"Amendment 'designed to kill' 3rd Chicago airport: Jackson"

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Amendment 'designed to kill' 3rd airport: Jackson 
BY MARK J. KONKOL
The Chicago (IL) Sun-Times


U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. on Tuesday accused fellow congressman Jerry
Weller of introducing legislation aimed at "assassinating" the only viable
plan to build an airport in the south suburbs. 

Jackson (D-Ill.) says Weller's proposal calls for stopping the Federal
Aviation Administration from approving plans for Abraham Lincoln National
Airport unless Will County appointees control a majority of any airport
governing authority.

Doing so would scare away the airport's current developer, LCOR/SNC Lavalin,
eliminate the airport's current commission and place the so-called third
airport in a permanent holding pattern, Jackson said. 

"Congressman Weller has introduced his amendment. It is designed to kill the
airport, pure and simple," Jackson said. 

Airport commission

A spokesman for Weller (R-Ill.) refused to comment, answer any questions or
even confirm that the proposal exists. 

"All you're getting is a big, fat no comment from us," Weller spokesman
Chris Kennedy said. 

Jackson provided reporters with a "discussion draft" of Weller's amendment,
which would require Will County officials to have a majority stake in
running the airport and controlling airport contracts. 

Jackson called on Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to issue a legal
opinion on whether the Jackson-backed airport commission made up of 34
suburbs complies with state law. 

He also wants Madigan to determine if current laws allow the state to turn
over land earmarked for the airport to the airport commission without
legislative approval. 

Madigan's office was working on that opinion until late fall, when Jackson's
camp asked her to delay that process while political factions struggling for
airport control tried to reconcile their differences.

Legal opinion sought on land

But once Jackson got wind of Weller's plan, he asked the attorney general to
issue an opinion, clearing the way for Gov. Blagojevich to consider turning
over land to the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission. 

"We have now resumed working on (the opinion)," Madigan spokeswoman Melissa
Merz said. But it's not clear if it will be completed by Friday, when
Weller's amendment is expected to pass as part of the defense appropriations
bill. Weller's amendment has the support of U.S. House Speaker Dennis
Hastert (R-Ill.), Jackson said. 

Blagojevich spokesman Cheryle Jackson said the governor wants to build the
airport, but his hands are tied on the issue unless Madigan issues an
opinion or the state Legislature votes to back Jackson's group and turn over
the land.

"We want the airport built and we want to see the parties agree [on who will
run it]," Cheryle Jackson said.


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