Uncovering the Stimulus

Daley keeping projects under wraps - Leaders call for Transparency

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With President Obama to visit Springfield this week, state leaders and Stop-OMP.org are crying foul with Mayor Daley's most recent comments that the list of stimulus projects are too controversial to list publicly. It is widely believed that one of his projects is the $20 billion "O'Hare Modernization Project" that the FAA and airlines have refused to fund.

"As we prepare a national celebration around Abraham Lincoln's legacy in Illinois we are faced with a state of politics that includes corruption and secrecy, greed and cronyism," said Bensenville Village President John Geils. "Lincoln, one of the best Presidents in history, must be rolling in his grave!"

"While most Americans are expecting 'change' from their government, Mayor Daley is trying to protect the Old Chicago Way," said John Tillman, chairman and CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute. "Now more than ever, we need to have an open, informed debate about spending priorities in Illinois. Voters deserve to know exactly what's on the table and how their money is being spent. We need transparency from City Hall—and from the legislature down in Springfield."

The Chicago Tribune quoted Mayor Daley as saying, "Yes, we do, we have our list, we've been talking to people. We did not put that out publicly because once you start putting it out publicly, you know, the newspapers, the media is going to be ripping it apart."

"It's very controversial. Yes, we have ready projects from the Board of Education to the City Colleges to the Park District to the CTA and the city of Chicago…" the mayor added.

"We have one former governor in jail, we just removed one from office, our state is $9 billion in debt - and Mayor Daley is refusing to disclose his funding requests from the economic stimulus bill? Without transparency, we will have no reform. This is classic Chicago politics. After what we've just gone through with our former Governor I think it is time to say, 'enough is enough!'" said Adam Andrzejewski, director of For the Good of Illinois.

www.stop-omp.org is dedicated to stopping the senseless, ill-advised and flawed O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP) and preventing further unnecessary displacement of families and waste of taxpayer dollars. Community leaders, concerned citizens, aviation industry leaders and economic experts continue to urge the FAA to adopt viable alternatives. These include runway configurations proposed by the Chicago air traffic controllers, use of congestion management techniques, reliance on other nearby airports, and construction of a third airport.