Submitted for your consideration by Ms. Christine Kutt Zolt
Many thanks to any and all citizens of the bubble known as Park Ridge for your support of ORD-REST - the organization created to gain relief from the O'Hare Modernization Plan. As apolitical as I would like to be, I will hold my tongue for private, verbal discussions - but I will say this. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.
The OMP is in process. We coulda, shoulda, woulda done things different and protected our little hamlet from the Big Bad City of Chicago and the FAA. But we didn't. Still, not all hope is lost.
In case you've not noticed, there is a new sheriff in town - who has a million reasons to do the right thing to protect the health, welfare and economic status of all citizens - even those who live near airports. Of course, our little problem here in Mayberry isn't going to be at the top of his list, yet once he solves the economic crisis (don't get me started), ensuring quality of education, environmental safety and value of prosperous markets will come into play. Our little problem is the perfect opportunity for the elected officials of the great State of Illinois to be heroes, help solve our problem and that of those in Orange County CA, Seattle WA, Cincinnati OH and other areas where air traffic is intolerable.
There is a way to achieve balance. We don't know what that balance is, but let's go with this:
The team that has created ORD-REST wants to search, find, aim, fire, shoot and hit the target that will gain relief. We're committed and we'll do our best to move this agenda forward. Luckily I'm "in between opportunities" and only working part time - so I can throw myself into and at this effort.
The residents of Park Ridge are paying big for the City of Chicago to fill their bank accounts whilst using our skies. All residents in Park Ridge are affected as this intolerable increase in air traffic - passing over 5 elementary schools and pointed directly at our top ranked High School - is foxtrotting with everyone's property - in every way, in every corner, in every ward of our City. To suggest that "we" didn't care about air traffic until the new runway opened is inaccurate. Many of us supported the SOC and have been commenting and fighting airport noise for many years. The opening of 9L/27R was the straw that broke the camels back - the dam has broken and the flooding has begun.
I'm not ready to give up. I hope you aren't either. Attend the next ORD-REST meeting scheduled for January 17th at 1:30 at the Park Ridge Library to find out how you can be part of the solution.
Or you could move.
Respectfully,
Christine Kutt Zolt
January 8, 2009
Don't Give Up! - Guest Comment
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41 comments:
Yes - I agree with most of the talking points here but I also believe that Daley is on a fast track for his ORD build out plan
for one reason: 2016!!
Maybe we have not heard correctly but a preview to the world for the city this May is to host a military week along the lake front.
Only this will be a huge aramata
of US Navy ships, planes and amtracs coming up along our beaches!
Yes we are going to be invaded by uncle sam's mountain climbers.
It will be big, costly and allow the 2016 IOC comte to see us in action.
Well, I think we should pull out of Chicago first rather then Iraq.
Why....because of the body count here in Chicago is over 200 in the last six months...and its less in Iraq!!
WE have our own fight right here in the silver spoon community as one Chicago reader put it.
Well, we can certainly thank Daley and his cohorts for the sign off of the O'Hare expansion and more...
Let's also give a big thank you to Gov. Blago, Dick Durbin, Jan Schakowsky, Danger Dan Kotowski, Howie and the rest of our little racals for helping us down the path of devalued homes, schools in the glide path, no sound proofing, yellow snow, Rosemary ranting ( get that hair down - plz ) and more...
See you at the ORD-REST mtgs - after all what's playing at the pickwick is not reality compared to the non-fiction that we read daily here.
Ms. Kutt Zolt:
Hope you're enjoying your 15 minutes of fame, but let's cut to the chase: Where were you and the rest of your hot-to-trot ORD-REST villagers for the past four years while the new runway was being planned and built? Did you have the same sleeping sickness as our mayor and our city council?
Do you have even the foggiest idea of everything that has gone on with O'Hare over the past ten-twenty years, with SOC and the ONCC? If so, what makes you think there is some magic bullet out there that has escaped notice by the SOC, the ONCC, and whatever other powers that be (state, federal, heavenly) that will provide the relief you seek - whenever you figure out what it is?
But I'm glad you're mad as hell. Now figure out who to be mad at - start by looking in the mirror, then stroll over to 505 Butler Place on a Monday night at 7:30.
And one other thing: When did Park Ridge become a "bubble" (are you channeling Fr. Cark Morello?)
Anonymous January 8, 2009 6:54 AM:
You sound just like Rosemary "Rosie the Riveter" Mulligan at ORD-REST last week - blame those damn Democrats, even though the Republicans nationally and our local Repubs like Denny Hastert, Mark Kirk, etc. went right along with all things O'Hare.
And as a later comment pointed out, where were all of you Johnny-come-latelys while all the planning and building was going on? You were probably Frimark purple ribbon wearers supporting Howie the Republican.
ORD-REST should rest in peace. The horse isn't just out of the barn and over the hill, but the barn has burnt to the ground and nothing will grow on the charred ground. And knuckleheads like you (and Howie) let it happen.
But why don't you ORD-REST nuts start calling and writing the Int'l Olympic Committee (that is who you mean by the "IOC" isn't it?) telling them to give the 2016 Games to Rio unless Daley turns our airspace into a no-fly zone. Those IOC officials can always use a laugh to break up the monotony of steroid and blood-doping investigations.
The issue here is that most if not all of us were paying attention to the proposed airport expansion. What is happening here is that the runway is NOT being used in a manner consistent with the original plan.
The second thing here is that we as a community and citizens need to ask ourselves do we really need to have the world's largest airport in the middle of the Chicago Metro area? Do we really need to double the number of flights coming into O'Hare? During this financial crisis, should we be spending millions of dollars on an unnecessary expansion of the airport when the money could be better spent elsewhere? All of this is being socially irresponsible.
If we all were to sit silently on the sidelines and not say anything then we get what we deserved. This has happened time and time again throughout history as people just went along.
The fact is we are supposed to be living in a democracy. And in democracies people have a right to be heard and our elected officials are suppose to listen and do what the people want done.
Therefore we need to stand up and be heard. We need to tell our government we don't want the skies over heads filled with low flying planes spewing out noise and air pollution.
So don't tell me and others it's too late to fix it and to live with it.
Mad About O'Hare...you should be mad. But at what or who? You say the runway is not being used as planned. That's not quite right. The FAA's Environmental Impact Statement which was presented at ONCC meetings (not attended by Howard) showed that the runway would be used by all sizes of jets, and nowhere in that report does it say the use would be limited to bad weather days. There is even a map showing a dagger of noise pointed directly at the south side of Park Ridge.
Sure, the City of Chicago may have provided bad info on its website, but Frimark should not have been relying on them. He should have and could have attended the ONCC meetings where he would have received accurate info from the FAA and the ONCC. He does not get a pass from me, and he should not be getting one from you either.
I am trying to remember. Where did this new sheriff come from? Do you think he will turn on the people who brought him to the party?
How is it that the "conventional" press in this town completely ignored Schmidt's O'Hare press release in their publications this week? Are they trying to help Howard save face? It is especially curious/bothersome since they gave Howard a full page of propaganda space last week. Inquiring minds want to know.
MAON:
The question of whether "we really need to have the world's largest airport in the middle of the Chicago Metro area?" is not even worth discussin, even on a blog or over a beer. That decision was made decades ago, hasn't changed since, and Park Ridge has no chance in the world of changing it - unless we've got another multi-billion dollar "economic engine" up our sleeve that we give to this region to replace it.
As for whether "during this financial crisis, should we be spending millions of dollars on an unnecessary expansion of the airport when the money could be better spent elsewhere," on what are we here in Park Ridge going to tell Washington to spend it? More bailouts to Wall Street? More jumbo shrimp for the next IAG weekend retreat?
The fact is that you/we have already sat silently on the sidelines, as did our Mayor Howard Frimark and his aldermonkeys, while this runway was being built. That's why you/we are now getting what you/we/they deserved. And you/we/they need to face that fact and accept responsibility, not run around like nitwits trying to make it look like we were hoodwinked in the dark of the night by some secret O'Hare/FAA scheme.
So if you're serious about wanting a democracy where your elected officials listen to you, then stop wasting your and everybody else's time and effort chasing rainbows on a ridiculous O'Hare crusade and start doing things locally that you can have some effect on. Try helping those residents running the police station referendum drive get enough signatures to put that question on the ballot, since the same mayor and aldermonkeys who screwed the poodle on the new runway have now twice refused to even put the question on the ballot.
Bottom line, you and ORD-REST should be marching on City Hall and holding Bozo Frimark's and our BOZO aldermen's feet to the fire by demanding taht they start doing what they were elected to do - represent us - instead of making messes and then having their constituents clean up those messes.
But I won't tell you and others it's too late to fix it and to live with it. You've got no interest in taking responsibility for your own negligence or in realistically assessing the mess we're in. In that regard, you and our mayor have something in common.
To Ms. CK Zolt,
I agree that you should not give up. Now that you have decided to take an active role in fighting the OMP, I say give it all your gusto.
Just don't ask that I help pay your bills for the fight you are just now getting to. Like others and the PRU said the other day, SOC was a failure. Even the idiot Ald. Bach said SOC is a failure, right after he said maybe we should rejoin SOC.
SOC didn't end when Park Ridge bailed from that legal sinkhole and they SOC hasn't stopped anything. While you are claiming that many of the ORD-REST members supported SOC and have been fighting airport noise for many years, I don't remember you or anyone writing any letters to the newspapers about it in the last several years since we haven't been members of SOC.
Your silence and the silence of any other ORD-REST members on this subject has been almost as deafening as the planes going over our heads. You even admit that the dam is broken and the flooding has started, so I guess you and the rest of the ORD-RESTers had to get all wet before you woke up.
Nevertheless, I still say go for it if this is your new or renewed passion, but don't ask me to pay a penny for your new hobby because you are "in between opportunities" right now, which sounds alot like if you weren't "in between opportunities" right now that you wouldn't be giving this a whole lot of your time and attention.
PRU,
This is completely off topic and I'm sorry but I didn't know where to ask this. I am wondering if you know the results of the Dist. 64 caucus vote last night?
Anon@12:01 --
We do.
LOL. Will you tell us?
Anon@12:05 --
We thought about it but our ADMIN decided that the privilege of announcing the District 64 and 207 slate of endorsed candidates belongs to the caucus.
We will publish an announcement from them if we receive one.
I must ask...is Howie still sticking by his "we didn't know about it" regarding the pattern of the new runway?
Anony-mouse,
Who knows? I haven't seen any real statements from Howie on O'Hare. Maybe though the press has some kind of blackout order on the topic because from one of the comments above it looks like they aren't printing statements about O'Hare.
What happened, when did it occur, when a tax-paying citizen lost his/her right to protest a current event? We can disagree with the effectiveness of the protest, but to deride the effort itself, what happened? Were the last eight years that poisonous to the idea of free speech? It isn't like the ORD-Rest people want to debate the Revolutionary War. The issue with the airport is happening now (and will continue until the new runways down along Irving Park in Bensonhell are built and some portion of the planes are routed that way).
Personally I don't think she'll have much success, but that means I won't attend meetings. It doesn't mean I'll deride her efforts or question what she was doing however many number of years ago, as if that was some qualifying requirement to have an opinion now (as much as many on this blog wish to make duration (of residency, etc.) a prequalification for having an opinion.
Moreover, having passion about one issue, the airport, isn't a slight to nor does it diminish the importance of other issues. If someone wants to fight about the Police Station (a great issue) so be it, they have that right, but one doesn't exclude the other.
ORD-Rest, god bless and godspeed.
When it comes to O'Hare, we could start a new game: "Where's HOWIE?"
He's probably calling up everybody he can think of (Jan Shak, Dan K, Durbin, Obama), or having Rosemary Mulligan call them on his behalf, to try to make it look like he's actually on the ball. If he can get the voters to forget about the past four years, he's home free.
^
^
Rosemary would have to be making those calls for Howie, because Howie's too busy making calls to the local Democrats; hoping to drum up their support for his re-election bid.
I'm telling y'all, Howie must have suffered a total and irreversible break from reality.
CK Zolt-
Why does it matter that the high school the planes are "pointed at" is "top-ranked"? Are you suggesting that it would be okay if it was an average or poor high school the planes were flying over?
Charles,
You are such a sucker for a damsel in distress. Part of your charm.
I get the impression a lot of people are weary of the Chinese Firedrill that fighting O'Hare noise has always been. I sense little patience among the populace for another political spinning of wheels and getting nowhere. I also perceive that there are those who feel economically threatened in some way and are looking to head off anymore foolish spending at the pass.
I too wish ORD-REST god bless and godspeed. I too am suffering the obnoxious remodeling that is O'Hare expansion, but I too would resist with every fiber of my being contributing any of my taxes to this newest version of an O'Hare fighting Chinese Firedrill.
Back in 85 or so, Mayor Washington came all the way out from the 'city' to the bubble and visited PR Mayor Butler in his office at 505......to talk about O'Hare noise..... Where did that get us. And I am sure Hizzoner Richy will do the same...
Charles:
In the debate over the Wall Street bailout, somebody made the analogy of not wasting a tourniquet on a dead person.
Like it or not, opposition to O'Hare expansion is the equivalent of that dead person. All of the tourniquets ORD-REST is belatedly trying to tie off is worthless because the prospeects of successfully resisting expansion are DEAD - unless you've got at least $500 million to see and call O'Hare's $500 million new runway bet, you can't even play this hand. Which means WE - Park Ridge - are out of the game.
And frankly, I'm sick and tired of all these people who have buried their heads in the sand these past several years while the new runway was being built now waking up and expecting that everybody will dance to their too little, too late, tune.
But if they don't have the decency to blame themselves for sticking their heads in the sand, they should at least have the decency to condemn our elected officials who were supposed to be representing our interests but who did nothing. Starting with our official ONCC representative, Mayor Frimark, followed by his designated alternate, Ald. Bach, and then going down to every other alderman and city official.
We had almost 4 years to address this problem, and except for that Markech woman we didn't do squat until the runway was open and the airshow was running.
I applaud Christine Kutt-Zolt for at least having the gumption to try to DO something. It is better than sitting and kvetching. Why not contribute to ORD REST? At least the money would be going directly toward an effort to help protect the people and schools. It is not just about noise, there is an all important issue of safety!
Yes, we must protect our top ranking schools. They keep people coming to this town and keep our property value up to say nothing of the quality professionals they help produce. Don't think all is automatically lost. If the Berlin wall can come down, so can "King Daley's" empire.
Bach is one of Frimark's stooges. What would you expect from him other than embarrassment. If Frimark wasn't the mayor, Bach wouldn't have even run for the office.
On another topic.
Do we know what is going to happen at the Napelton site at Greenwood and Busse? The wrecking ball is about to pay a visit.
Could it be getting ready for the new police station?
AJ
I saw one of those funny posters not too long ago that are supposed to be mockeries of corporate inspriational sayings.
The funny poster said:
Winners never quit. Quitters never win. But those who never win and never quit are idiots.
I was reminded of that poster when reading this blog today.
The approach to a very difficult issue such as the new runway and its negative effects is one to be applauded.
8:55pm states that we should give up and let Daley crap on us - daily!!
At times civilians will think that way too.
Don't give up - keep up the fight to save you home, your neighborhood and most of all our families welfare.
You can always go and live in a cave!
about the Greenwood/Busse site--I thought that association that has offices on NW Hwy purchased it and are building a new home office.
about the ORD b.s.--has anyone read the letter and attachments from the FAA posted on the city's website? It has COPIES OF EMAILS from the FAA to people about the proposed track of the new runway. They are from 2005.
AJ-as I understand it the American Society of Anesthesiologists bought the property for about $3.4 million dollars. What will they do with this property? One of the thoughts as I understand it is to build a separate structure to house the library and museum that currently resides inside their current building. If this is the case, the Library is a charity. Will the ASA apply for exemption for real estate taxes sometime in the future for the old Napleton site? It may be able to get real estate tax exemption if the building they put on the site houses a library and museum. Just something to think about-this would be a loss of tax money to PR from commercial properties.
What is this "Hope you're enjoying your 15 minutes of fame" crap??
You can argue about what are her prospects of success of success (very small). You can point out out how our elected officials failed (I agree). You can ask where were all these people when before the runway was being built.
But to imply that this is somehow for her 15 min of fame and that she is somehow enjoying this is just rediculous.
Were the people on Fairview who organized against PADS/St. Mary's looking for their 15 min of fame? How about the parents at SPC?
Ord-REST nuts???? It seems like public activism is a wonderful thing so long as you are on board.
What a joke.
Talk of the expansion was going on for years. Committies, forums and action groups oppossed were formed. Final plans were made public. Public continued to fight. The FAA and Mayor Daily still got their way. Funding was approved. Millions spent. Construction complete. FAA approved. Runways opened. More planes on new routes. Now we want to make a stand to stop??? Wake up people! We all failed. Our represenatives failed. We failed by not doing more and not holding our reps more accountable. What are we going to do, play stupid now and say we didn't know?
Your right!
Most failed to stay on top.
They won!
The community lost.
Surrender!
Anon 4:14 - I am. And ditto on the tax dollars. I'm not against people tilting at windmills, provided they don't ask for public money to do it.
Father MacKenzie - Good Christ. Sometimes, Freud said, a cigar is just a cigar. Maybe before you start ascribing motiviations or positions to people you ought to have perhaps an iota of evidence, a jot to support your implication. Until then your comments provide insight into the baggage you're carrying around, but nothing about the discussion at hand.
Anon 7:44 - tourniquet on a dead person? Colorful... and, sadly, dead-on (you could say). We'll agree to disagree, however, on ORD-Rest's speaking out now. Yes, earlier would have been better. But, reductio ad absurdum, wouldn't the most effective opposition have been back before Daley the First made O'Hare the new replacement for Middway? I mean, if we can dismiss fighting the problem now because the efforts didn't begin 2, 4, 8 yrs ago, then weren't those efforts then also flawed for the same reason? If you're sick about ORD-Rest b/c they weren't involved at an earlier time, when you were involved, then couldn't someone else complain about your efforts for the same reason (i.e., should have been fighting earlier)? Point is, I'll support you on the tourniquet line of debate, but not this one. As to former alderwoman (aldermaniac?) Markech, she's a pistol, and like her or love her, you had to admit she was going to do her damndest to do her job, as opposed to bloviating or playing politics, rather than doing the job.
Anon 8:00 - top-ranking schools? Ditto. Father Mac, Anon 8:00 and I are awaiting your ascriptions of our motives. Before you point out Pride is a Sin, you'll recall, I hope, presumption is rooted in Pride, and then you'll send Ms. Zolt an apology.
Anon 8:31 - ditto. I couldn't / didn't say it any better.
Anon 12:57 - was the failure political, as you suggest, or was it perhaps personal, in that we each individually made a choice to move w/in a par 5 of one of the world's busiest airports? Lots of folks want to ascribe guilt or failure to others, but few want to admit it, it seems to me. "Moving to the nuisance"?
Christine,
I applaud your effort and appreciate you taking the lead on this. We are all to blame for the current runway situation, and contrary to the opinion of several of the respondents, the city (meaning all of us)should absolutely financially, legally and administratively participate in the effort.
Where have all the leaders gone? Where is the protection, the reflection of the voice of the people, the sound of outrage? They want to "play nice". To hell with NICE! It's time to let PR and Il. puppets for Chicago that suburbs won't tolerate being used and abused so that they can make a few bucks at other's expense. Embarrass them, vote them out, kick them in the pocketbook, but don't roll over and do nothing. Let's circle the wagons and fight TOGETHER!
When are the debate(s) ?
Can we get Fox news to run it ?
Does Howie have a VIP card to get through the TSA line...really ?
Will Acting Chief Tom S. make Chief ?
Who is going around kicking people for signing the PD petition ?
Yes - Howie is a goner if they can prove that too!
Hey - down will come Napleton's Caddy,Buick & Pont blgd. What will go up there....CVS ???
Who will clean up the mess in those pits ??
EPA>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
we need you - now!
This passive aggressive approach
taken by Christine is the same as the Obama campaign taken.
I agree with the previous statement
" lets circle the wagons on this issue".
Screw being nice.....to the point where you get :
- 400 planes over our home daliy.
- Yellow democratic - crap dropped on you.
- The air quality is becoming bad and will only get worse this summer.
- The noise level(s) have gotten to the point where you can't sleep ofter 12 midnight - at times.
- Mayor Daley's machine - team knows what the hell there doing.
Yes - Christine keep your peace signs, hippe approach. We can all go to the park and fly a kite after your love in!
Say - where's my cowsill's records anyway.............
Like peace man....way to go man.
God help us all!
Mr."Fiber of my being", Will you use those fibers to wipe away the tears when one of those tanks incinerates a couple of blocks of homes? Will those fibers come in handy to fill the void when junk hurls down on a playground?
Just what would be an appropriate place for your fibers?
anony-mouse,
Thank you for pointing out the city web documents. The first time I looked there, all I noticed was the FAA response to Alderman Bach.
I went back again and looked for the emails you talked about and you know what I found? In those email discussions of the new runway and flight traffic, Howard Frimarks email address is listed as a recipient. He was receiving the information former Alderwoman Disher was distributing and the information former Alderwoman Markech was asking about.
Howard, you have truly turned out to be a very disappointing Mayor.
Keep those calls, letters, and e-mails going to Katowsky, Shakowsky, and Durbin on the runway issue. Make it clear that windows won't do! Yes, we CAN fight city hall and let "King Richard" know that we will rid ourselves of the scourge of Chicago politicians aka his Stepford stlyle playmates ONE...VOTE...AT...A....TIME!
Did you know that Il. is not one of the eighteen states that has a recall process? Maybe we should change that.
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