OC Approves $1.5 Million For El Toro

Anti-airport supervisors fought unsuccessfully Thursday to block spending of up to $1.5 million for five Washington lobbying firms to work on the El Toro airport project. Supervisors Todd Spitzer and Tom Wilson questioned everything from the source of the money -- mostly John Wayne Airport revenue -- to a lack of limits on lobbyist travel expenses. . ."It's a clear attempt to advocate for an airport, not just to get the land deeded over to us," he said. Board Chairman Charles Smith argued otherwise. "These lobbyists are not being hired to do anything other than get the transfer of the base to the county," Smith said."