Rename Los Angeles International Airport as Barack Obama International Airport? It turns out West Hollywood City Councilmember Lauren Meister might be onto something.
In December Meister proposed, with the City Council’s support, that the airport be renamed in honor of America’s first African-American president. The power to rename the airport is outside the purview of the WeHo City Council (the WeHo proposal was sent to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti who could forward it to the airport commission.) And Meister drew criticism from some for even bothering to make the suggestion. However, as reported in a recent story in the Sydney Morning Herald, there seems to be an “Obama naming marathon” underway.
The Herald cites Barack Obama Way in New Albany Township, Ind., and Barack Obama Boulevard in Pahokee, Fla. along with schools such as the Barack Obama Academy for Academic & Civic Development in Plainfield, N.J., and Barack Obama Elementary School in Richmond, Va.
Then there’s that part of State Route 134, aka the Ventura Freeway, that last year was renamed President Barack H. Obama Highway. Rodeo Road in central Los Angeles (not Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills) will be renamed Obama Boulevard.
The Herald reports that Douglas Brinkley, the presidential historian, predicts that “At the end of the line, 20 or 30 years from now, there will be hundreds of hospitals, schools, bridges and statutes” in his honor. “He’s going to be one of the four or five most celebrated figures in U.S. history.”
More appropriate would be Grifter International Airport or Soetoro International Airport.
Los Angeles residents are opposed to renaming LAX after President Obama. When Obama had visited Los Angeles many times for fundraising visits, his ill-timed motorcade would come during evening rush hour causing gridlock on the westside of LA. After many phone calls from LA Councilman Bill Rosendahl to the White House Advance Office, President Obama began to take a helicopter from LAX to the Veterans Administration West Los Angeles Medical Center. Also, it was Obama’s FAA Administrator that tried to help push moving the north runway at LAX 260 feet closer to Westchester/Playa del Rey homes, schools, churches and businesses.… Read more »
Even with the name change, the IATA code will still be LAX. Reagan is still DCA, Bush is still IAH, Clinton is still LIT. You can have it both ways if you don’t care for the namesake.
THANK YOU! If these politicians want to be celebrities, then move into the entertainment business now. I’m tired of all this out of focus, non-WeHo nonsense. FOCUS. Or get out of West Hollywood Govt.
West Hollywood has ALWAYS been involved in national/regional progressive politics that reach beyond our border, since the city’s inception, and all through the AIDS crisis. This includes LGBT activism, trans activism, women’s rights, animal rights, taking a stand against the Bush and Trump administrations, honoring fallen members of the military, medical marijuana, gay marriage, etc., etc.. It is part of the city’s identity, and part of our politics. It is part of why the city was even created. How about you consider getting out of West Hollywood, if you don’t like it? It is one of the things that makes… Read more »
Oh, so proud. A significant Democrat donor has two men die in his apartment in West Hollywood and nothing is being done about it. Here’s your National spotlight now showing the dysfunction of those who live in this city. And stop assuming everyone here is Liberal. There are INDEPENDENTS. And they are the voice of reason.
jcanna, I never said EVERYONE is liberal. The majority are. So our local government represents us. Much like in San Francisco and Santa Monica. 60.5% are registered Democrats, 9.9% Republicans, 12.9% are Independents, with 18.8% with no party affiliation. HRC got 11,447 votes to Trump’s 1,572, with barely more than 200 each, for two other candidates. That is more than 85% percent for Clinton. The Buck situation has NOTHING to do with any of this. And if your implication is that the City Council did have something to do with hindering an investigation (because of donations), please provide some proof.… Read more »
What Randy said!
NO. Talk about political division. No airport should be named after a president. That includes the one we already have
Really? Should we change the names of Reagan, Bush and JFK airports then? There is very little “political division.” A huge majority of city dwellers are progressive liberals, and things like this are one of the many things that make me proud to live in this community.