Karen S. Kim
BURBANK -- The two opposing sides of Measure A will face off in a
public forum Saturday, just two days before ballots are expected to be
mailed to Burbank voters.
And both sides are diligently preparing for battle.
"I don't know what to expect, but I just can't see any of the
arguments against Measure A that I've heard that hold water," said Howard
Rothenbach, coauthor of the measure. "I think we'll be able to defend our
position when they attack us."
Opponents of the measure have not determined who will represent their
side in the forum, though they are meeting this week to finalize
strategy, review questions and study the initiative.
"We just want to show the voters how flawed the language of the
initiative is," said Lew Stone, president of the Burbank firefighters'
union and possibly one of the forum participants.
"They've made 12 conditions that are so ambiguous and so open to
interpretation. We just want to show that the interpretation is going to
take a whole lot of lawyers, a lot of money and a lot of time."
Measure A requires that the city implement certain airport
restrictions, including a mandatory curfew, cap on flights and passengers
and an agreement from the Airport Authority that limits expansion. The
measure will appear on Burbank's first by-mail election ballot on Oct. 9.
Rothenbach and former Councilman Ted McConkey will defend Measure A,
also known as the Restore Our Airport Rights initiative, at the forum.
The two are busy this week, studying the history of the city's
negotiations with the airport, reading ballot arguments and anticipating
possible forum questions.
The forum will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the Fire Training Center,
1845 N. Ontario St. Each side will make a 10-minute opening statement, a
seven-minute response and a five-minute rebuttal. Both sides then will
answer questions from members of the audience before closing with a
two-minute statement each.
