Friday, March 7, 2014

Nearly a half-century of waste continues with Illinois' Peotone Airport

When I began CHBlog several years ago, my sole focus was the proposed airport project in Illinois commonly known as the Peotone Airport. I've moved on, but sadly, the effort to build this unnecessary airport has not. 


South Suburban Airport sentiment
Sentiment of the majority of residents of Eastern Will County, Illinois

The Peotone Airport or South Suburban Airport, or whatever its name de jour, is slated to be built just north and east of the small rural town of Peotone. I once had a very active role there, as not only a longtime vocal opponent of the project, but as a reporter/editor for the local paper. Even though I've moved on, this project is still being propelled forward. The sick irony is that those elected to serve the public are the ones that continue to do the promoting, petting, and prodding of this project. It is at the people's expense. There are many less people fighting now--the last holdouts that refuse to give in to the years of bad ideas and bullying tactics by their own state government. 

This project is just one more that continues to plague the population so the politicos in Illinois can continue to play games as they scramble to secure their own political fortunes.

Make no mistake, this is not a necessary project. It fulfills no transportation need whatsoever. It has been a twinkle in the eyes of politicians, first Republicans in the state legislature, and later, the Democrats, thanks to imprisoned former congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. who tried to adopt it like a long lost child.

This airport has been on the drawing board for nearly 50 years, first written about in the local paper in 1968. Each push always fabricated a purpose, citing why it is needed, always with the hope that one day, one of them would stick. None have. This has been an economic development project, a jobs creator, a replacement and/or supplement to O'Hare International Airport, a replacement for Midway Airport, a freight facility, an answer for the poverty and illiteracy in the south suburbs, and a better airport than Indiana's Gary/Chicago International Airport. It would be none of those. Though never proven, its need has been stated so many times, that it has now been simply assumed. The implied need for this airport is the magic bullet of our time. 

In its tenure, there has been a huge expenditure of time, effort, and money, yet the project remains void of the long-hoped for list of supporters that failed to materialize. There are a few--the same ones who have been pushing it all along. Of course there are the Illinois politicians that envisioned making a name for themselves, though for some, the name they made was not quite what they intended. There are those that have traded their given names for numbers as they serve time in the prison system; some have died; others have moved on to the next project at some other place.
Nice house destroyed by the government for no good reason
State officials destroyed this home for no good reason!

The before and after picture of a lovely rural homestead.

Sadly, the new faces that have inherited the Peotone Airport torch have done so without the knowledge of the complex history that came before. They are unaware of the games that were played out in three states, or the deeds of their predecessors. 

Only the loudest noise has stood the test of time. Oh, and then there is the paper trail, as carefully laid as crumbs by Hansel and Gretel, with all those reams of paper containing written words in executive summaries by paid consultants who wrote what they were told, or so many headlines throughout the years. Few told the real story. 

The newbies now serving in government are unaware and don't care all that much that the loudest claims--what they think they know--have little basis in fact, but are inaccurate conclusions stated over and over until they were merely assumed to be true. Perhaps that was the intention all along. I can attest to being told early on that one of the goals was to wear down the opposition. Who knew it would be five decades?

The thing is, there is no new support. No one has managed to convince anyone in the aviation industry that the Chicago area needs another airport. The same voices speak out. They could get points for consistency if they didn't have an obvious vested interest. Politicians who have seen how big projects, that have 'made' their predecessors, have stars in their eyes and want money in their war chests to guarantee a long and lucrative political career. Developers salivate over paving the planet. Real estate speculators have long believed they were betting on a sure thing and hoped to bank their winnings. Of course construction workers wanted job security for life as they have already learned the benefit of converting farmland to urban sprawl. 

Despite all logic, common sense, and good will, the politicians of Illinois continue to use and abuse condemnation laws they write that allow them to take private property for public use, even though there is no guarantee that a new airport will be used by anyone. After all, they have done it before downstate near the little town of Mascoutah, with the unused Mid-America Airport.

It is almost unconscionable that the state would continue to spend millions of dollars to take people to court, where the cards are most always stacked in their favor, to legally rob people of their homes, land, and livelihoods. It is a disgrace of the highest magnitude. And I'm so sorry to say, it continues.


Enhanced by Zemanta

13 comments:

  1. Yep and now the Iliana highway threatens the people of the same area it seems. Is there no end to this idiocracy?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Illiana has long been a part of the airport, initially as its northern access road. For many years, IDOT included the road to the airport as just a part of it. Only recently did it become a separate entity. Make no mistake, it remains the road to the airport. IDOT has been trying for eons to make the airport appear viable. They hope a new highway in its proximity will make it more attractive. I fear Indiana politicians, many of which are new to this are unaware of its history. I believe they were duped into believing the Illiana was a justifiable. Even CMAP questioned its purpose.

      Delete
  2. I really loved reading your blog. It was very well authored and easy to understand. Unlike other blogs I have read which are really not that good.Thanks alot! Junk Car Removal

    ReplyDelete
  3. i am always looking for some free stuffs over the internet. there are also some companies which gives free samples. Holiday Airport Transfers

    ReplyDelete
  4. Regardless of whether it's domestic or commercial skip employ, we ensure you'll get the most ideal assistance. In case you're weary of making rehash outings to the tip, skip enlist is a far more noteworthy other option. In the event that you recruit a skip you can proceed with your task, interruption free; you don't have to devote any of your time for moving waste to the tip.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A greater number of times than not, skips are situated on carports. On the off chance that you need your jump to be situated on the side of the road. this isn't an issue for us. We'll take the necessary measures to get a license from your neighborhood authority, permitting you to store your skirt out and about, clinging to any rigid enactments!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting? I'm pleased I discovered it though, ill be checking back soon to find out what additional posts you include. cancun airport shuttle

    ReplyDelete
  7. When you book your transportation thru us you guarantee a very good rate for your airport transfers in Cancun. You also receive a confirmation letter (e-mail) with your flight information along with precise instructions for your arrival and departure (depending if you purchase one-way or round-trip services). Our ground operators monitor all the flights and will be prepared to receive you even if an unexpected delay occurred. Take your time at Customs and don't worry: our drivers and representatives will be waiting for you outside the airport with a personalized banner with your name and a big welcome smile. transportation from cancun airport to hotel

    ReplyDelete
  8. Australian cabs developed from cars drawn by horses to motorized ones in only one century. From 1900 onwards, respecting the trend introduced by Europeans, Sydney was the first to initiate such a complex industry. The model was a Sedan and they used to import all the taxis from Europe until World War II began and companies like Ford and General Motors created their own headquarters in Australia. Nowadays, the most familiar models are Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore. The average quotes range between $9.47 - $12.63 (Melbourne) and $10.53 - $13.68 (Sydney) per 2 miles. Taxis Weybridge

    ReplyDelete
  9. buy twitch followers Is it possible to monetize on a Flash games website? Why this internet money making idea may not be such a good one.

    ReplyDelete
  10. https://www.buyyoutubesubscribers.in/2022/01/20/highest-viewed-video-youtube-india/ On the Internet these days, video is king. Statistics show that by the year 2014, 90 percent of all Web traffic will be video based. Just ask YouTube. With more than 1 billion unique monthly users, YouTube is the second-most popular online search engine. With such an active user base, YouTube has given quite a bit of business to video marketing companies, which are being tapped by companies looking to promote products and services. Are you using YouTube for business?

    ReplyDelete
  11. https://onohosting.com Are you hoping to generate more buzz for your website? You can get a lot of attention just by leaving blog comments on other people's blogs. But there is a right way to do this. If done improperly, your comments will be considered as spam and deleted accordingly.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Peotone Airport has been a topic of much discussion and debate. As a proposed new airport for the Chicago metropolitan area, it holds the potential to have a significant impact on the region's transportation infrastructure and economic development.Protect yourself form cyber threats

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear what you have to say!

While anonymous comments are accepted, they are not encouraged. I have long believed that if something is worth saying, it is worth putting your name to it.