UCI

Four in 10 countywide are in favor of turning the military base into an international airport, while a similar number are opposed. About one in 10 are undecided. The results are identical to the 1997 and 1998 surveys. North County residents favor an international airport by an 11-point margin (48% to 37%), while South County residents oppose this base re-use plan by a 46-point margin (71% to 25%).

Residents still aren't convinced of the need for a commercial airport at El Toro. About half say they would prefer to have Orange County meet its air travel needs with John Wayne Airport as Orange County's only commercial airport. Thirty-six percent favor the current plan of developing an international airport at El Toro and continuing to use John Wayne as a commercial airport. Only one in 10 want to see John Wayne Airport closed and have El Toro serve as the county's only commercial airport. These results are similar to the 1997 and 1998 surveys. In the North County, residents are evenly divided between wanting John Wayne as the county's only commercial airport and preferring to have both John Wayne and El Toro in operation (40% to 42%). Two in three South County residents say John Wayne should continue to be the only commercial airport in Orange County.

Only three in 10 approve of the way county government is handling the El Toro Marine base conversion issue, while more than four in 10 disapprove. Three in 10 residents have no opinion. The disapproval ratings for county government are the same as in the 1997 and 1998 surveys. South County residents give overwhelmingly negative ratings to county government's performance on the airport issue (61%). Even in the North County, where the El Toro airport proposal has nearly 50% support, only 31% approve of the way the county government has handled the issue, while 36% say they disapprove.

A slight majority (51%) say they would vote for a proposed measure on the March 2000 ballot that would require the approval of two-thirds of voters countywide for county projects to build or expand airports, hazardous waste landfills or large jails. Forty percent are opposed and 9% are undecided. Residents are divided on this measure (47% to 44%) when told that it could stop the county's plans to build an international airport at El Toro. The views of registered voters are nearly identical to those of all residents on this measure.