Congressman Jackson Calls Area Near Proposed Peotone Airport "Tumbleweed", STAND Demands Apology

During an interview following his win against Debbie Halvorson in the Illinois Second Congressional District Democratic Primary, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. stated his desire to start the Peotone airport project as quickly as possible in order to create jobs.  Jackson made reference to the area of the proposed airport using the word "tumbleweed", video below:



The next day, STAND (Shut This Airport Nightmare Down) President George Ochsenfeld had the following reaction: "Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., we are not tumbleweed, we are human beings. Our homes and community are dear to us. Our farmland is some of the finest in the world. Why would you tell ABC's Paul Meincke on election night that the site of your proposed airport currently contains nothing but tumbleweed? We demand an apology."

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr, Discusses Peotone Airport with Will County Farmers

Last fall Congressman Jesse Jackson met with Peotone farmers to discuss farming, the proposed Peotone Airport, the newly realigned Illinois Second Congressional District, unemployment, and the current state of the US economy. Jackson stated that farmers who sell their land for the airport will be able to farm the land for free until the time that the airport is build. Here are videos of some of that discussion:

FAA Approves South Suburban Airport Existing Conditions Report

The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has approved the Existing Conditions Report for the South Suburban Airport.  Please find below the Illinois Department of Transportation's Press Release regarding the FAA's approval of the report:

"PEOTONE – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the Existing Conditions Report, a key milestone in the master planning process for the South Suburban Airport. The report marks the third major element of the airport’s Master Plan to be approved by the FAA in 2011, the most for any one year.

“The South Suburban Airport is one of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s top priorities,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider. “This latest approval from the FAA is another significant step in our steady progress toward federal approval for the airport.”

The Existing Conditions Report provides an inventory of the regional setting and land use patterns surrounding the airport site in eastern Will County. The report identifies the economic and social characteristics of the area, including the population levels, employment trends and existing transportation network, while accounting for potential impacts to community resources, such as schools, churches and parks.

This week, IDOT’s Division of Aeronautics submitted to FAA for approval a revised Alternatives Development and Evaluation Report, which will help determine the most environmentally responsible, operationally efficient and cost-effective locations for the airport’s facilities. The remaining elements to be submitted to the FAA are an updated Airport Layout Plan, an Implementation Plan and a Financial Feasibility Analysis.

“We are continuing to work diligently on these final planning documents for the South Suburban Airport,” IDOT Aeronautics Director Susan Shea said. “This has been an extremely productive year planning for the airport. We look forward to working together with the FAA and regional leaders to make this important project a reality.”

The approximate size of the inaugural airport is 5,400 acres, spread over 134 parcels. The state has invested about $33 million thus far toward the purchase of 2,317 acres. Governor Pat Quinn has committed $100 million from the Illinois Jobs Now! capital program toward the purchase of the remaining 58 parcels needed to complete the airport’s footprint.

All of IDOT’s submitted materials to the FAA and the status of land acquisition efforts are available online at www.southsuburbanairport.com."

Anthony Rudis to State of Illinois: Demonstrate a Need for the Peotone Airport

In early October of this year, members of the group STAND--Shut This Airport Nightmare Down--held a 'Harvest Fest".  STAND officers state the purpose of the Harvest Fest was to reach out to individuals, groups, and elected officials to "help prevent this politically-driven project from becoming a reality."

STAND--Shut This Airport Nightmare Down--held a harvest fest in October 2011

Midway through the Harvest Fest, Anthony Rudis arrived and neighbors gathered in the garage to hear his remarks on the proposed Peotone Airport.  Rudis is 100 years old and owns one of the largest pieces of land in the inaugural footprint of the proposed airport, which is visible on the map below, from the Will County GIS Department:

Rudis stated: "To this day, not a single governmental body has come up with a study that says this is why we need it.  So that what does it mean?  It means the legislature and other governmental bodies are looking for a soft touch.  They'll appropriate money, not for the widows, but for the airport...what they are going to do here is destroy the economy of many families..."  Watch the full video:

No Airport in Peotone Group holds Harvest Fest

The group STAND--Shut This Airport Nightmare Down--held a "Footprint Harvest Fest" Sunday, October 9, in rural Will County. 

STAND officers state the purpose of the Harvest Fest was to reach out to individuals, groups, and elected officials to "help prevent this politically-driven project from becoming a reality." 

The keynote speaker at the Footprint Harvest Fest was scheduled to be Jon Stewart, the main organizer of the successful campaign to stop a 3rd runway at Heathrow Airport in London. 

STAND members say they are fighting to stop the State of Illinois from using eminent domain to gain control of land in the footprint of the proposed Peotone Airport.  Anthony Rudis--a 100 year old owner of property in the footprint--was in attendance.   Regarding the state's plan to use eminent domain to take his land, Rudis stated: "This land is not for sale, I do not want them on my property and I will do what I can to stop them.  This is terribly upsetting.  The FAA has not approved the project, and they have no business moving forward, wasting taxpayers' money."

Photos from the Harvest Fest:

Hand-made signs lead the way to Harvest Fest in rural Eastern Will County

Harvest Fest goers look out over land slated to be in or near the Peotone Airport footprint

Display of "No Peotone Airport" signs from throughout the many years the State of Illinois has been buying land and attempting to buy land for the proposed "Peotone Airport"

Will County map showing--in pink--the proposed initial airport footprint, and--in purple--the ultimate full outline of the proposed Peotone Airport Boundary.

No Airport in Peotone Group tries to transfer Cubs Goat Curse to Peotone Airport

Members of the group STAND--Shut This Airport Nightmare Down--created a crop circle in an Eastern Will County clover field featuring the No Airport symbol commonly seen on farmsteads and electrical poles throughout Eastern Will County.

Members of STAND then walked the circle with a goat.  STAND member Anthony Rayson stated the group was attempting to "transfer the Billy Goat Curse from the Chicago Cubs to Eastern Will County and stick it on this infernal Peotone Airport boondoggle.  We're sick of having our families disrupted decade after decade because of this monstrosity."

The goat was christened "Gary" for the event, after the currently operating Gary/Chicago International Airport:

People opposed to the proposed Third Chicagoland Airport paraded Gary the Goat around a No Airport crop circle in an attempt to transfer the Billy Goat Curse to the Peotone Airport

Rayson further stated: "We're not willing to to be forced out of our homes and farms for this nightmare political boondoggle. "

Rayson acknowledged that some people might consider the crop circle and goat ceremony unconventional, however, "if people don't understand our logical arguments over the years, maybe they'll understand this nonsense" Rayson stated.

Watch the ceremony:

Shut This Airport Nightmare Down will Demonstrate Against Use of Eminent Domain for the "Peotone Airport"

STAND (Shut This Airport Nightmare Down) will hold a demonstration Monday, July 11, from 11 a.m. to noon at the Tinley Park Convention Center where Governor Pat Quinn will speak to the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce.  Quinn is speaking at the Chamber's "Regional Consensus Luncheon".

STAND will display a large banner which reads “NO EMINENT DOMAIN AT PEOTONE” and demonstrators will have other signs. STAND will be at the entrance to the Convention Center, which is off 183^rd Street, just east of Harlem.

STAND wants Governor Quinn to promise that the state will not use eminent domain to forcefully take people’s property for the proposed Peotone airport prior to the FAA deciding whether an airport can be built.  According to STAND, that decision is two years away. The state has already initiated eminent domain on a small number of properties and is threatening to do massive eminent domain condemnations soon. STAND claims this is unfair to property owners and unfair to taxpayers who will pay for this property with borrowed money.

For more information on STAND, contact president George Ochsenfeld at (708) 534-7319.

Eminent Domain was a hot topic at STAND's last meeting: