Indeed, Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport already has passed O'Hare as the world's busiest airport. It can be difficult to assess and judge the arguments and counterarguments, the charges and countercharges that fly in Chicago's airport war. Daley and the big airlines say no new airport is needed. Northwest suburban officials have joined forces with the push by Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. Although the northwest suburbs have reaped the benefits from O'Hare, they complain about noise, pollution and congestion.
South suburbanites express anger at missing the economic boost an airport can bring.
These political maneuverings are more than setbacks. The stalemate over O'Hare expansion and the third airport threatens to jeopardize the region's future. It is time for all the parties to get together and come up with a master plan that will best serve the region's economic needs. It's academic for TIFs Finally, the city's use of tax increment financing to spur economic development will pay off for Chicago's schools. This bonanza represents 64 percent more for school infrastructure improvements than otherwise would have been realized.