News Release- Should Whiteman’s Community Advisory Committee be Re-envisioned?

Posted on August 23, 2022 by Ted Gablin
SCAUWG.ORG
associated with
 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AIRSPACE USERS WORKING GROUP  
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2022 Contact: Ron Berinstein CFII
Director/Webmaster
(323) 394-1331
ronberinstein@hotmail.com  
Should Whiteman’s Community Advisory Committee be re-envisioned?
 
LOS ANGELES, CA   LA County PUBLIC Works staff confirmed that seated panelists tasked with providing serious advice to the County’s “Community Advisory Committee” (CAC) that is evaluating “the Whiteman Airport re-envisioning – a community-driven process” campaign, have not been asked to provide fiscal holding disclosures regarding if they, their families, or related businesses would benefit from the airport closing.
 
The Southern California Airspace Users Working Group (SCAUWG) has been addressing LA Airspace design, Airport Operations, and Pilot education including noise abatement procedures working together with the FAA for community benefit since 1986 when summoned to do so after the Cerritos air disaster.
Learn More about the working group at: www.scauwg.org
 
LA County’s resolution regarding the CAC includes the following:
“…would undertake a community-driven master plan for Whiteman Airport that will maintain the property’s primary function as an airport…”
 
However, certain seated members of the panel have openly pursued efforts to close the airport, inferring that the airport is a blight on the Pacoima neighborhood, and another actively seeks donations for their group and features a campaign to “shutdown Whiteman Airport.”
 
Currently, Whiteman serves as a home for the Civil Air Patrol, Glendale Community College Aviation Program, an LA County Firefighting Helicopter base, the EAA Young Eagles Program that provides free aircraft rides and free aviation education for community youth, the home base for over 600 aircraft, media helicopters, maintenance facilities, flight school learning opportunities, and it is a location for free FAA Safety Team education programs open to the public, among other positive programs and it provides community economic benefits. A recent Airport Open-House (June 25) that celebrated the airport’s 75th anniversary was described as very successful.
 
At the upcoming CAC virtual meeting Thursday, August 25th SCAUWG.ORG, associated with the working group will formally request that like elected and appointed officials that have legislative ability must disclose fiscal holdings, and like lobbyists who are regulated, the CAC panelists participating in this serious year-long effort charged with officially advising LA County officials to be asked to voluntarily disclose any related financial interests that would benefit should the airport be closed, and that in good faith, and as a matter of HONESTY and FULL DISCLOSURE,  discussion on this matter be agenized.
 
This is so that opinion veracity can be better weighed by the County. Meeting information and Log on details available at: https://www.reenvisionwhitemanairport.com/
 
Of the nineteen CAC members, only a few are described as having an airport/aviation connection on the LA County re-envisioning Whiteman Airport website.
 
The name “re-envisoning – a community-driven process” alone suggests that change is implied.
 
SCAUWG.ORG is suggesting that “re-envisioning” the CAC panel via employing the request for relevant fiscal bias is prudent.
 
It is ironic that the local residents accused by some of being victimized by the airport and in need of protection from implied danger, should the airport close and area gentrification follow, could be victimized by higher cost of living expenses. Those residents might then be forced out of their neighborhood, and need to seek more affordable circumstances elsewhere.
 
Learn More by viewing this Background History.PDF file
 
THANK YOU. 
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