The Peotone airport was first envisioned in the late 1960s by state south suburban Republicans as an O'Hare/Tollway type of patronage money-maker. Jesse Jackson Jr. was convinced by them to spearhead it as a job-creating panacea. It has never had any airline interest.
For decades the targeted area's property values were depressed by one-third. Now state officials are attempting to "quick-take" this land, while the housing market is dead.
The FAA has still not ruled on the airport's legitimacy, yet Illinois officials blithely push legislation to waste more money for this land instead of putting their own house in order.
We are going to be challenging them in court to stop this endless nightmare for environmental reasons. Others must stand with us to stop these legal thieves from stealing tax money and prime farmland with their hubris and lies. Reason hasn't worked. People power is now needed.
- Anthony Rayson, outreach coordinator for STAND - Shut This Airport Nightmare Down, Monee
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