CAA: GA News, "Hawthorne, California airport gets second wind"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thursday, November 8, 2001

Hawthorne airport gets second wind 
By Ian Gregor 
THE TORRANCE (CA) DAILY BREEZE 


They're respected, experienced, politically connected developers. They
outspent their opponents by more than 12 to one in an attempt to secure
voter support for closing and redeveloping Hawthorne Municipal Airport.
They pumped countless pieces of mail into thousands of households.

And all their effort got them was a good, old-fashioned butt-kicking at
the polls in Tuesday's election.

More than 70 percent of Hawthorne voters cast "No" ballots on Measure A,
an advisory initiative that asked whether the city's historic but
underused airport should be closed and turned into a commercial complex
featuring a hotel, stores, theaters and offices.

Why did the development group, Paladin Partners LLC, lose so
dramatically despite its tremendous efforts?

Dan Weinstein, a Paladin principal, attributed the defeat to what he
called a surprising lack of support from city leaders, as well as low
voter turnout and a negative, misleading campaign by airport supporters.

"This constant barrage of attacks clearly had an impact on the outcome,"
Weinstein said. "I think negative campaigns work, that's the unfortunate
reality."

But Mike Triggs, a political consultant hired by airport backers, said
Paladin probably turned off voters by sending out so many mailers. The
group also failed to develop a target audience and failed to say
precisely what they planned to build, he said.

"The people of Hawthorne recognized the value of keeping the airport
open versus the lack of value in hollow promises made by Paladin and its
associates," Triggs said. "You know how they say a picture's worth a
thousand words? Paladin never showed a picture."

The Measure A campaign was among the hardest fought and most bitter in
city history. Paladin raised more than $250,000 to secure "Yes" votes
while airport supporters took in about $20,000.

Measure A supporters said Paladin's project would generate about $4
million a year in tax revenue for the money-starved city and 2,000
permanent jobs. They argued that the airport serves only a handful of
wealthy pilots.

Airport backers questioned Paladin's financial projections and said the
airport could generate more if it were developed as a base for corporate
jets. They also argued that the airport keeps jets flying in and out of
LAX from straying south over Hawthorne - a contention Paladin vigorously
disputes.

Paladin consists of Weinstein and Richard Ziman, who also is the
chairman of Arden Realty, the largest commercial landlord in Southern
California.

Paladin blanketed Hawthorne with more than a dozen mailers promoting a
"Yes" vote on Measure A; airport supporters sent out only four mailers
to about 4,900 targeted households, Triggs said.

Weinstein said Paladin's case was hurt because Mayor Larry Guidi and
council members Mark Schoenfeld and Ginny Lambert publicly opposed
Measure A, although Schoenfeld allowed Paladin to use his name on a
flier in the waning days of the campaign.

Low voter turnout also contributed to Measure A's defeat because
Hawthorne's high-propensity voters tend to be older people who are more
likely to be happy with the status quo, he said.

Fewer than 20 percent of Hawthorne's 30,849 voters cast ballots on
Tuesday, according to election results posted on the Los Angeles County
registrar-recorder's Web site.

Additionally, airport supporters scared people into falsely believing
that closing the facility would result in big jets flying over
residential neighborhoods on their way to and from LAX, said Kelly
Candaele, a political consultant who worked with Paladin.

"I think the LAX impact issue sort of colors everything that has to do
with aviation in the whole region," Candaele said. "For years all you've
been hearing of is bad stories about LAX.

"We had a very difficult hill to climb."

Pat Carey, the informal leader of the pro-airport forces, said his group
simply told people the truth about the airport's importance and
potential. Voters also realized that value is not always measured in
dollars, Carey said.

"(The airport) sets the city apart from other cities around it," Carey
said. "The people that vote in Hawthorne are people who love the city as
a whole and as a whole the airport is part of our city."

   Post your opinion on this story in the CAA General Aviation Forum
http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID2

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