City of Tay{orvi{{e 

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR 

Greg Brotherton 

May 13,2015 

The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

The Honorable John F. Kerry 

Secretary of State 

US Department of State 

2201 C Street NW 

Washington, DC 20520 

Dear Secretaries Foxx and Kerry, -

A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE 

The United States must protect the Open Skies agreements in the interest of small town jobs 

and economies. I support the Open Skies agreements, and am requesting that you open 

consultations between our government and the governments of. the United Arab Emirates and 

Qatar to address the $42 billion in subsidies received by their -state-owned carriers. 

State and national leaders must work to ensure fair competition among U.S. and Gulf carriers in 

order to protect the economies and jobs in Illinois communities. Residents all over the state of 

Illinois rely on air transit routes from local hubs to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, 

routes that American Airlines and United Airlines have invested in to connect Illinoisans to the 

rest of the world. 

My constituents in Taylorville are able to avoid making the long journey to Chicago when they 

seek to travel nationally and internationally, thanks to the United and American Airlines. These 

airlines connect nearby small towns to Chicago by smaller airports in Springfield and Decatur. 

This saves Taylorville residents time and money, and provides convenience that will be taken 

away if unfair competition among international airlines is allowed to continue. 

American Airlines and United Airlines have notonly connected residents of southern Illinois with 

the rest of the world through these air transit routes, but they have also created 25,000 jobs for 

individuals across the state. It is essential that we fight for these jobs, which will be lost if these 

airlines are forced to cut air service that would be preserved if not for Gulf state subsidies. 

§1lllf111111:11ll.nicipal Building • 115 North Main Street • Taylorville, Illinois 62568-1944 

Phone: (217) 287-7946 • Fax: (217) 824-8752 • Email: mayor@taylorville.net • www.taylorville.net 
Although the Open Skies agreement has to do with international air carriers, the unfair 

competition will have a heavy impact on small town communities in states like Illinois. If these 

unfair practices are allowed to continue, it will be to the detriment of Illinois communities. 

If Gulf states continue to subsidize their airlines to give them the upper-hand, U.S. airlines will 

have to cut their services on international routes as well as the routes that currently connect 

Taylorville residents to larger transit hubs in Chicago and St. Louis. Jobs will be lost in our local 

Illinois communities, and we will be cut off from easy access to travel. For these reasons it is 

imperative that we stand up for the Open Skies agreement and restore a level playing field for 

all airlines. 

Sincerely, 

~t~ Mayor of Taylorville, Illinois 

cc: 

Senator Dick Durbin (O-IL) 

Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) 

Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) 

Governor Bruce Rauner (R-IL) 

s 10-150518-041 
CITY OF TAYLORVILLE 

Municipal Building 

115 North Main Street 

Taylorville, Illinois 62568 

s 10-150518-041 

~he HonorablP ~nthony R. Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave. SE 

Washington, DC 20590