Illinois legislators buck billion-dollar airport
Posted By Jim Hagerty On March 22, 2011 @ 3:03 pm In Happening Now | 2 Comments
Staff Report
Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) and a large group of state legislators from northern Illinois today sent a letter to Gov.Pat Quinn (D), urging him to stop spending precious state resources on a proposed multi-billion dollar airport in Peotone that is unnecessary and unwanted by the major airlines.
At a time when the State of Illinois faces unprecedented financial challenges, the governor should cancel plans to spend another $100 million on Peotone as allocated under the state capital plan, the letter states.
The deal announced last week by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to proceed with a major expansion of O’Hare International Airport further reduces the necessity for another Chicagoland airport.
The letter is signed by U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, Illinois Senators Dave Syverson, Tim Bivins and Christine Johnson, and Illinois Reps. Joe Sosnowski, Dave Winters, Jim Sacia, and Robert Pritchard.
The legislators discussed the letter at a news conference today at the Chicago-Rockford International Airport.
“We believe it is unconscionable for the State of Illinois to continue to waste precious taxpayer resources on this unnecessary project as the state struggles with record budget deficits and debt,” the letter states. “In light of the major expansion of O’Hare International Airport, it is even more egregious and unnecessary for the state of Illinois to continue to spend scarce taxpayer dollars on the South Suburban airport that the airlines have said they do not want or need.
“As an alternative to Peotone, the existing Chicago-Rockford International Airport (RFD) currently offers passenger air service and can ramp up quickly to accept even more passenger flights and relieve O’Hare without spending hordes of taxpayer’s money.”
Article printed from The Rock River Times: http://rockrivertimes.com
URL to article: http://rockrivertimes.com/2011/03/22/illinois-legislators-buck-billion-dollar-airport/
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