AIRPORTS PANEL LAMBASTES LAX EXPANSION PLAN.

Byline: Rick Orlov and Kevin Smith Staff Writers

ONTARIO - The Los Angeles International Airport's expansion plans came under harsh criticism Wednesday during the Southern California Regional Airport Authority's first meeting in nine years.

``The (LAX expansion) plan is a stupid plan,'' said Los Angeles Councilwoman Ruth Galanter during Wednesday's meeting. ``You have to look at the physics. ... You can only stuff so much in one area.''

Los Angeles County Supervisor and authority board member Don Knabe, who was instrumental in reviving the airport authority, said the panel has a ``golden opportunity to be visionary.''

``Hopefully, we'll be able to look at things in a unique way and on a regional basis,'' Knabe said.

The revival of the Southern California Regional Airport Authority, which fell by the wayside in 1992, is part of a hail of criticism for LAX'S proposed $12 billion expansion plan.

In the Los Angeles mayoral race, all six of the leading candidates have signed pledges against the expansion.

In a strong defense of the plan, Mayor Richard Riordan called the candidates' opposition a matter of politics.

``Expansion is going to happen and if it doesn't there will be gridlock every day at the airport,'' Riordan said during his monthly ``Ask the Mayor'' show on radio station KFWB-AM (980). ``If we don't go ahead with this master plan, the city will pay for it in 10, 20, 30 years from now.''

Riordan said the plan ``is about getting quality jobs out of the airport and guaranteeing the health of the Los Angeles economy for the future.''

In addition, Riordan said the master plan calls for $2 billion in traffic improvements that could not be undertaken without expansion of the airport.

However, El Segundo Mayor Mike Gordon disputed Riordan's assertions and said the mitigation work could be undertaken now.

``We have a signed pledge from these six candidates and if they were to go back on their word after their election it would be a lie to voters, pure and simple,'' Gordon said. ``We don't think they're lying.

``We know Riordan is not going to change his mind. This is simply about the expansion of LAX for its economic benefit at the expense of all the cities who have to live with it.''

Gordon said he wants LAX to remain at its current size of about 78 million passengers a year while other airports in the region absorb more passengers.

Knabe said the LAX expansion plans are ``trying to do with 3,500 acres what Denver did with 35,000.''

``Quality of life issues over there are horrible,'' he said.

The authority will look at easing congestion at LAX and other airports by pushing commuter and air cargo to regional airports that can handle the load such as Ontario and Palmdale.

``I feel very positive that we will be able to develop a regional approach to our airport needs,'' said Gordon, who attended the first meeting on Wednesday of the revived Southern California Regional Airport Authority at the Ontario Airport.

But Riordan said part of the problem is getting other areas - such as in Orange County near the former El Toro air base - to cooperate and take a share of the air traffic.

``That is the NIMBY (not in my backyard) Syndrome and, to a great extent, it is a bunch of elitists leading the charge against expansion,'' Riordan said. ``The average poor person will be denied access to quality jobs and we will lose more jobs because we won't have the cargo capacity. That will be devastating in the long run.''