Walt Meares
Politicians and poll takers lament the low voter turnout in American
elections. The reason for voter apathy is the "politician's perfect
campaign issue." What is a "perfect campaign issue?" It has these
irresistible attributes for the campaigning candidate. It is:
1) A very high profile issue for which an editor will always make
space in print or in a broadcast.
2) A contentious topic that generates a lot of pro and con argument by
people who understand neither the legislative process nor the science
involved.
3) Advanced by people with near evangelical fervor on the subject.
4) Finally, an issue over which the office sought by the candidate has
little (an OK campaign situation) or no (the best campaign situation)
power to influence or solve.
We have one, and probably two or three, such issues on the table in
the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport imbroglio. By accident or design
our negotiators left the "look to the east and strike in the west"
misdirection strategy in the Framework Agreement. It's called the ban on
easterly takeoffs, and the people in Studio City, Sherman Oaks and North
Hollywood hate and oppose this part of the Framework Agreement.
With congressional, mayoral and council elections in Los Angeles in
the next year and a half, there are plenty of candidates hungry for
issues they can be tough on. And have they latched onto this one! It
seems every candidate for office in Los Angeles decries the ban on
easterly takeoffs and threatens legal or legislative action, complains to
the Federal Aviation Administration and otherwise makes belligerent
commentary to Burbank's City Council and the Airport Authority.
James Hahn, the Los Angeles City Attorney and aspiring Los Angeles
mayoral candidate, leads the pack by threatening a lawsuit to require yet
another Environmental Impact Report on the new terminal.
The thing all these candidates have in common is the ability to shout
loudly to their constituents about Burbank and the airport. They promise
to clean up the mess. But they also have this common ground: When all
their efforts fail, they can point to the FAA, Burbank, or "the system"
as the cause of it all, because they aren't in direct control of any part
of it.
The final authority on takeoff direction for safety purposes will be
the pilot under flight rules established by the FAA, including avoidance
of air traffic routes of flights into other area airports. This provision
of the Framework Agreement will probably be overturned by the FAA or the
