Dear "Make Toronto Work,"

You are not winning any support for your pro-airport stance by berating a community, calling them 'yuppies' and 'scum of the earth.' Why the anger towards condo dwellers? Isn't density, where people live close to their work and to public transit better for the environment than urban sprawl? Per capita, high density cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Moscow and Tokyo consume way less energy on transportation (and they don't have or need airports downtown) (http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/urban-density-and-transport-related-energy-consumption). Apartments also reduce heating costs.

So, waterfront 'yuppies import manufactured products from China and drive the Cdn economy into the sewer?' I didn't know this. This is based on research? "Scum of the earth." Hmmm. And those that live in suburban sprawl and drive downtown every day, they don't fit this category? But wait, isn't it the young urban professionals the very population that Porter targets? Oh yeah, sorry, we can't call Porter passengers yuppies, that wouldn't be nice. Oh and thanks for the mercy, I for one live on the waterfront and do not own a car like many of my neighbours (oops, maybe this makes me responsible for driving the Cdn economy into the sewer, oh it's ok I don't buy cheap products from China, phew). And by the way, according to 2005 census data for the waterfront Wards of 20 and 28, the household income levels in most categories are below the average of Toronto in general (except for incomes below $20,000) ...and 71.1% of dwellings are rented (wonder where the owners live?). So who are you calling 'yuppie?.' And who really cares that some people who live here (or anywhere) are young, urban and professional? That's a bad thing? The word 'yuppy' is soooo 1980s.

Are you saying that you prefer to have industry along the waterfront, rather than housing, parkland, recreational and commercial areas? "The condos are a blight?" and not the airport? Yes, hey you are so right. I notice that so many people are drawn to the pleasures of the Portlands industrial area north of Cherry Beach, dog walkers, hikers, cyclists. It's a major tourist attraction, an economic powerhouse. Let's transform the harbourfront area modeling it after this area! Tear down those condos, more smoke stacks, CO2 emissions please and noise, bring it on! No yuppies allowed. And the airport, I'd walk my dog there, except they won't let me -it's only for yuppies who have bought a plane ticket, not yuppies who live here. I'm sure the Toronto Port Authority could find even more ways to lose money by investing in industry on the waterfront. Or as John Spragge suggested maybe for the sake of environmental equity we could build another airport in the Portlands so that others can be subjected to carcinogens and noise too.

Joana (with her tongue in her cheek)