Guest Commentary
by Ben Sullivan
As the article linked below indicates, the Oceanside Airport was left in a state of decay and ruin after years of neglect by the City of Oceanside and some of it’s elected leaders and administrators. The key opponents to any airport improvements were the previous City Council majority of Mayor Jim Wood, Councilwoman Esther Sanchez and former Councilwoman Shari Makin.
Former City Council Member Rocky Chavez and Council Member Jack Feller continuted to promote the Oceanside Airport while they had to watch the then Council majority refuse to accept an FAA grant for $185,000 for security fencing of the airport and quelled any effort to apply for FAA and state grants and loans.
Things started to change with a new Council majority as a result of the election of Jerry Kern (former President – Oceanside Chamber of Commerce), a key supporter of the Oceanside Airport and the Oceanside Airport Association (OAA). Jerry Kern would not have won the election without the fantastic support of the OAA and many other individuals and organizations. The OAA, under the leadership of then President Ben Meyers fought hard to turn the Oceanside Airport day-to-day operations over to a private operator to make badly needed improvements as well as provide a facility that our residents and pilots could be proud of.
Another consequence of this effort was to provide airport improvements at little or no cost to the taxpayers which is now evident as demonstrated in this article.
Congratulations to former Oceanside City Council Member Rocky Chavez, Council Member Jack Feller, Council Member Jerry Kern and the OAA for all of your efforts that will have a positive impact on the airport facilities, it’s pilots, and Oceanside residents for years to come.
Ben Meyers and his wife Novia have moved on to minister others at a church in Los Angeles County. He has left the OAA in the good hands of their new Board and President — Gordon Nesbitt. Continued vigilance and vision by these leaders will help us all realize what a real jewel the Oceanside Airport truly is.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/oceanside/oceanside-airport-improvements-finally-taking-off/article_c3554d48-90ca-5162-be3a-4e55779738bd.html
Ben Sullivan is an Oceanside resident.
Comments 1
Ben fails to mention the $100K from out of town lobbyist dollars from Maryland Pilots Association- the first time Oceanside elections were influenced by out of town money. The trend continues with a quarter million dollar injection from outside lobbyists trying to defeat rent control. I’m always amazed that Ben and his colleagues squawk about local control yet continue to solicit out of town funds to defeat the residents in Oceanside.