The Destruction of Meigs Field
The Destruction of Meigs Field
The mayor of Chicago exercises dictatorial power--where is the public outcry?
A National Treasure Lost to One Man’s Political Agenda
It took over two years for the Federal Aviation Administration to determine what pilots across the country have known all along--Mayor Richard Daley’s midnight bulldozing of beautiful Meigs field violated Federal law. Legitimate actions taken by legitimate governments are performed in broad daylight and with public scutany, not under armed guard in the middle of the night. In this case the air traffic controllers that worked in the Meigs tower didn’t even know the runway had been plowed under until they showed up for work the next day.
The group “Friends of Meigs Field” released this statement to the press at the time:
Chicago, IL - The City of Chicago today used surprise and shock tactics to start demolishing Meigs Field, the world-renowned airport serving downtown, ripping up runway without notice in the dark of night under police guard. “We are in shock,” said Rachel Goodstein, president of the Friends of Meigs Field. “The City of Chicago had agreed to keep Meigs Field open until 2026,” she said, citing a December 2001 agreement between Mayor Daley and Governor Ryan.
...The demolition came without warning, when dozens of heavy earth-movers descended on Meigs shortly after it closed at 10:00 P.M. Sunday night. The Friends of Meigs only received warning via news media inquiries. When Friends of Meigs representatives tried to visit the airport to talk to officials about the situation, they were turned away from the area by armed police.
“We understand that the City is trying to use ‘homeland security’ as an excuse to destroy Meigs without notice,” said Goodstein. “Of all of the possible things they could do, that’s the worst possible for public security. If there is a security issue at an airport, you work with the users to resolve it in the least disruptive manner, you don’t destroy millions of dollars of taxpayer property.”
The Friends of Meigs Field have repeatedly pointed out that-not only does Meigs Field regularly handle medevac flights and air-sea rescue operations for the lakefront and downtown high rises-it also is the facility responsible for control of all air traffic over downtown Chicago. “Meigs Field is what protects us from what the mayor fears,” said Goodstein.
The Mayor’s Handiwork
The taxpaying citizens of the city of Chicago should be outraged with their mayor. His illegal actions are now costing them $33,000, the maximum fine the FAA can levy in this case. You can be sure that Mr. Daley will not be paying the fine out of his own pocket even though the unilateral decision to destroy one of the most spectacular and important general aviation airports in the country was his and his alone.
“This vindicates what we’ve said all along,” said Steve Whitney, president of the Friends of Meigs Field. “Mayor Daley’s midnight massacre of Meigs was illegal. Good government doesn’t happen in the secret of night.”
But it doesn’t end there. The FAA is also investigating whether the city improperly used over $2.8 million in restricted federal aviation funds designated for airport improvement. According to documents filed by the City of Chicago in December, $2,887,462 in airport funds was spent to demolish Meigs and make way for a nature park. If found in violation, the city may incur additional fines of $8 million or more.
Why would anyone turn an established, high-rent, revenue-generating airport into a $10 million park? There are parks aplenty along Chicago’s lakefront. Perhaps the mayor believes that it will be easier to turn a park into commercial development than it would be an airport.
Let’s overlook the stupidity of such an action from a legal standpoint and instead focus on the safety aspects. Because the mayor failed to notify the FAA as required by Federal law, pilots from around the country were not informed during their pre-flight briefings that the field was, indeed closed. Some ended up landing on the adjacent parallel taxiway since they did not have enough fuel to divert to a suitable alternate airport.
What was Daley thinking?
Originally the mayor claimed that, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 the airport posed a security risk to the city of Chicago. A risk the mayor claimed was so imminent that it the field had to be destroyed in the middle of the night under police guard. It didn’t take long for Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to declare that his agency was never consulted regarding the security situation at Meigs and that he was personally disappointed at the field’s loss. Shortly after these comments the mayor recanted and acknowledged that he really just wanted a park there.
It is now public knowledge that Daley had planned to destroy the airport even before September 11th. He just plain lied.
I sent the mayor a letter about his actions (I was a little angry):
Mayor Daley,
I cannot express to you the outrage I feel at seeing photos of what you’ve done at Meigs field! Even when I am angry I try to show some modicum of respect for elected officials, but you deserve no such treatment. Your irresponsible, self-centered, short-sighted, incomprehensibly stupid and naive actions are nothing less than terrorism. Terrorists attack by surprise, as you have done. Terrorists destroy wantonly, as you have done. Terrorists lie, as you have done. Terrorists make deals they intend to break, as you have done. No one will believe your preposterous claim that this was done for security reasons because Meigs represented no security threat to your city whatsoever.
I used to be proud to tell people that I was from Chicago, but you have replaced that pride with shame. I am still in shock that in an allegedly democratic society one man--one pathetically self-centered man--can unilaterally order the destruction of a valuable public resource. You obviously don’t care about the people that used that airport to conduct business in your city. You obviously don’t care about the jobs and businesses you’ve forced out. You obviously don’t care about the airplanes you’ve stranded at the field. And you obviously don’t care about the safety of the pilots and passengers that could have been hurt or killed because you didn’t even warn the FAA before committing your crime. I almost wish that someone had landed on that runway and was just seriously enough injured to sue the crap out of you personally.
I have a lot of things on my to-do list, but you’ve caused me to add one more--assist those who will have you removed from your position. Surely someone who exhibits this type of emotional instability cannot be fit for the office of mayor. You are a disgrace to your city, your political party, and to the citizens of the United States.
Oddly enough, he never wrote back.
Copyright 2005-2009 by Michael J. Gibbs, all rights reserved.
Monday, September 19, 2005