Rep. Jesse Jackson needs a geography lesson
Jackson needs a geography lesson
by Carol Henrichs
Ford Heights is a neighbor of Peotone? In fact, 20 miles separates the two Chicago-area communities.
Nevertheless, on the floor of the U.S. Congress Thursday, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Il, said, "Ford Heights abuts Peotone" in an attempt to secure earmark funding for the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission (ALNAC), his self-created airport authority.
Jackson, Jr. attempted to defend a Republican attack against the funding.
House Republicans have been gaining steam in an effort to try to limit pork barrel spending they blame on Democrats.
They have targeted ‘earmarks’, which is loosely defined as a request for a specific amount of money to a particular organization or project in a congressman’s home state or district.
The issue got personal and close to home Thursday when it was learned that Jackson was asking for $231,000 for ALNAC, as an earmark added to the Financial Services Appropriation Bill.
It was during his defense of the spending request that Jackson said, "Ford Heights, one of the poorest suburbs in the country abuts the airport."
Perhaps Jackson needs a geography lesson, since this marks the second instance that he has tried to mislead people about the airport’s location which is not in his congressional district.
The other instance was on his website where Peotone was listed under the heading "My Home District." All of the communities in Jackson’s district were listed there, including Peotone, which was between Park Forest and Phoenix. Peotone remains in the list, but a new header has been added that reads, "Municipalities on the South Side and South Suburbs including the future Home of Chicago's Third Airport in Will County Illinois Peotone."
Jackson’s spending proposal was criticized Thursday, by U.S. Rep. John Campbell, (R-Ca), who offered an amendment to the legislation to ban earmarks. The confrontation was shown live on C-Span.
Jackson is asking for the funds for what the Republicans are calling "the invisible airport."
"This earmark would direct $231,000 - taken from taxpayers’ pockets across America - for "Minority and Small Business Development and Procurement Opportunities," according to the Republican Study Committee.
Not only does the Republican organization recognize that an airport does not exist, but they protest that Rick Bryant, its Executive Director, who runs ALNAC, spearheaded by Jackson, is also Jackson’s paid staff member. Bryant is Jackson’s Deputy District Administrator, earning $23,999.99 in 2006, according to Jackson’s website.
Republicans charge that Jackson said he wouldn’t pursue federal funds for the airport. They claim that Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been enthusiastic about the new airport only because it would not use public funds.
During Thursday’s confrontation, Jackson played a clip of the governor’s 2005 state of the state address where he stated his support for Peotone. Jackson claims the only thing standing in the way of the airport is Blagojevich’s agreement to lease state-owned land to ALNAC.
Yet, he fails to mention that only a percentage of the land is owned by the state and the remainder is in the hands of unwilling sellers.
Campbell questioned the use of small business and procurement opportunities for an airport that doesn’t exist.
"How can that be?" he asked, since even if it were approved today, it wouldn’t exist for many years.
Jackson argued that he is not seeking federal funds for the airport, but rather for small business opportunities to maximize the benefits of women and minorities to work in all aspects of job training.
When Campbell tried to enlist Jackson in a debate on the House floor, Jackson refused to speak, saying he would allow Campbell to continue, but that he would give closing remarks.
He took the balance of his time to turn the debate into a pro-airport commercial, complete with an easel and posters showing the airport layout plan.
Jackson said IDOT is now in the process of submitting ALNAC’s plan to the FAA for approval. And, he added that a Record of Decision could come in six months.
He denounced Campbell’s two terms in congress who jumped into a three-decade old discussion first advanced by (former Gov.) Jim Edgar.
Jackson pointed out facts as he sees them, such as Midway’s runways are too short, O’Hare reached capacity two years ago, and ALNAC is a legitimate airport authority who plans to build Chicago’s third airport with public-private funds.
"I have been almost solely responsible for leading the effort," he said, "for the last 12 years to attempt to solve the airport capacity crisis.
"Now is the time for planning," Jackson said, without the usual preface, that this airport is purported to be the most studied airport in history.
I think congress should spend the entire $231,000 Jackson asked for and send him for therapy to teach him how to tell the truth. I am so tired of hearing his twisted facts, and angry when he LIED to congress when he said a record of decision would be given within six months. I'd like everyone to challenge him to explain just where he got that piece of information. His word has never had any credit ability with me, and after his latest speech, it just got even worse!
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What an outstanding article! This revelation destroys the claim by ALNAC promoters that their personal project will not be a tax burden but will be totally privately financed. Now we know "the rest of the story." Next question is, what else aren't they telling us?
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I must agree w/ CHBLOG of 6/29/07 that "Jackson needs a geography lesson." Concerning Jesse, Jr.'s comments on the floor of the U.S. House, make it obvious that he failed Geography 101. His words also raise questions as to his (or Mr. Bryant's) lack of memory. Regardless of fault, it was Jackson's well-paid assistant, speaking for his boss, who said in the NW Indiana Times, "the plan to build an airport in rural Will County has been pushed back at least six to eight months." All that Illinois citizens knew about Jackson's Airport plan as of a year ago July was postponed, or not, the discussion about a new Chicago area airport will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2008.
No longer is this a matter of wasting millions taken from illinois taxpayers, Jackson wants money from the pockets of taxpayers "across America." The only things EWC folks can be sure of, is getting little in the way of truth from the parties involved in preparing a layout plan for a SSA near Peotone.
From Jackson's June 19, 2006 press release, Bryant threatens Eastern Will Co residents, saying, "the state must begin condemnation [eminent domain] proceedings to obtain the necessary land…"
Its about time somebody recognizes "that an airport does not exist" in EWC. On the other hand, I'm wondering, from whom Bryant receives his $24K salary, Jackson, or the money donated to ALNAC by those "poor communities" about which he is so concerned?
Meanwhile, an IDOT spokesperson, I presume speaking for Division of Aeronautics chief, Suzy Shea, said "the FAA is currently reviewing the airport plan…" The DOA knew was as blatantly false, as Ford Heights, abutting the airport. The FAA did not receive ALNAC and SSA layout plans until February 2007, when the two-plan submission was rejected. The FAA is still awaiting IDOT's tender of a "preferred" airport layout for an airport in EWC.
Although State Sen. Debbie Halvorson "wants to make sure the mayors closest to the proposed site are included in the process," I don't believe she considers Ford Heights or Phoenix in the same way Jackson sees them. Both towns are well north of the northeastern border of the SSA footprint near Crete. A quick look at a map of northern Illinois reveals that these towns do not "abut the airport."
Halvorson's further support for EWC citizens, whose land does abut the proposed SSA, came in her July 2006 statement, "I don't believe it is a good idea to start court proceedings (for land acquisition) until we know that the FAA is going to put the airport there…"
[Quotes from: "ILLINOIS Area leaders in support of plan await FAA approval, land acquisition…" article July 2, 2006 www.nwitimes.com]
God Bless All, Walt McElligott
Beecher, IL USA
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This situation just does a wonderful job of illustrating the upstanding nature of the Jacksons. Like father, like son. Apparently neither are able to recognize facts or truth, only large bags of cash. Just the sort of people that belong in the public trust.
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Jesse Jackson should make a public accounting of the funds obtained and spent by ALNAC.
The list should include who sent the money , when it was sent and any amouts spent and who received those amounts.
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We are starting to wonder what has happened to the more than one million dollars that was given to Jackson for the promotion of the third airport in Peotone.
There has been no public accounting for those funds. We are also interested in learning why it is that when speaking to African-Americans in the region, Jackson talks about the third airport being a economic asset to black folks but a careful review of the black people who benefit from any of Jackson's current projects seem to be the same folks time and time again.
It seems that most of those folks will be those who contribute to his political campaigns and those associated with either Congressman Jackson or his brothers or father.
IT appears, at least from our point of view, that Congressman Jackson thinks he is 'Prince Jackson' or 'King Jackson' or 'Duke Jackson'.
Some of us have had almost a life time of the Jacksons motto, "Vote for me and I'll set you free."
Where are Congressman Jackson's "other plans" for the south suburbs if the airport is not constructed?
We suspect that the third airport is more of a money cow for Jackson and his group.
They are getting a lot of money directed their way but in reality, do we even know if they actually have any private investors for the airport project.
Who has met these investors?
We print four African-American newspapers in the region and we resent Jackson playing the race card in reference to the airport.
Our investigations show that the 'the white people are trying to take the airport from us' is just another of the Jackson's 'vote for me I will set you free' ploy that has been used to pimp blacks in this region for many years.
Jackson and ALNAC needs to open up the books?
Kankakee City News - James Taylor
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For Immediate Release December 17, 2008
Contact: Cary Black, (815) 585-4706
U.S. Congressional Candidate Jimmy Lee’s Response to Repeal of the Weller Amendment
NORTH UTICA, IL—Eleventh District Congressional candidate Jimmy Lee announces support for Will County residents by denouncing the repeal of the Weller Amendment.
In his press statement released after the repeal of the Weller Amendment, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. heralded the work of the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission (ALNAC) and pronounced that the only viable plan for a third suburban airport would be through a public-private partnership. As an attempt to demonstrate the utility of the ALNAC plan, Jackson concluded that implementation of the ALNAC plan would result in millions of dollars in private investment and in the creation of 15,000 jobs.
In response, U.S. Congressional Candidate Jimmy Lee stated, “Congressman Jackson is quick to point to all the supposed benefits of the airport under the ALNAC plan, but he fails to even address the effect that this will have on all the families who live next to the airport. Jackson’s repeal of the Weller Amendment essentially stripped the neighbors in Will County from the right to help make decisions about the overall implementation of the airport. The residents of Will County need the opportunity to provide input regarding flight patterns, noise pollution, and other outcomes that accompany the building of an airport. If someone is going to build a new landing strip in your backyard, it’s only logical to assume that you should have some say in the planning process.”
Lee continued, “The ALNAC plan is inefficient and will not work. Our only option to keep the current situation from moving from bad to worse is for us to act now and to urge the Governor to select the Illinois Department Of Transportation (IDOT) Airport Layout Plan. If logic is to override self-interest, then the only option is for the Governor to submit the IDOT Plan to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“This latest action by Congressman Jackson is just another move in a familiar series of power plays by the Congressman. Honestly, it’s not surprising and simply highlights the dysfunction which exists among many leaders currently involved in our political system,” Lee concluded.
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I'm flattered.
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This was a great post and taught me a lot. Many Thanks.
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My pleasure. Thanks for the comment. Don't miss a single post--subscribe today via email or RSS. Just check out the option in the sidebar at http://chblog.ozarkattitude.com
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