"Illinois airport director riding high, but for how long?"

Monday, August 25, 2003

Column
Airport director riding high, but for how long?
By Judy Emerson
The Rockford (IL) Register Star


To the tune of "Yankee Doodle": 

Bob O'Brien came to town, 

Didn't dish baloney. 

But if planes halt, though not his fault, 

He'll taste our acrimony. 

Greater Rockford Airport Director Bob O'Brien is riding a wave of popularity
these days, and well he should, given the fact that he put together a deal
to restore limited passenger service to the region. The first planes take
off this week! 

Our airport has been without commercial flights since June 2001. O'Brien set
a goal of changing that when he took over as director in March 2002. 

The "Yankee Doodle" reference comes from Mayor Doug Scott's State of the
City speech last week in which he had a little fun with O'Brien's strategy
to promote the new service. 

The airport is being marketed in some parts as the Northwest Chicagoland
Regional Airport at Rockford. 

"This is just one person's opinion, Bob, but if you keep bringing in cargo,
charter and passenger business, you can call it macaroni if you think it
will help!" Scott told his audience, which applauded enthusiastically. 

O'BRIEN IS DOING the job, no doubt about it. He's creative and likable. He's
being hailed by one and all as a real leader, and he deserves it. 

Suddenly, his name is being used as the standard to aspire to for every
local job from school superintendent to dog catcher. 

But he's only human. As such, he probably will make a mistake at some point
in the future or take a risk that doesn't pay off. 

Will he be allowed to fail in a market that wants messiahs? He doesn't have
to look far for examples of how Rockford treats leaders who can't sustain
the walking-on-water bit. 

They are not only raked over the proverbial coals for their official
failings, they are personally savaged, as well. 

There are too many examples to get into here, but look at the string of
school superintendents who were put through the grinder. 

GRANTED, MAYBE SOME of them didn't measure up professionally, but they
didn't deserve the vicious ouster they got. 

Maybe former Superintendent Alan Brown didn't meet his contract goals, but
some board members treated him as if he were guilty of murder, moral
turpitude or pilfering the coffee fund. They never explained why. 

What is it about Rockford that requires us to do this? It happens with
Scott, Winnebago County Board Chairman Kris Cohn and almost everybody else
in a leadership role. 

They are insulted and ridiculed. They are subjected to rumor, innuendo and
speculation about dark plots and hidden agendas. 

Look no more for Jimmy Hoffa's body. It's buried under the Springfield
Avenue extension. 

I hope we can let O'Brien proceed creatively with his work, even if it means
taking a risk that doesn't pan out now and then. 

Given local history, however, O'Brien should be prepared for tar and
feathering. In fact, wasn't he linked to a new theory about what really
happened on the grassy knoll?


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