Bob Filner: “I do not call a decision which affects over 600,000 residents, thousands of businesses, and 154 schools micromanaging.…”

“I do not call a decision which affects over 600,000 residents, thousands of businesses, and 154 schools micromanaging. These helicopters will fly at 1,500 feet or below. The potential for loss of civilian life and property is great. Just recently, Mr. Chairman, in Okinawa, Japan, the Pentagon said to the Japanese, who had concerns about these helicopters in their area, they will build a floating heliport to separate the helicopters from jet fighters, saying it would be extremely difficult to control the traffic of the slower choppers with fixed wing aircraft. It was a safety concern. If the Pentagon is willing to spend money in Japan to significantly reduce the burdens and threat to the people in Okinawa, why will they not do the same thing for my constituents in San Diego? We are being treated differently, and I do not know for what reason. These helicopters will discharge 1,600 tons of air pollutants per year. That significantly affects our quality of life but, even more importantly, may bring the city of San Diego into a worse classification in terms of our air quality and, therefore, bring restrictions which will slow our economic growth.”