UPDATE: In the comments
O'Hare Airport is the second busiest airport in the world and exists within the 41st Ward. It would be interesting to hear from the candidates about airport issues:1. The O'Hare Expansion Project: The project is about 50% completed/50% undone at this stage and finding the money to complete it has been very difficult. The major airlines who initially committed to partially financing the project have indicated that the current economic climate has hurt air travel and there may not be a need to expand after all. The two major airlines involved have filed a lawsuit because they want to halt financing plans for the projects they have not yet approved. The city wants to begin construction in time for the spring season.
The mayor wants to move forward with the expansion, and the city was positioned to sell about 1.2 billion dollars in airport bonds this week. Selling the bonds is on hold until the outcome of the airlines lawsuit is made. While airline approval is not needed for borrowing, the airline carriers are challenging the city’s ability to proceed with the construction of projects that would be financed with the bond proceeds. Every layer of gov't is involved including state legislators and the feds too. Will the next 41st Ward Alderman see his/her involvement in this project as important? And why?
- Should the O'Hare Expansion Project continue? And in what manner? It has been one of the largest construction projects in the country over the last few years and it is managed by the Chicago Department of Aviation (http://flychicago.com/).
- How will it be financed? The city is now trying to sell over 1 billion in airport bonds and plans to sell another 1.5 billion in the near future to pay for the next phase of the 6.6 billion dollar expansion project.
- How will continuing and/or not continuing the expansion project impact the communities in the 41st ward?
2. The Airport and the Environment
- The last Illinois EPA Air Monitoring assessment of communities surrounding the airport, was done in the year 2000, from what I could find; almost eleven years ago. Will the next alderman try to push the Illinois EPA to perform annual and on-going testing of the air, soil and water in and around our communities?
- What steps has the city and the ward taken to be involved in the "Airports Going Green" Program.
3. The Airport and Noise
- What on-going efforts has the city made on our behalf to monitor, mitigate and abate air travel noise within the 41st Ward?
Readers: What other airport questions should the aldermanic candidates be answering?
