says Bass Botched Wildfire Recovery and Endangered Residents” written by Mihran Kalaydjian.\
Council member Monica Rodriquez, allegedly a founding member of the “Close the Whiteman Airport” proponents is quick to criticize others. This is not a new phenomenon. On voting night when the Whiteman “CAC” panel marked the conclusion of their over one-year effort to re-imagine the Whiteman airport, Monica Rodriquez began the meeting and spoke without an opposing speaker. As she appointed many on the panel herself, her speech seemed unnecessary. The self-confessed anti-airport politician admitted that night that though she recognized it might be an unpopular decision, that she knew best, and urged the panel to vote for airport-closure.
Now, she is a vocal opponent of Mayor Bass. She alleges that the wildfire recovery effort was botched and residents were kept in harm’s way. SCAUWG.ORG is not going to comment on allegations that experts will judge, but SCAUWG.ORG alleges that there might be more than a little hypocrisy afloat. Whiteman airport played an important role in fighting those fires. Whiteman’s control tower issued departure clearances that enabled helicopters to depart quickly. Without the airport, there would be no tower, and beyond that, the lower altitude airspace around the airport, wherein the helicopters fly, depending upon possible terminal flight restrictions might not be controlled, allowing for increased General Aviation Traffic, an additional challenge that the firefighters would face.
The community newspaper, the San Fernando Sun described it well: Whiteman Airport Played Vital Role in Combating the Hurst Fire in Sylmar. Cal Fire depended upon Whiteman, not only for the Hurst Fire, but for the others that needed attention. “It served as an ideal location due to its close proximity to the fire. The Van Nuys and Burbank airports were already filled up with other assets that were being deployed to the Palisades Fire.” “The helicopters utilized Whiteman Airport, where Cal Fire also brought in helitenders – large trucks that carry fuel and water so the helicopters could quickly refuel and get back in the air to drop more water onto the Hurst Fire.” Whiteman field assets also make it possible for staging to assist the adjacent Barton Heliport. Furthermore, CAP Squadron Commander James Miller stated “…a charter jet originally bound for Van Nuys Airport had to be diverted because of ongoing firefighter operations. The charter plane was able to land at Whiteman Airport.” – “Without Whiteman, I don’t know where they would’ve landed,” Miller further said. “Whiteman serves as a reliever for other airports [including Burbank and Van Nuys].”
Monica Rodriquez and others are quick to allegedly state information disputed by some County ordered studies. Published recently by another source was a predicted huge County revenues should the airport be populated by a film production house and other businesses. 2400 jobs were predicted: all at Whiteman airport. The article didn’t mention where 2400 cars would park, where the water trucks would park to assist Barton Heliport, where the press helicopters would have to move to, and how not only the immediate Pacoima community, but also all of the LA basin within flying range could be protected during emergencies, or where that aforementioned jet would land, and where the CAP and their lifesaving efforts would locate. Profit over people was that study’s focus.
Just how does anyone justify complaining about how residents were endangered, businesses were lost, and homes destroyed because of someone else’s mismanagement, when at the same time demanding the airport close, and life-saving services be shut down for the purposes of revenue? I leave it to the reader to decide if THAT is not mismanagement. Also, you might consider clicking on this link thirddistrict@bos.lacounty.gov to email County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, and state clearly: “We Will Not Forget – We should not be considered gullible,: and that MANY airport advocates, like Peter Finch in the movie Network (1976) in a powerful speech encouraging people to get mad, open their windows, and yell “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.”