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.” 

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:

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

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: