* Chuck Sweeny a few days ago…
Democrat J.B. Pritzker is open to building the long-planned, controversial “third” Chicagoland airport on state-owned land between Peotone and Beecher. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is not.
That’s what I learned Thursday while watching the first of three debates among the four candidates for Illinois governor. The hourlong program aired Thursday on Chicago’s NBC-5.
Moderator Carol Marin asked: “The state of Illinois has spent $97 million buying thousands of acres of land around what would be the south suburban airport… A lot of potential jobs are at stake, it’s been studied endlessly … As governor would you be for or against that project, really just a yes or no.”
Rauner said “No” when asked.
* Tribune yesterday afternoon…
As traffic rumbled along Interstate 80 in the background, Gov. Bruce Rauner joined local officials to ceremoniously break ground on a $47 million interchange improvement project at U.S. 30 Wednesday morning in New Lenox. […]
When asked where the South Suburban Airport and the shelved Illiana Toll Road fit into his plans, he said the state has to have the right financing structure and the economic growth to support it.
If the economy “keeps booming,” “we won’t be debating a third airport. We will be saying we have to have a third airport,” Rauner said.
* Here’s what he said…
Right today, we are evaluating a third airport in Peotone. We want to make sure we’ve got the right financing structure available and we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got the economic growth to support that so it’s highly successful. That’s a great opportunity for public-private partnership. We’ve got great airports at Midway and O’Hare and out in Rockford. But, this region, if we keep the economy strong and growing, we keep the economy booming, just the way the federal government has cut taxes and cut regulations on businesses and cut, uh, cut new trade deals to battle against unfair trade agreements with nations around the world, we keep on that track and we can continue to cut taxes and regulations here, we’ll get a booming economy and we won’t be debating a third airport, we’ll say we have to have a third airport because the construction opportunity is so big, the economic opportunity is so strong. We’re going to get there. And I’m committed to making sure we expand our transportation.
- Truthteller - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 9:04 am:
The Washington Post is keeping count of Trump’s lies. Who’s counting Rauner’s?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 9:08 am:
Geez, the one time Rauner gives a straight answer that I agree with — “no” on the third airport — and he flips.
Peotone has always been nothing but a meat-a-cookin’ boondoggle, pushed by the likes of Trips and other grifters.
The airlines will never pay for it because it is simply not needed. The tax money going to “studies” and land acquisition are a straight taxpayer ripoff.
- Bogey Golfer - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 9:09 am:
I guess he’s playing to the audience. A shame he’s actually being recorded.
- Moe Berg - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 9:34 am:
Rauner says whatever he needs to at the moment. Sadly, it’s probably why he made so much money. But, that approach to life doesn’t work as well when you are constantly being watched and recorded.
Like Trump, running for office was the worst decision of his life - and the rest of us are paying the price.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 9:38 am:
Rauner, again, proves that having no constituency means really not standing for anything that can be seen as planks for a platform others can judge to determine support.
Rauner has nothing to lose. Being phony to either side, to both sides, is a real way to seem engaged to fool enough people on both sides of one issue to get a majority of people to be fooled.
At least this hasn’t led to fibbing to a Catholic Cardinal on a real issue, with actual implications.
40 Days.
Vote accordingly.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 9:45 am:
–40 Days.
Vote accordingly.–
Actually, you can vote anytime starting today if you wish to make the effort. You can register and vote today, too.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 9:46 am:
===Actually, you can vote anytime starting today if you wish to make the effort. You can register and vote today, too.===
Yep.
No excuses. No one to blame but yourself.
Go vote. Take 2 others with you too.
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 10:06 am:
I’m beginning to understand the true nature of Rauner’s “turnaround” agenda.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 10:18 am:
=I’m beginning to understand the true nature of Rauner’s “turnaround” agenda.=
That is restaurant quality right there.
This has been Rauner’s MO since his campaigning days. Depending on your georgraphic location, the message was different.
In fact the entire package was different, he had a different costume and dialect for each area. I have never seen a politician do that to the level Rauner does. In the digital age it is so easy to bust him but keeps on keepin on.
Total Fraud=Rauner
- Henry Francis - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 10:31 am:
==If the economy “keeps booming,”==
So is the economy currently “booming”? Without term limits and rtw and the elimination of MJM? Is that what he’s saying?
- JS Mill - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 10:43 am:
@Henry Francis- Wow, good catch. His statement would be the opposite of what he has said every day for nearly the last four years.
Good stuff HF.
- Amalia - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 11:31 am:
there’s community support for that airport. but the question is, what industry support is for the airport? seems not much. that creates ambivalence. but come up with your answer, Bruce.
- Stuntman Bob's Brother - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 12:14 pm:
The problem with Word’s post at 9:08 is that it isn’t in larger font and bolded. Boondoggle is right. If another airport was needed there, why have carriers pulled out of the Gary/Chicago Airport in past decades? The proposed Peotone airport is necessary only to fill the wallets of land speculators.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 12:41 pm:
The case for the expressway is stronger than the case for the airport. They’re not mutually exclusive, though. Logistics, trans-shipping, that’s where the money is going to be. You can see for yourself every time you take the Stevenson past Bolingbrook, and see more and more logistics warehouses going up like dandelions. The Illinana would have tapped into that and captured more of that money in motion. Peotone might not be a passenger airport as much as a freight one.
- Amalia - Thursday, Sep 27, 18 @ 2:01 pm:
sbob’sbrother and the anonymous following are correct. passenger flights from Midway seem to satisfy….especially as it’s SW with lower fares….so carriers pull out, don’t support Peotone. and freight only carriers might be a draw dues to logistical needs for south of mid chicago. it’s not as simple as if you build it they will come.
- Anon - Wednesday, Oct 3, 18 @ 10:35 am:
Northerly Island could use an airport on it again…
- Stonetotbebone - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 2:27 pm:
A Third Airport in Peotone would be beneficial, but the cost wont justify the benefits. The Illiana expressway would be a better bet than the airport. The only thing with the highway is Illinois is too broke to fund it and the tolls to pay for it would be to high, if done by a P3, that is why it got backlogged. I am waiting for the tollway to get blocked by the snobs in the northern suburbs on route 53 and steer all that toll money to the Illiana. Then maybe the airport may become more viable.