What is Chicago suddenly having more air traffic problems?

naunga

New Member
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a bill Wednesday authorizing a $6.6 billion expansion of O'Hare International Airport.

"The expansion of O'Hare doesn't just affect Chicago, it doesn't just benefit northern Illinois, it doesn't just benefit one or two carriers. By expanding O'Hare, all of us are lifted," Blagojevich said.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said the plan will create "an airport for the 21st century" that will be paid for by users of O'Hare rather than taxpayers.

Supporters said the project will mean more than 195,000 jobs and $19 billion in economic benefits for the state while maintaining O'Hare's status as a national transportation hub. The project still needs approval by the Federal Aviation Administration before construction can begin.

The measure gives the city of Chicago more power to seize land in neighboring towns to expand the airport, which is plagued by delays. It also limits the state's ability to block the project.

Daley brought the plan to the Legislature after a similar plan was blocked at the federal level.

Critics have argued the expansion would harm neighboring communities. The project involves removing about 600 homes and businesses, as well as two cemeteries that contain 1,500 graves.

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So not only can Daley demolish an airport in the middle of the night, but your home as well. An hey your deceased loved one, well f***k them too. And if anyone wants to do anything about it well tough.

I swear Daley is a creep. What next? Tear down to Sears Tower because having such a tall building in the middle of downtown makes Chicago a target for Al Qeada? Why would they target Chicago sounds like their best member is running the city.

Okay I'm done.

Cheers.

Naunga
 
I dont like losing meigs, but i think its as good as gone, so let it go. I think it has a lot of value for some people b/c it was the startup for flight sim for a lot of us when we first got interested in flying. New airports open old and ones close, it sucks that it has to happen to meigs but Adios!
 
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as well as two cemeteries that contain 1,500 graves.


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Not a nice thing to do to your most loyal voters.
 
Meigs is gone forever so get over it! The debate on O'hare has been going on for years. The land is needed to build terminal 6. The houses that will be demolished were built after the airport was already built, as a homeowner you have to expect this, and those homeowners are getting a decent buck for their houses. It's a no win situation people bitch that there are delays at O'hare, the city says o.k. we will expand the airport, and those same people complain that their houses are being taken away because of the expansion. You know what gets me the most is that it's the people from out of state that keep on criticizing Daley.
You only see the bad, and not the good that daley has done for the city. While I agree that the closing of meigs was BS, it's done and over with!
 
Well if I have read correctly, Daley promised not to touch meigs, and then demoloished the feild. I don't think it takes a PHD to figure out that at the the very least he's a liar. Maybe with any luck, the same thugs he represents will get sick of him and put a contract out on his A**!
 
So, with United already in financial trouble, Daley wants the USERS of O'Hare to pay for this. If United goes under, will he bulldoze O'Hare?
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I fully accept (although not happily that Meigs is gone), but I take issue with the way that the new resolution works (as portrayed by the article). It basically give Daley the right to demolish personal homes the same way he did Meigs, and it removes the State's right to delay the project. This gives one man too much power. It's akin to congress giving W the power to declare war on anybody.

I see the need for airport expansion, and I agree that if you built your home by the airport after the airport was built you have no right to bitch about things like noise, but your home should be safe from demolishion. Here in Cleveland, the City agreed to buy the houses from the owners that were in the way path of the new runway, but now since economy is going down the tubes Queen Jane is reneiging on this deal. Which means that these people who a year or so ago started building new houses elswhere or bought new houses are not going to get money to payoff their existing mortgages.

In short, I'm not so concerned for Meigs, I'm concerned for what I see happening to home and possibly business owners in Chicago and even in my own city.

My two cents.

Naunga
 
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Meigs is gone forever so get over it!

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Don't sweat this mentality, Naunga. It's the same as saying "The WTC are gone forever (along with the 3000+ that died in them), so get over it".

Doesn't matter HOW it happened... it just happened so we'd better just "get over it", right?
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The point that I *believe* Naunga is getting at is that it should not be allowed to happen AGAIN.

Just my take.

R2F
 
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The point that I *believe* Naunga is getting at is that it should not be allowed to happen AGAIN

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That and that it shouldn't be allowed to happen to people's homes etc.
 
Not all the people are against having the houses bought out and destroyed. There are plenty of people that say they would willingly take the cash to be able to move away from O'Hare. There are already suburbs like Park Ridge that have pulled out of the fight against O'Hare expansion because it's a losing fight and most people there just don't care. A majority of the complainants are not the residents (except for the seniors who always seem to complain about O'Hare! You moved NEXT to the world's busiest airport, you THINK it might get a little loud?!) As for the cemetary's, they are not used for new burials, one is already 'inside' airport grounds. How many times have coporations bulldozed indian burial grounds and other cemetaries? I've heard of grave relocations many times before. Yes, it seems kind of morbid, but it is something that actually has been happening regularly. You have to realize, your deceased relatives will NOT stay buried in their graves for as long as you can remember. I believe in Chicago, it's 99 years or something. Heck, In New Orleans, it's only one year I believe. Most graves have multiple bodies in them. When your 'time' is upon for a second time, they pile your bones up and place another body in there for the next 'rental' period. How is that any different than relocating to a new cemetary? Daley has had land-grab authority over the suburbs since the start, it's just that he has taken his time to try and appease the suburbs as much as possible. (They are not part of his voter base, so he had no reason to care and wait, but he did). They're only argument left now is that they 'claim' that the FAA will NOT approve O'Hare expansion so it's all a waste of time and money. I'm sorry, but I have a better chance of winning the lotto in every state than the FAA not approving O'Hare expansion.

I hate what Daley did with Meigs, and i disagree that he's a good mayor (I know people in the City, both city hall and the police, and can say there is a LOT of contempt for Herr Daley, it's just that no one will put their job and livelyhood on the line to stand up to him. He's too powerfull because of how long he's been in office.
 
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Not all the people are against having the houses bought out and destroyed.

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I don't disagree with that, but the way the article reads (and given Daley's record thus far) it doesn't appear that people are going to be paid. Of course common sense says that they will, but then again common sense said that Daley would have given the aircraft owners at Meigs a chance to leave before the runways were torn up.

Here in Cleveland people signed a contract with the city saying that they had time to secure new housing etc, and the city would pay for the houses. Well, now people have bought new house or are current building and the city has said, "We changed our minds. We can't afford to finish this new runway, and so we're not going to buy your houses." So the owners are having to figure out 1) how to pay two mortgages for a much longer time than they had planned, and 2) how to pay for the legal fees incurred from suing the city.

As for the cemetaries I agree they are not treated as sacred places by those wishing to have the land, but again Daley being the person he seems to be is not likely to be the least bit sensitive when it comes time to move great, great aunt betty.

I really think that O'Hare needs to be expanded, just as Hopkins does, but the officials in both cities need to try to at appear to have some humanity.

I'll say this, if I lived in Chicago near the airport, I'd be scared to death by Daley's "land-grab authority". Giving someone that kind of power makes Chicago seem like a facist state.

I think it's just interesting how people get into office and suddenly forget what it's like to be just a citizen.

Naunga
 
Granted the article is worded a little oddly which I see how you come to the conclusion that they are not being paid. However, I read awhile back that they have already been told how much they will get once the city is able to get the land. The whole land grab deal is a way to save taxpayer money. The city would otherwise have to file tons of paperwork trying to get the land handed over to Chicago, then rezoned, etc. The land grab policy by the Illinois congress allows him to bypass the red-tape and get it done quicker and cheaper. Many of the homeowners are happy, as it was VERY difficult to sell houses that close to the airport due to the noise and threat of an expansion. Now they have an out, and IIRC, they are actually getting more than the houses would sell for on the market. Not a bad deal. I have yet to see anyone under 65 argue against O'Hare in those suburbs amond the homeowners. (not an attack on old people, just an observation from watching the news reports here) I understand the business are upset, but all those places, business and homes, pretty much came after O'Hare. You build very close to an airport in what many people consider the transportation hub of this country and you expect it not to have to grow? It's just natural.

I'm glad they aren't pursuing Peotone as the third airport as aggressively anymore. It was already tried with MidAmerica Airport outside St. Louis and IIRC, it has NO scheduled service and has been 'open' for almost 5-10 years now. It was supposed to relieve Lambert. Only way to go is expand O'Hare. You move next to anything that has the capability to grow (with no chance of relocating) you should consider the fact that you'll be displaced. Oh well... Let's hope they settle all this crap soon enough and get it over with.

too bad Daley is in office for at least another 3.5 years.... argh!
 
For those of you who say to forget about meigs: Its not about meigs, its about how it was closed. What is to prevent the mayor of your city from shuting down your favort airport. I agree meigs is gone, but lets remember that if Daily gets away with it, then mayors will be buldozing airports just because the general public doesn't like it and it helps their politics.
 
Actually, it isn't prone to happen anytime soon. Megis was and is owned by the Chicago Park District (which contains the ONLY commissioners in the entire state of Illinois NOT voted into office by the voters, but placed by the mayor!) However, as Meigs had no federal funding grant restrictions left, the city of chicago had full authority to do what it pleases with the airport. It was their property, their right. Unfortunately, they only violated one reg and that was no advance notice of closing an IFR airport to the FAA. Otherwise, the FAA had nothing they could have done if the City told them they will close Meigs ahead of time anyway. We'd still be doing the same thing, just sitting by not being heard by Herr Daley until Meigs is turned into a park. It's ugly the way he used his night-raid tactics, but as I've said, he did nothing that he couldn't have done. Other airports will be closed as the funding grants expire, though hopefully, people will be given advance notice to hopefully allow us to try and change the politicians minds.
 
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