Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has wanted to close Meigs Field for quite some time. To be more accurate, Daly’s wife has wanted to close Meigs. She wanted to build a park there.
In December of 2001 Daley signed an agreement in which he promised to keep Meigs open for another 25 years, this in turn for certain improvements and expansions at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Daley was only buying time, waiting for the right time to strike.
Sunday night seemed to be the right time. At about 11:00 p.m. Daley ordered bulldozers to destroy the runways at Meigs. He used terrorism as his excuse, though he admitted in a press conference that there is not nor has there ever been a specific terrorist threat to Chicago related in any way to Meigs.
The action taken by Daley doesn’t seem to be too popular in Chicago … even with the non-flying public. A Chicago Tribune Poll this morning shows that 70% of the 16,000+ people who have responded oppose the mayor’s action.
So, yet another politician exploits national security concerns to advance a personal issue … and it looks like Daley’s wife is going to get her park. Politics as usual in Chicago.
At least I had a chance to visit Meigs in 2002 in N750DB ... before the Mayor's wife got her wish. Neal Boortz
Interesting trivia: AVSIG [Aviation Special Interest Group] is arguably the very first internet forum ever.