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The Congressman isn’t happy.
Congress is expected to pass a defense bill this week that could indefinitely delay construction of the proposed Abraham Lincoln National Airport.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass overwhelmingly this week a bill supporting military personnel and their families, despite an amendment that would require all new airports be governed by a local airport commission.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., at a news conference Tuesday said Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Morris, added an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2006 that would require the Federal Aviation Administration to approve only local airport commissions if the governing body is composed of a majority of local residents who live in the county where the airport is located.
The amendment would give Will County officials governing power over the proposed airport and the 4,200-acre footprint, essentially eliminating the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission or ALNAC, largely made up of municipalities in Cook County.
“Weller’s amendment is designed to kill the airport. This is bad legislation driven by politics,” Jackson said.
And this from the Sun-Times:
A spokesman for Weller (R-Ill.) refused to comment, answer any questions or even confirm that the proposal exists.
“All you’re getting is a big, fat no comment from us,” Weller spokesman Chris Kennedy said.
Open government at its finest.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 4:47 am
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Finally.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 6:36 am
I’m glad to see that El Geraldo has figured out that the airport is in his district.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 6:54 am
It’s not so much fun when the shoe is on the other foot. Is it?
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 7:04 am
El Geraldo’s gerrymandered district has a “finger” that extends down I-39 into McLean County. Imagine my surprise when I stepped into the voting booth and found his name on the ballot! I had to stifle my scream so that the election judges didn’t throw me out of the place.
I had worked with Cong. Johnson for a number of years and felt that I could ‘read’ him and understand where Tim was coming from.
Weller is a cipher. Very little communication from him to explain his votes. Even if you try to set up an appointment to see him in D.C., it is usually with a staffer. I admit I am usually part of a radical group when I go to D.C.–librarians, library trustees, etc.–so he probably writes us off before we even get there.
I see Weller as one very conservative Republican who does as he is told by Hastert and the rest of the Republican leadership.
He has done nothing for us in the ‘finger’ so you can imagine which ‘finger’ I think he is pointing at us!
Comment by Nearly Normal Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 7:15 am
This is not just a partisan thing. I’ll bet that Larry Walsh, Deb Halvorson, A.J. Wilhelmi and other Will county dems are privately on board with Weller. Nevertheless, it’s kinda sneaky.
Comment by 6 Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 7:42 am
6 degrees of separation is right. The Will County Dems are upset that Jesse Jr. wants to stack the proposed governmental authority with Crook County hacks. Never mind that Peotone happens to be in Will County! Halvorson may be facing a primary opponent backed by Jesse Jr. in retaliation.
Comment by AngryJolietan Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 8:29 am
Further, back in August, Jesse Jr.’s plan was a 9 member committee, 6 of whom would be from Will County. But the ringer was 2 of the 6 would have to be from University Park & Park Forest, which if I am correct are in Jesse’s congressional district and would of course be loyal to him. Thus Will County would really have only 4 votes, which would not be a majority.
Comment by AngryJolietan Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 8:40 am
“In the meantime, Jackson said he also will ask Will County officials to urge Weller to remove the language in the amendment.”
You have to admit, Jesse Jr. is certainly an entertaining fellow. I cracked up when I read that.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 8:50 am
Hey! If Blago plays his cards right, he may actually get some votes (and even some help from the Dems) in Will County next year.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 9:13 am
it would seem that Congressman Weller has picked up a few tricks from his father-in-law (you know, the old Junta leader down in Central America).
Comment by Randall Sherman Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 9:32 am
“Open government at its finest.”
I suppose the control of deal-laden O’Hare and unsafe Midway is transparency and accountability at its finest. And so would Lincoln Airport be, with Jackson’s stooges controlling the board.
why should Weller comment? The meaning of the proposed amendment is clear on its face, and reflects local control.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 9:52 am
The whole airport situation is sick. Do so many state leaders hate Chicago so much they want to see it turn into another Detroit? Are they so hungry they are willing to destroy the reason Illinois exists?
We saw Katrina and New Orleans. New Orleans sucks because it forgot the first rule of governing: maintain and develop your infrastructure. Why does Chicago exist? Because of it’s location. First it was ships, then railroads, then airports and superhighways. So who’s the genius that thinks we should build a new airport 50 miles OUTSIDE Chicago? Only a short-sighted moron would deny their world-class city their means of support. What? You want to pay more taxes in welfare to a dying city? No amount of taxes can replace the economic loss.
Build the airport in the Lake Calumet/Hegewisch area. Keep the airport in Chicago. It is wrong for Republicans controlling the state to fight with Democrats controlling the city for the past 30 years, preventing this needed economic catalyst. You would think that with Democrats in control of Illinois now, they could figure out how to make this airport work for our state’s largest city. It shows how useless our current governor is, doesn’t it?
Either Republicans need to take control of Chicago so that the City can get it’s airport, or smart Democrats take control of the state and bring the airport to the City. We have already loss so much business to Atlanta and other cities with smart business growth plans, and I can’t stomach the political antics anymore.
30 freaking years is enough! Sorry for the complaints, but this airport situation makes me gag!
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 10:18 am
Maybe they should throw in a “Freedom\Liberty\Patriot” into the name.
A real Boss would roll out bulldozers and build it in Rich or Bloom Township. Jackson couldn’t get that by voters and even if he could the Mayor would end up controlling the patronage. So he tries the lame end of round funded by the Suburban O’Hare Commission. SOC lost. Hyde is retiring. Will County says no if they can’t control it. I’d say an airstrip in Peotone is pretty much dead.
Comment by HappyToaster Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 10:25 am
Just build an airport that doesn’t have runways that can send arriving flights into a busy intersection.
Comment by shelbyville Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 10:44 am
I think the whole mess is actually quite incredible. On all sides. I live in southern cook and of course I want the airport, but I also understand people who will fight to the death to protect their land from a project they don’t believe will ever happen. I watched the south suburban airport commission pick up community after cash strapped community and I watched with interest when they weren’t able to get buy in from the communities where the airport would actually be. I mean anybody who knows how policy is enacted knows that once something is introduced it has to go through the tension of various sides and their input, discussions, negotiations, etc. Who has ever seen a bill get to the floor in the exact form in which it was first introduced? But Congressman Jackson acted like anyone who questionede anything about this airport was against it and trying to sabotage it and stall it and “assinate” it. And south suburban mayors who quite rightly are tired of being passed over for major public works and scarce dollars, started to act like just cuz Jackson said it, it was golden, as if it was a done deal, and if you didn’t buy it hook line and sinker than you were trying to sabotage it. Now this has all degenerated into a debate as to we could have had the airport if the Congressman’s last name was O’Malley or some Italian name, he wouldn’t have this much trouble. If that’s the case, then De Angelis should have been able to make it fly, or Ryan, or Daley’s first Lake Calumet idea. It wasn’t race killing the deal when it was a bunch of white fat cat politicians fighting for control. Jackson has said over and over again that he didn’t need the state, he didn’t need to deal with the people who live there, and now it looks like he does. A little bit of statesmanship a year ago could have brought this thing home, but he chose a Bush- like you’re either with me or against me and no one is going to take this project away from me bullying style that has blown up in his face. Now in order to circumvent Weller’s low blow sneaky attempt to kill all of the progress so far, Jackson needs the very people he and the commission have spent the last seven months personally and viciously attacking. I thought he was smarter than that. I really thought that maybe he just might pull this off, but his own temper tantrums and ego just might have killed it. Wht is going to be interesting now is whether the county and ALNAC and state officials can really put their egos aside and do what they say they all want to do, and that’s build an airport. Get the deal done and stop show boating, whining, bullying, and attacking and actually play nice on the playground for a change. If they could just start from where they agree…but that’s probably just wishful thinking. This is politics after all.
Comment by sideline watcher Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 11:22 am
Building it in Rich or Bloom townships is actually an excellent idea (and it is in JJJ’s district, score!). I drove through Chicago Heights a while back (by accident), and it is a perfect spot for an airport. Closer to Chicago, and so run-down and crappy that nobody would care if buildings were torn down and replaced with runways (actually, everyone would be glad). Or, Harvey would be good too. Good access to the highway, and the stripclubs are already there.
Speaking of “open government” there are a lot of things about the Jackson plan that are not available to the general public, although the Tribune won’t tell you that. Instead, the Tribune talks about “regional consensus” for JJJ’s plan, which is remarkably comical and true only to the extent that the “region” is 50-70 miles from the proposed airport site.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 11:23 am
VanillaMan -The rest of Illinois exists so that we do NOT have to live in Chicago. Buy a car, probably a hybrid, and come visit some time.
Comment by Ben Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 1:16 pm
I guess that the Republicans can’t hang together enough to build an airport to be controlled by their functionaries. Their jealousy of treasure lost to Democrats at O’Hare must be frightful.
Comment by anonymous Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 8:56 pm
Anon 8:56-
You truly miss the point, which I made at 7:42. This is way more complicated than party vs. party, and there are strange bedfellows in this Peotone deal indeed.
There are roughly two sides to this equation:
1. Triple J’s plan to privately finance the airport and have the majority of influence come from the Suburban O’Hare Commission and south Cook County.
2. Will County’s insistence of local Willco majority control of the airport, and leaning towards public financing and operation.
Just think: On the one side we have Triple J, old guard DuPage Republicans like Henry Hyde, the Republican mayors of Bensenville and Elk Grove, the largely Democrat mayors of South Cook County and a rogue Democrat mayor in Will County.
On the other side, we have Mayor Daley, El Geraldo, many county board members and mayors in Will County (which leans Republican but has a strong and rising Democratic constituency), and some influential Dems like Larry Walsh, Debbie Halvorson, and Wilhelmi.
Granted, there are varying degrees of being on “one side or the other” in this deal, and some like Halvorson are trying to play broker between the 2 factions, but ultimately, this is how I see things lining up.
And, just in case you didn’t notice, Will County is poised to surpass DuPage in population, maybe within the next 10 years. Population = influence, particularly in politics.
Comment by 6 Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Dec 14, 05 @ 11:15 pm
Does anyone think that the Weller amendment can really kill this thing? I mean triple J says that Weller is violating the 10th admendment to the constitution by trying to do this. How do you add language relating to this airport on a defense bill anyway? But on the other side, I know this isn’t supposed to use federal money, but aren’t airplanes regulated federally? Out here, no one has heard anything from Weller and then out of the blue he pulls this. Maybe that was the plan all along, let the Democrats fight it out so he could just sit back in the cut. I guess what I’m asking is if anyone thinks this deal can still be salvaged by the players that were already supposedly in negotiation?
Comment by sideline watcher Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 12:31 am
Amen, Vanilla Man Dec. 14 10:18a.m.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 12:32 am
Oh and 6 degrees of separation:
Great analysis. That does make strange bedfellows. That is why I find this thing so interesting. Nothing is cut and dry.
You didn’t mention Lisa Madigan who has yet to issue an opinion as to whether the gov can transfer the land the way triple J wants to the commission…, or her father who has a cold relationship with Jackson, but is friends with with Daley and has never lifted a finger to help this project… or Emil Jones who supported Jackson arch enemy Shaw and was originally believed to be the heir apparent to the 2nd Cong. seat, but watched it stolen by an upstart with no ties to the state party except a famous last name, and who is a political mentor to Deb Halvorson… who is the only one whose district actually covers all of the site and is split between Weller and Jackson. Man…I betcha we can figure out who knows Kevin Bacon.
Comment by sideline watcher Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 12:47 am
Peotone would be just another multi-BILLION pork-chop for the combine. What a waste, and who wants to spend 45-60 minutes in a cab from there?
IL should get it’s head straight and push for an expansion and moderization of Gary’s airport. It’s a short hop from the loop with all major access available.
So what if it’s in Indiana, it’s a CHICAGO asset… and all the infastructure exists TODAY!
Comment by The Colonel Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 5:35 am
The Colonel makes the best point. Two important things that have been overlooked are:
1) Which bankrupt airlines are even going to consider using the airport let alone support it financially? Hooters? Ted? Continental? TWA?
2)The actual citizens of Peotone, Beecher, etc. DON’T WANT AN AIRPORT! it doesn’t matter who controls, owns,or uses it. Pols and carpetbaggers want it. The residents want to maintain their quality of life.
It is really amusing to watch Debbie/Will vs Trip j’s/Cook fight while Rod tries to endear himself to both sides and Geraldo kills the whole deal without saying a word. Maybe if they had named Bob Shaw as Lincoln airport commissioner in advance>>>
Comment by Bill Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 6:13 am
I’m not suprised about Weller. He takes his orders from the Speaker. Hastert is in the “shovel money at O’Hare” camp. If they aren’t any political repercussions why not kill it and create some dissension among the D’s.
Comment by HappyToaster Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 6:23 am
I love the fact that all the Chicago folks assume that we need them to make this Will County airport a success. There are plenty of people in Will County and far south suburban Cook County to keep Peotone running. That doesn’t even include the cargo potential of the Will County airport. There is so much distribution in the area companies would be foolish not to take advantage of it. Kudos to Weller for finally stepping up to the plate on this and pushing back that carpetbagger JJJ. And if by chance JJJ gets control good luck getting approvals by the Will County Board as the entire airport is in unicorporated Will County.
Comment by notasangryjolietan Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 3:40 pm
To Vanilla Man, the Colonel, and others like-minded:
The “existing infrastructure” and “support Chicago” arguments strike me as completely lame and mere fig-leafs for Chicago political control.
Logic dictates that a third airport for the future of this METROPOLITAN area is in the lower-cost, less developed cornfields of the Willco area. It is safer and affords less-hassle future growth. Chicago and Chicago area air travelers ALREADY have convenient access to air travel at O’Hare, Midway, Gary, and even Milwaukee.
The strongest selling point of a third airport is to relieve the air traffic pressure around Chicago itself and provide for a new transcontinental/ international flight footprint in this area. That is essentially the function of the “third” airports in LA, NYC, and DC. A third airport makes sense for those air travelers who have to change in ORD and never gete out of the airport.
Such a third airport will yield tremendous long term economic benefits for the City of Chicago itself. It enhances use and service of ORD and Midway, and Chicago will benefit from regional development anyway. The craven concern over who gets to tax a gate or control airport vendors is simply small-minded and ignores the big picture. (Neither LA, DC, nor NYC “control”their third airports) Continued fighting for City control over this stuff is eventually self-defeating in the long run; why won’t you payrollers ever get that?
Comment by Anon Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 4:28 pm
Anon4:28, your post seems well thought-out but remarkably uninformed. The City is not directly involved over the fight to build Peotone, and is not involved at all in the governance of Peotone– that is right, not at ALL– it is only Will County and JJJ. Daley has previously said he doesn’t care if it is built. And why should he? He knows nobody will use it.
The 3rd airport will not reduce the congestion at Ohare. The FAA and IDOT’s own estimates show that in 10 years, the airport will have about 30 takeoffs and landings per day. You know what Ohare has? over 2000. Doesn’t sound like much of a safety valve to me.
And if you think that Will County is being small minded when it says that it doesnt want JJJ (who does not represent the Peotone area) and his cronies (e.g., Bensenville and Elk Grove Village, which are about 50 miles from Peotone) running ANYTHING in Will County, you are nuts.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 9:03 pm
The only ‘Regional’ airport expansion that makes any sense is Gary, IN. Jesse Jackson, Jr. needs this airport, but Illinois does not.
A regional airport in Gary where the infrastructure is already in place is the only one that makes sense.
Comment by Pat Hickey Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 10:23 am
JJJ’s airport died this week. First, Weller stuck a knife in it in Congress. Then, Lisa Madigan stuck a second knife in it, finding that his aiport plan was illegal. Hooray!
Comment by Anon Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 11:29 pm