Monday, April 23, 2012

Kinzinger and Singer Call on Governor Quinn to Denounce Jackson’s Airport Plan


JOLIET, IL – U.S. Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) and Will County Board Member  Cory Singer today held a media conference call in response to Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s “groundbreaking” event for the Peotone Airport on Saturday.


In light of more troubling information regarding Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s airport plan involving SNC-Lavalin, Kinzinger and Singer denounced Jackson’s plan to eliminate Will County authority over the airport and called on Governor Pat Quinn to stand up and put an end to Jackson’s political stunts.



“Over the years, Jackson has acted like he, alone, has control over the third airport. As a member of Congress, I know that we have no direct control over the process – that is a state issue,” Kinzinger said on the call. “Jackson has used his position to create this notion of perceived power to try to bypass the state process that he couldn’t control. When Jackson couldn’t control an airport under the normal process, he formed his own commission, Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission – which is headed by Jackson’s own governmental chief of staff and ultimately has zero control over the direction of the airport.



“All of his actions, like this past weekend and his call for an occupy movement on the airport property, is nothing more than political grandstanding to force his way into the issue and ultimately, skip a process that he hasn’t been able to bypass for the last decade.



“In addition, I question Congressman Jackson’s judgment when the supposed funding comes from a company that was recently raided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for allegedly trying to smuggle the son of the former Libyan dictator into Mexico. In addition and for different reasons, the World Bank has suspended this company from bidding on World Bank projects following an investigation into a Bangladesh bridge project.”



Singer added"Rep. Jackson claimed he has $700 million of funding for the airport and it's guaranteed by the Government of Canada.  It's false. He's not telling the truth.  We did our own digging and discovered the Government of Canada is not guaranteeing this investment."



“It’s time to end the political stunts,” Kinzinger said.  “I am calling on Governor Quinn to denounce Congressman Jackson’s plan, especially with the ethical cloud currently surrounding this company. If not, it is telling that Governor Quinn, just as Congressman Jackson, have full faith in this company.” 

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Peotone Airport People's Groundbreaking

Ministers from throughout Chicagoland held a People's Groundbreaking for the Peotone Airport, also known as the South Suburban Airport, on Offner Road near Will-Center Road in the footprint of the proposed Peotone Airport:


Monday, April 16, 2012

Stand Up For Farmland, Stop the Peotone Airport Parade and Rally

The group STAND--Shut This Airport Nightmare Down--is planing a "Stand Up For Farmland, Stop the Peotone Airport" Rally and Parade on Saturday, April 21, 2012.  This is the same day Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. has stated he will hold People's Groundbreaking for the South Suburban Airport.

Here is the information on the STAND Rally and Parade from a STAND flyer:

"Rural Celebration Near Peotone
Please attend our STAND UP FOR FARMLAND, STOP THE AIRPORT rally and parade, starting at 8:30 am, Saturday, April 21. We will celebrate rural life, agriculture, and Mother Earth.

Invasion by the Jacksons
We will be firm, but civil. Reverend Jesse Jackson and his son Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. will bring clergy and other airport boosters from Chicago and the south suburbs to "occupy" Peotone, have a fake "groundbreaking," and pray for the destruction of our homes, communities, and farmland to make way for an unneeded airport. This publicity stunt is designed to pressure Governor Quinn into giving Jesse Jr.'s airport group (ALNAC), the authority to build the airport. Jackson's developer (SNC Lavalin),a scandal ridden, foreign-based giant corporation, wants Illinois taxpayers to give them land and pay for infrastructure. If built, it would be another white elephant, like MidAmerica Airport at Mascoutah, Il., which has not created permanent jobs.

Help Us Send a Message
Let’s show Governor Quinn that Illinois citizens want to protect farmland and rural communities, and are opposed to wasting precious taxpayer dollars on this boondoggle when the State of Illinois is $131 billion in debt!  

Parade  and Rally
Meet at Eagle Ridge Farms located at 6104 W Eagle Lake Rd, Peotone, IL 60468 at 8am for check-in; procession begins at 8:30, traveling east to the South Suburban Airport project office, 5710 W. Eagle Lake Road, where the Jacksons will be having their "groundbreaking" at 9 am. We will stop for a press conference as local ministers bless the crops and pray for the preservation of the earth. We will then proceed 3 miles to the Will Township building at Will Center and Beecher/Peotone Road for coffee and snacks.

Please contact Lydia to join us by registering yourself, bike, car, horse, truck, hay rack, tractor at (708) 946-2275.

Contact Governor Pat Quinn and tell him: no eminent domain at Peotone & kill the proposed airport: Phone (312) 814-2121  Fax(312)814-6775
Write:  Thompson Center, FL 16 Ste 100, Chicago, IL. 60601
Email at web site: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Pages/ContacttheGovernor.aspx"


UPDATE:  Video of Groundbreaking: http://willcountynewspeotoneairportnews.blogspot.com/2012/04/peotone-airport-peoples-groundbreaking.html