Submitted by rburkowski on April 29, 2011.
This idiot Rosendahl says an airport makes no sense in that urban environent. The moron must not know it's been there for over 70 years. It's the developers who have for years been pushing houses up against the airport property as close as possible to squeeze every penny out of the surrounding dirt... and then make the claim "it's a dangerous place to live!"
This is being caused by a bunch of developers who have city councilors in their back pockets. They'd love to close the airport so they can build condos and a strip mall complete with Starbucks and Jamba Juice.
They are using a very small but wound up group of NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) who moved into the neighborhood decades after the airport's inception. (This was afterall, an historic field when DC3s were built and many famous, pioneer aviators have flown out of SMO.)
They're trying to use lies and scare tactics to make the public uneasy. They say there is noise and pollution yet they live in metro Los Angeles, one of the noisiest and most polluted places one could ever live!
Further, the pollution and noise from 2 major highways that are often gridlocked with thousands of cars is right at their door step (10 & 405 freeways).
They label flight training for dangerous maneuvering over the city. This is silly considering SMO is surrounded by LAX class B so training goes on many miles away from the city.
They wanted jets who were sitting idle to be able to get off the ground faster for less noise and pollution. The FAA offered a solution - they altered a departure that allowed faster releases because it took them farther away from LAX departures. Now they complain about THAT departure path!
They tried to use a tragic crash last year as an example of how flight schools are dangerous.
The pilot was not a student but commercial rated and he crashed into a golf course killing only himself and causing minimal property damage to a few trees.
They worry about an overrun of a jet yet no such thing has ever happened.
As you can see they are trying to spin whatever web they can to get that airport turned into a developer's dream. It sits on a hill overlooking the ocean a few miles west, so you can imagine how these guys are frothing over how much money they could make!
Many of these homeowners would really come to appreciate that airport when the next large earthquake hits and it becomes an essential landing zone for disaster relief and rescue aircraft.
My guess is many of these wealthy developers and councilors have been on someone's private jet before to go enjoy a vacation or meeting. It's not about the planes it's about the land.
The best thing anyone can do for SMO is to find out who these public officials are trying to help and expose the fraud. Then maybe they can be voted out of office or perhaps even be brought up on charges if there is something criminal going on behind closed doors.
Follow the money trail...
Ok, I've preached my piece to the choir!