Dear Editor: It appears that General Aviation (GA) interests have rallied around the old familiar saying “if you feel strongly about airports why purchase property near them.” Hogwash!! Many of these communities were well established before airports came along. What local groups are saying in return is “you are now not compatible with a heavily populated area, therefore, we want a limit to general aviation airport growth.” Another myth debunked: “New Jersey will pay a heavy price for the erosion of GA transportation resources.” These are the facts: Most GA airports are tax exempt and it is the NJ taxpayer who is paying the “heavy price” of subsidizing these airports, in addition, as air traffic volume rises property values plunge, environmental airport pollution increases and because they’re unregulated and exempt from the Clean Air Act and Toxic Release Inventory, it is the NJ taxpayer and regulated industry who pay for the airports “free ride” to pollute. Those GA interests making the most “noise” and saying “live and let live” applies only to themselves, because any unwanted intrusion caused by air traffic and pollution emanating from their airports is carried by neighboring communities at citizens’ expense. Eileen Marcus