To borrow a line from Will Rogers: Buy Peotone, they’re not making it anymore.
Gov. George Ryan announced in his budget address Wednesday that the state will start to buy property in that south exurb to build a new airport.
On the face of it, that’s not a surprise. The state has budgeted $30 million over the last two years for Peotone property. The money’s been there, but the governor, not wanting to aggravate Mayor Richard M. Daley, has declined to spend it.
This time, Ryan says, he means it. He’s going to start buying land for the airport. He’s asking the legislature for another $15 million for Peotone purchases.
The early speculation in Springfield is that the governor is taking a big and perhaps unnecessary risk.
Daley for years has quietly but effectively squelched progress on a third Chicago-area airport. He’s kept a firm grip on O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport and fended off any suburban competition. All the while, the distinct need to expand aviation capacity in Chicago–an issue that means jobs and economic expansion–has gone neglected because the mayor liked the status quo.
So, yes, Ryan might aggravate Daley. Who cares.
Governor, go for it. Start buying.
The business community has politely told the mayor that airport capacity needs to grow. The governor has politely declared that he would like to build a new airport. The mayor has not listened.
In battle terms, what Ryan did Wednesday was announce that he will annex Peotone and sue for peace.
Now he has to press Daley to make good on their agreement to sit down and start talking seriously about airports–with O’Hare expansion also in the mix. It has been three weeks since Ryan revealed that he and Daley had agreed to such a discussion. No meeting has been held yet. No meeting has been scheduled. When is it going to happen?
Maybe Ryan’s latest move will ruffle the mayor. Maybe this will create some partisan friction in Springfield. The wily speaker of the House, Democrat Michael Madigan, quickly ventured Wednesday that he might not appropriate any more money for Peotone land. The speaker would be wise not to play games with this one.
“If this state is to remain economically competitive, we must increase our air transportation capacity and we must do so now,” Ryan said Wednesday.
Exactly right.
