FAA Goes after Chicago on Meigs

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

The change in fines for future violations is the only consolation from
this fiasco. Putting Daley in jail would be an excellent outcome though.


On what charge?

That's good to hear George. Where did you hear/read that from? I
hope this will help dicourage any future incidents. There are less
and less places to land anymore. I'm glad I fly helos too! I better
declare/register a heliport on my property soon, before it gets hard
to do.

Bryan "Formerly known as 'The Monk'" Chaisone

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message ...
Matt Whiting wrote:

bryan chaisone wrote:

Better late than never. A little is better than nothing.

I have to disagree and agree with the other poster who said this will
only encourage others. If they can get out of having to return all of
the federal airport funds and close and unwanted airport for a mere $30K
fine, then this is a great deal for them.

If a city tries it today, the fine is $900,000.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

bryan chaisone wrote:

That's good to hear George. Where did you hear/read that from?

AOPA mainly. The "Meigs Legacy" ammendment was attached to the last FAA
Reauthorization bill. It increased the notice from 30 days to 90 and increased the
fine from $1,100 a day to $10,000 a day.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

If he used the grant money to tear up the runway, maybe they can get him on a
federal fraud charge.

Dave Reinhart


"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

The change in fines for future violations is the only consolation from
this fiasco. Putting Daley in jail would be an excellent outcome though.


On what charge?

No, I mean the Democratic Party in Chicago & Cook county, which is run by Daley. It's one of, if not the,
last true, ward-heeling, buy anything, vote early vote often, who cares if they're dead-register them,
don't screw with the Boss political machine in the U.S. The national committees are tea and crumpets
compared to Chicago.

Dave Reinhart


Blueskies wrote:

"David Reinhart" wrote in message ...
That's certaily the "how". The "why" is political pressure from the biggest political
machine left in the country.

Dave Reinhart



Which do you mean, the DNC or the RNC?

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

The change in fines for future violations is the only consolation from
this fiasco. Putting Daley in jail would be an excellent outcome though.



On what charge?



I'm sure they could find something if they look closely.


Matt

David Reinhart wrote:

If he used the grant money to tear up the runway, maybe they can get him on a
federal fraud charge.

Dave Reinhart


"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:


"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

The change in fines for future violations is the only consolation from
this fiasco. Putting Daley in jail would be an excellent outcome though.


On what charge?



Didn't he violate the law that required 30 days notice?


Matt

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
David Reinhart wrote:

If he used the grant money to tear up the runway, maybe they can get him
on a
federal fraud charge.

Dave Reinhart


"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:


"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

The change in fines for future violations is the only consolation from
this fiasco. Putting Daley in jail would be an excellent outcome
though.


On what charge?



Didn't he violate the law that required 30 days notice?


Matt


The punishment for which is a meager fine not jail time.

Good deal. Thanks George.

Bryan

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message ...
bryan chaisone wrote:

That's good to hear George. Where did you hear/read that from?

AOPA mainly. The "Meigs Legacy" ammendment was attached to the last FAA
Reauthorization bill. It increased the notice from 30 days to 90 and increased the
fine from $1,100 a day to $10,000 a day.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

The latest information on this despicable saga is on AOPA's web site:



http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...1006meigs.html

[...]

Daley said he closed Meigs because of security concerns following the
September 11, 2001, terror attacks, adding, "I don't think small
planes should be flying whatsoever in the metropolitan area,
especially in the city of Chicago."

[...]

Daley is also attempting to justify the city's possible misuse of
$1.49 million in federal grants and passenger facility charges to tear
up Meigs. The mayor claimed that the city, which leased the land for
Meigs Field from the Chicago Park District, "lost its lease" and had
no choice but to close the airport. And because the city could no
longer use the land as an airport, it was obligated to restore the
property to its original condition.

That's another of the partial truths propagated by city spokespeople.
While the Park District is nominally independent of the City of
Chicago, the mayor appoints the seven-member board of park
commissioners. To think that the Park District doesn't do exactly what
the mayor wants would demonstrate a certain naiveté about Chicago
power politics. And not to put too fine a point on it, but the man who
ramrodded Meigs' destruction from the mayor's office is now the
superintendent of the parks district.

So what about using federal money to "restore" the property? The FAA
says that federal airport monies must be used for improving and
enhancing airports. Period. Daley claims that federal money was used
to dismantle the old Denver Stapleton airport. The mayor again has
made selective use of the facts. Stapleton was replaced by Denver
International Airport. The federal government does sometimes allow the
closure of a grant-obligated airport, if it is being replaced by a
better facility.

But there's another little legal nicety that the City of Chicago may
have forgotten. The expenditure of federal funds has to be approved
before the fact. Federal funds aren't part of one big slush fund for
local politicians to spend anyway they want — not even for the mayor
of Chicago.