By Jon Hilkevitch | United and American airlines’ lawsuit against Chicago over the expansion of O’Hare International Airport will move toward trial after negotiations have so far failed to break an impasse, officials said Thursday.
Both sides on Thursday asked Judge Richard Billik of Cook County Circuit Court to lift a one-week delay on hearing the lawsuit, which seeks to prevent the city from borrowing more money to keep the O’Hare project going.
The delay was intended to give negotiations a chance to resolve major differences over the financing and timing of new runways.
Mayor Richard Daley said Thursday that the talks will continue, although he blasted the airlines for allegedly reneging on their promise in 2001 to help see through the overhaul of O’Hare.
“If you live in China, this airport would’ve been built today,” Daley said at a City Hall event at which it was announced that Virgin America will start service at O’Hare in May.
The O’Hare modernization talks, arranged by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Illinois’ two U.S. senators, have gone nowhere, officials said.
The city wants to immediately begin the $3.4 billion second phase of the O’Hare project, while United and American don’t want to pay for new runways that the carriers say will not be needed for many years.
In their lawsuit, the airlines said they would be saddled with $7.7 billion in costs related to the city’s borrowing plan.
In court on Thursday, city attorneys asked Billik to act on Chicago’s request for dismissal of the lawsuit.
Airline attorneys requested that the judge proceed with their motion for an injunction to stop the city from going to market with a $1 billion bond sale to finance some of the runway construction.
The city postponed the bond sale after the airlines filed suit last month.
No matter how this goes the taxpayer is going to get stuck with the bill. All so King Richard gets another Bronze Plaque.
“If you live in China, this airport would’ve been built today,” Daley said at a City Hall event…
More “Daley speak”? And he’s going to be a highly paid speaker in retirement? At what, a comedy club?
well sir daly if this was the same as china people would earn their pay and do the job they are getting paid to do instead of laying back and waitng for someone else to do it like all the overpaid worthless union help that we get stuck with
Of course it could have been completed years ago if it were in China. In China their dead ancestors are revered and are kept a home with them. The cemetery that was IN THE WAY had burials to be moved and relocated to new FINAL RESTING PLACES. RIP hardly.
Daley’s China comment reveals a great deal about his attitude toward government and the subjects, er, citizens.
Daley is mad about the AIRLINES reneging? How about the City agreement that DALEY broke that he would never float bonds that would compel the Airlines to pay back? HE was the little tyrant that felt he could just shove this in the airlines face. I’d say good riddance to Daley but his clone is just waiting in the wings.
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Daly:
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If only the airlines were as
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flatbroke as the city and state.
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Can’t we just all go broke together
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before I leave town for good?
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All you people do is complain of everything.
The city is correct that the runway project should be finished now at todays prices. Come 5, or 6 years in the future, you would be complaining that capacity isn’t in place for the growth that was planned for. I can’t believe anyone would have sympathy for the airlines at this point in time. Have you checked fares from O’Hare lately? And with all the nickel and dime charges airlines are passing on to passengers. We need MORE competition at O’Hare with more airlines have a seat at the table, not just American and United.
This issue should be decided pretty quickly in court.
Didn’t Daily renege on that very agreement by bulldozing Meigs Field?! What a two face!
Leave it to Daley to look to communists. He would surely run a man over with a tank to get his way. Instead of building what is not needed FIX WHAT NEEDS FIXING – OUR DISASTEROUS ROADS!!!
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