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I stand here today with
my colleagues on the City Council, Silicon Valley leaders, the
leaders of our neighboring communities, and the residents of
San José neighborhoods.
We're here today to express
our strong opposition to the Federal Aviation Administration's
proposal.
A proposal to re-route
all of San Francisco International Airport's incoming flights
to fly over San José and other Silicon Valley neighborhoods.
The FAA has come forward
with a proposal that was prepared without the input of San José
or our neighboring cities.
It was prepared without
studying its impact on our environment or evaluating the effect
of airplane noise on our neighborhoods.
And it was prepared without
analyzing its impact on passenger safety and the operations of
the San José International Airport.
This is outrageous.
The federal agency trusted
with the safety of airline passengers--trusted with examining
the impact of air travel on our communities--has refused to analyze
the effects of their plan on our neighborhoods and our airport.
We are part of a region.
It is completely unreasonable for the FAA to ignore the interests
of San José and Silicon Valley neighborhoods.
This proposal is an attack
on our neighborhoods and an attack on the quality of life of
our residents.
Almost every single flight
that goes into the San Francisco Airport will fly over some part
of San José and Silicon Valley--north, south, east and
west.
That's as many as 600 planes
a day. More than 200,000 planes a year. Roaring over our homes,
our neighborhoods, our parks, and our schools.
And, because the San Francisco
airport does not have a curfew like we do in San Jose, we will
hear those planes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
This is a 365-day impact
on our residents for a 30-day problem on SFO operations.
For the residents who live
in neighborhoods like this one, or in East San Jose or in Almaden
Valley, that means more pollution and more noise at all hours,
day and night.
Administrator Garvey, how
can you say there's no impact?
Even my baby granddaughter
reacts to a flight at 5,000 feet over our home. Multiply that
by hundreds of new flights each day that the FAA says will have
"no significant impact."
Protecting neighborhoods
is one of my highest priorities. In San Jose, we have worked
hard to make sure our airport is a good neighbor.
For this reason, I am very
disappointed that the FAA did not consider the effects of its
proposal on our residents and our community when they drafted
it.
Regional cooperation is
essential for the benefit of our communities, our economy, and
our environment throughout the Bay Area.
I commend Congresswoman
Anna Eshoo for her efforts to help communities on the Peninsula
affected by SFO flights as she announced this morning at a separate
news conference.
I understand and support
San Francisco Airport's efforts to improve its own operations.
But I cannot--and will
not--support this effort at the expense of the quality of life
of our residents.
I ask FAA Administrator
Jane Garvey to take this plan off the table. Start at square
one. And draft a plan that makes sense. A plan that includes
everyone in this region.
Today, I ask the residents
of San José and Silicon Valley to join me in fighting
this proposal, and protecting our neighborhoods from the noise
and pollution it brings with it.
I ask you to write FAA
Administrator Jane Garvey. Write President Clinton. Write Vice
President Gore. Write Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein,
and write your local congressional representative.
v Visit our website for
information on the plan and how you can contact our political
leaders www.sjmayor.org
I also ask that you attend
the public meeting on Tuesday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m. at the Isaac
Newton Senter Boardroom at the Santa Clara County Government
Center.
I urge you to take a few
minutes out of your day to express your concerns so we can protect
the quality of life we've fought so hard to keep.
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