2 powerful democrats on different sides of lax runway issue · 2 powerful democrats on different...
TRANSCRIPT
4/2/13 2 powerful Democrats on different sides of LAX runway issue - latimes.com
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dems-clash-lax-20130326,0,4575992.story 1/4
Comments 43 Email Share TweetTweet 13 0
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, a foe of the plan to shift the airport's northernmost runway 260feet, has gone public with her unhappiness with Rep. Henry Waxman, who supports therelocation.
By David Zahniser and Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times
March 25, 2013 , 8:47 p.m.
Membership Serv ices Jobs Cars Real Estate Subscribe Rentals Weekly Circulars Custom Publishing Place Ad
LOCAL
LOCAL U.S. WORLD BUSINESS SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT HEALTH LIVING TRAVEL OPINION SHOP
TRENDING NOW STOCKTON ANDY ENFIELD L.A. MAYOR'S RACE TEXAS D.A. SLAYING HEIDI KLUM DODGERSSearch
2 powerful Democrats on different sides of LAXrunway issue
97
Yes No
23% (241 votes) 77% (809 votes)
Should LAX move its runway?
Share your opinion TweetTweet
Yourtake?
See more »Like 84
In a sign of the high stakes and hardening political positions
surrounding a major runway project at LAX, two of the
state's most powerful Democrats have come down sharply at
odds on the issue.
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, a foe of the plan to shift Los
Angeles International Airport's northernmost runway 260
feet closer to Westchester and Playa del Rey, has gone public
Recommended on Facebook
Connect
Like 439k
2 powerful Democrats on different sides
of LAX runway issue
76 people recommend this.
Ellen DeGeneres' 'Nemo' sequel, 'Finding
Dory,' set for 2015
1,267 people recommend this.
Immigration reform -- a conservative
a d ve rt i se m e n t
$10 for $20 toward food &drinks at Great India Cafe
Opinion: The newreality at the border
Shaq's Lakers jerseynumber to be retired
Tesla Motors to post itsfirst profit
L.A. NOW POLITICS CRIME EDUCATION O.C. WESTSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS ENVIRONMENT OBITUARIES DATA & MAPS
Obama tries to push stalled
immigration talks forward
A pla n e la n ds a t Los A n g eles In ter n a t ion a l A ir por t . City officia ls a r e seekin g a n a ddit ion a l 2 6 0-foot
sepa r a t ion betw een th e tw o n or th er n r u n w a y s to a llow for con str u ct ion of a ta x iw a y . Ba cker s sa y th e
pr oject w ill m a ke it ea sier to m a n a g e th e la r g est com m er cia l jets. Neig h bor s n or th of LA X sa y th e
pr oject w ill in cr ea se n oise, a ir pollu t ion a n d tr a ffic con g est ion . (Br ia n v a n der Br u g , Los A n g eles Tim es /
Ju ly 2 5 , 2 01 2 )
Like 84
Bart_Reed Like 439k
4/2/13 2 powerful Democrats on different sides of LAX runway issue - latimes.com
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dems-clash-lax-20130326,0,4575992.story 2/4
Comments 43 Email Share TweetTweet 13 0
with her unhappiness with Rep. Henry Waxman, a colleague
who supports the runway relocation.
Speaking over the weekend to the Westchester Democratic
Club, Waters depicted Waxman as someone who had joined
"an unholy alliance" composed of organized labor and the
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, which view the
runway plan as critical to job creation and keeping the
airport competitive.
Waters said Waxman initially told her he hadn't made up his
mind on the runway, only to sign on to the plan the next day
and seek support from his colleagues. She said she later
confronted Waxman in an elevator and "was not nice about
it," telling him she felt misled and was disturbed that he was
involved in an issue that directly affects her district, which
includes LAX, Westchester and part of Playa del Rey.
"I said ... 'I don't like that and I don't have any respect for
you for having done it,' " Waters told the audience. "Anybody
here who wants to tell him I said that, please tell him."
Waxman said he hasn't actively sought support for the
runway project, which city officials say is needed to improve
airport safety and make LAX more efficient. Waxman said
that LAX affects the entire region — and that he was swayed
by organized labor, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Westside lawmaker confirmed he had spoken twice with
Waters but said he felt no obligation to inform her of his final
decision.
"I don't think I needed to get her permission to take a
position on an issue," said Waxman, whose district includes cities near the airport, including El
Segundo, Manhattan Beach and parts of the Westside.
The Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote later this year on the runway plan, which is part of a
larger $4.76-billion LAX modernization effort. All but one of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's airport
commissioners back the plan. Opponents include Councilman Bill Rosendahl, a Villaraigosa ally who
represents Westchester and LAX.
The split between Waters and Waxman comes as a Westchester-based community group has
formally accused airport officials of violating a 2006 court settlement on airport expansion.
The Alliance for a Regional Solution to Airport Congestion contends that LAX officials have not
done enough to spread the growth of air traffic to other airports in the region, as the settlement
requires. It also asserts that the city has not properly addressed the concerns of airport neighbors or
adequately consulted a special advisory committee for modernization projects.
Airport officials counter that they made good-faith efforts to comply with the agreement.
City officials are seeking an additional 260-foot separation between the two northern runways to
allow for construction of a taxiway. Backers say the project will make it easier to manage the largest
commercial jets, such as the 500- to 800-passenger Airbus A380, which requires special handling
when it arrives at LAX. A series of safety studies have supported the runway relocation, officials say.
But neighbors north of LAX say the project will increase noise, air pollution and traffic congestion,
further degrading their quality of life. They cite a recent NASA-Ames study funded by the city's
airport department, which concluded that the northern runway complex is safe and little would be
gained from the proposed $750-million project.
The county Board of Supervisors ordered a study last month to determine how well the airport
agency is following the 2006 agreement and the requirement to work on dispersing air traffic.
In her weekend speech, Waters said politicians have given in to the labor-chamber alliance on the
runway project because unions and business groups are "the places they go" for campaign
contributions. She urged the audience to find activists in Waxman's district who will fight the runway
plan.
Waxman said he had no intention of getting in a political fight with Waters, adding that the runway
debate is "not about us."
Copy r ig h t © 2 01 3 , Los A n g eles Tim es
97
Most Viewed Latest News
Video
Police dog tested forbrain damage
Ads by Google
San Bernardino airport dev eloper
indicted on corruption charges
In S.F., an uphill battle for a
'freeway for bikes'
Ads by Google
LAX Airport Parking-$4.49
LAX Parking 2 minutes fromterminal 24/7, Secure, Covered,Free shuttle
LAXParkPlace.com
Fly Virgin America
Earn 5 Frequent Flyer Points per$. Great Deals Everyday. Book aFlight
www.virginamerica.com/FlightsPhotos of the Day More »
San Diego man dies after wisdom teeth surgery,family says 04/02/2013, 9:20 a.m.
Investigators 'working feverishly' as Texasreadies for memorial 04/02/2013, 9:16 a.m.
Suspected tagger found dead, hanging 9 stories upon office tower 04/02/2013, 9:14 a.m.
Vigil held for L.A. teen who was among 5 killednear Las Vegas 04/02/2013, 9:07 a.m.
BofA pays $165 million to settle mortgage claimsby credit unions 04/02/2013, 8:58 a.m.
Like 84
4/2/13 2 powerful Democrats on different sides of LAX runway issue - latimes.com
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dems-clash-lax-20130326,0,4575992.story 3/4
FROM AROUND THE WEB
Comments are filtered for language and registration is required. The Times makes no
guarantee of comments' factual accuracy. Readers may report inappropriate comments by
clicking the Report Abuse link next to a comment. Here are the full legal terms you agree to
by using this comment form.
[what's this]
CEOs fly coach? | Busine ss Without Borde rs
How Walmart saved 1 billion gallons of water intwo years | The Green Room | The Gre e n Room
Drive to These 8 Beautiful Waterfalls NOTNamed Niagara | AARP.org
6 Unforgettable Train Trips for Families |
MiniTime
How One Lottery Winner Blew Through $10Million in Less Than 10 Years | Daily Finance
MORE FROM THE TIMES
'The Bible' producers deny Satan meant to looklike President Obama
Heidi Klum saves son, two nannies fromdrowning in Hawaii
Meet the Kardashians and their extendedfamily
Top 10 cars: best gas mileage, lowest stickerprice
The Starbucks syndrome in healthcare
Best Flight School in LAAffordable Flight Lessons Learn to fly Cirrus/Cessna
www.flymach1.com
LAX Airport Parking $9.99Across LAX, Weekly Rate Available Private Shuttle to & From Terminal!
www.SunriseParkingLax.com
Ads by Google
Comments (43) Add / View comments | Discussion FAQ
MRBILL69 at 3:09 PM March 27, 2013
The money that LAWA intends to use for this project will come from Airport RevenueBonds, not tax dollars. Nonetheless, it is public money and needs to be used wisely. Movinga runway needlessly will not make LAX a world class airport. A world class airport is apassenger experience wherein there is easy ingress and egress into the airport with easyaccess to mass transit, with state of art buildings and facilities that enhance the passengerexperience. WE ALL WANT THAT. What we don't want is an unnecessary boondoggle inmoving a runway. Tell LAWA to put their money where it is needed most, i.e. newerterminals, easy access to mass transit (bring the Green Line into LAX like most world classairports do), or an airport transit center. Underneath the runways at LAX is a lake ofcontaminated soil and jet fuel run-off that will be exposed if they tear up the runway. Further, all north south traffic in the vicinity of LAX will be impacted for at least 3 years. That fiasco will effect everyone from Orange County to Malibu. Please join us atwwww.modernlax.com.
MRBILL69 at 2:35 PM March 27, 2013
As to the person who posted that if you moved close to the airport that you should STFU,you have totally missed the point. That is not the issue. The Board of AirportCommissioners (BOAC) is refusing to take notice of the LAWA prepared DraftEnvironmental Impact Report, which clearly states that Alternative 2 is the preferredalternative as it is less expensive and less environementally intrusive than Alternative 1. Weall want a new modernized LAX. We agree 100% with the Chamber of Commerce and theUnions on this matter. What we don't agree on is whether we need to move the runway 260'north to accomplish that goal. LAWA hired NASA Ames Research out of Mountain View, CAto assess this issues. That report states that the current configuration of the north airfield isperfectly safe for the forseeable future. If LAWA were to incorporate 3 technologicaladvances that now exist on the south airfield, the north airfield would have state of the artsafety. Those technological advances are AMASS (Airport Movement Safety System),ASDE-X (Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X, and RSWL (Runway StatusLights). Let's all agree to do Alternative 9, which is the landside modernization issues firstwhich everyone agrees needs to be done. This is not a NIMBY issue. Lincoln Blvd re-routing will result in CARMAGEDDON for close to 3 years for north/south traffic.
ernesto123 at 2:30 PM March 27, 2013
I don’t understand how people can respond to this article so disrespectful without knowingthe facts. Mrs. Waters is 100% correct s. A study done by the FAA (Federal AviationAdministration) has concluded that moving the runway is NOT making the runway any saferall it does is taking an extra $750 million out of taxpayers pocket to pay for it. This is called“Union job security”. Build it, break it down and build it again just to keep busy using yourtax money. FYI we should be using the $750 million to fix roads in disrepair or any othermuch needed job to upgrade our city.
Man Arrested For Trying To Steal …CBS Sacramento Apr 2, 2013
Lindsay Lohan Won't
Be Able To …
Suspect Arrested
After Rash Of R…
Man Arrested For
Trying To Steal …
Bad Bay Bridge Bolts
To Cost $1…
a d ve rt i se m e n t
THIS WEEK'S CIRCULARS
Explore Bonus Savings on Meal
Ideas
Save Mart
Find Amazing Savings On Beauty
Products
Dollar General
Find Great Deals on Natural
Nutrition
PetSmart USA
MORE CIRCULARS »