My support of the "Prairie Parkway" concept is well known. Whether we like it or not, the unavoidable reality is that our region is growing and continued growth is inevitable. – J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
As I’m sure most Kossacks have heard, Dennis Hastert, former Republican Speaker, has plans to resign from his congressional seat in IL-14 this November. Such a move will trigger a special election sometime before March of 2008. And while Democrats and Independents both in IL-14 and throughout the country are looking forward to a Hastert-free government, a critical piece of Hastert’s corrupt legacy continues to move forward.
Reject Hastert below the fold...
Highway to Hell
Many people will remember Dennis Hastert as the Worst Speaker Ever, but here in Illinois’ 14th District, Dennis Hastert will be remembered for his ‘highway to nowhere’ that has already netted him a cool $1.8 Million in profits. That is right; $207 million of your tax money will complete the middle, 5-mile section of a highway that coincidently runs right by Hastert’s acres of land.
On August 10, 2005, George W. Bush traveled to Montgomery, IL, a distant suburb of Chicago on the Fox River. Welcoming him with big, open arms was the Speaker of the House and Congressman of the district, Dennis Hastert. President Bush was in Montgomery at the Caterpillar Plant to sign the Transportation Equity Act of 2005, a bill worth $286 Billion:
"And that's why I'm proud to be here to sign this transportation bill, because our economy depends on us having the most efficient, reliable transportation system in the world. If we want people working in America, we've got to make sure our highways and roads are modern. We've got to bring up this transportation system into the 21st century."
So what exactly did this bill do to "bring up this transportation system" in Denny’s district? Bush explained:
"Here in Illinois, as the Speaker mentioned, one of the key projects that he's been talking to me about for quite a while is what they call the "Prairie Parkway." I thought that might be in Texas, but, no, it's right here in Illinois." (Laughter and applause.)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Oh, Mr. President! LOL!!!
"Good folks understand what that means to the quality of life around here, when you have a highway that will connect Interstate 80 and Interstate 88."
Good folks understood alright.
And they didn't like what they were hearing.
Citizens are Fighting Back
A survey of 1000 residents in Grundy, Kane and Kendall counties (which will be effected by the proposed construction) conducted by the Illinois Dept. of Transportation found that 72 percent would like to see the $207 million earmark used for other construction projects such as widening existing roads, improving existing intersections, building new connecting roads, better coordination & planning, and improved rail service.
An April 2007 advisory referendum in Kaneville and Big Rock Townships (in Kane County) found that 81% of voters opposed what they deemed the ‘Hastert Highway.’
In response to Hastert’s seemingly inevitable pet project that would destroy valuable natural resources and feed uncontrollable growth and suburban sprawl, twelve separate opposition groups came together to form "47+". Their goal is:
To encourage development and improvement of a diverse transportation network in Kane, Kendall, and Grundy counties by expanding the capacity and efficiency of existing highways and extending Metra rail service to the area.
To focus on improving Illinois 47 as a major north-south artery between Interstate 80 and Interstate 88, supplemented by the Wikaduke Trail and the Eldamain Road corridor and connecting east-west routes.
To encourage investment of scarce state and federal transportation dollars in the existing highway and transit networks instead of introducing new large scale and costly projects like the Prairie Parkway.
To preserve and protect farmland and agricultural resources, environmental features, and the rural and small town communities which make up the fabric of life in the area.
Center for Neighborhood Technology, Citizens Against the Sprawlway, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Friends of the Fox River, Kendall Citizens for Farmland Protection, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nettle Creek Watershed Conservancy, Openlands, Prairie Rivers Network, and Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Stacy Meyers-Glen, (PDF) Policy Coordinator with Openlands had this to say:
"IDOT simply has not shown that the limited benefits of building the highway are justified. The negative results are too great, including destroying thousands of acres of farmland, damaging high quality river and stream environments, and accelerating sprawl."
And Jan Strasma, (PDF) of Citizens against the Sprawlway:
"Ironically, many planned improvements to existing roads may not be built because construction money would be diverted to the Prairie Parkway. Our tax dollars should pay for road projects throughout the region, instead of focusing on one highway with doubtful benefit and substantial harm."
Last Sunday, area residents concerned about losing part of their community gathered together for the 6th Annual Stop the Beltway Family Picnic in Big Rock, IL on the farm of Marvel Davis, whose family has been there since 1836. Local politicians and candidates stopped by for bbq, folk music and to share their support and frustration. One of them was John Laesch, Democrat for Illinois’ 14th congressional district:
I hitched a ride with John and his wife Jen to the picnic and it was a blast! The scenery out in Big Rock is captivating and sooo relaxing! The area is full of rolling meadows and trees and streams and wildlife and farmland. Across the field from the barn I noticed three kids inner tubing down the stream and it was then that it truly dawned on me how tragic it would be to see the interchange of a highway surrounded by The Gap and McDonalds and Wal-Mart mar this beautiful land.
Environmental Destruction
Captivating scenery is not all that is at risk, though. Hastert Highway is not the road we want to travel down. We are past due for a course correction to a path that is sustainable. Tom Schrader, Vice President of Friends of the Fox River weighed in on the environmental impact, both visible and non-visible:
While bridges are perhaps the most visible of a freeway’s impacts on streams, other factors associated with the construction of a freeway have detrimental impacts that are at least as severe to the streams’ ecological health. Runoff from the construction process can contribute to stream siltation, burying habitat and raising water temperatures. Deforestation of riparian areas near stream banks can contribute to erosion and eliminate cooling shade, again resulting in higher stream water temperatures. The added hard surface of the roadway itself contributes to additional runoff resulting in flashier (more prone to flooding) streams. Finally, the inevitable development a freeway attracts will exacerbate the effects of runoff and contribute to increases in treated wastewater inputs into the affected streams. The combination of these effects (increased siltation, increased water temperatures, and more nutrients added from wastewater) will result in degradation of some of the best stream habitat in northern Illinois.
Making Sense of Insanity
So let’s review. Nobody ever asked for this highway. In fact, what area residents have asked for, but not received are improvements to existing infrastructure. Over the course of at least six years, citizens have rallied together to form a large coalition of opponents to Hastert Highway. Voters in both survey and referendum have overwhelmingly rejected the idea of tearing apart farmland and open wilderness in return for slabs of concrete, suburban sprawl, heavy traffic and pollution. Even Governor Blagojevich has said the Prairie Parkway is "not a priority" for him. SO WHY IS IT HAPPENING?!?!?!?!
Well, Denny could give you 1.8 million reasons:
(CBS/AP) House Speaker Dennis Hastert denied Thursday that he pushed for federal funding for a proposed highway in northeastern Illinois so he and his wife could reap about $1.8 million from land deals near their home in Kendall County.
The Sunlight Foundation, a newly created group whose declared aim is to inform the public about what members of Congress do, has accused Hastert of not divulging connections between the $207 million earmark he won for a highway, the Prairie Parkway, and an investment he and his wife made in nearby land.
Friends, I don’t have to tell you we need better leadership in Washington. You already know how corrupt the Republican Party is and how deeply they’ve infiltrated the inner workings of our government. You’ve seen how difficult it is, even with majorities in both houses of Congress, to drain the swamp.
What I will say is that we have been given an amazing opportunity. The former Speaker has signaled that he will likely step down from his seat in November. Governor Blagojevich (D-IL) will then have until March to schedule a special primary and a special election. If he, as some have suggested he might, schedules the special election on February 5th (the same day that many Illinois Democrats and fans of Barack Obama will head to the primary polls), increased Democratic turnout could flip this district blue months before the November general.
What You Can Do
We can’t let this opportunity slip through our fingers, which brings me to John Laesch, political activist, former military analyst in the Middle East and Union Carpenter. No doubt many of you already know who John is. In 2006, John challenged former Speaker Dennis Hastert for his congressional seat in IL-14 and forced Hastert to actively campaign for the first time in nearly twenty years. John has also diaried here many times. So has his brother, Sgt. Peter Laesch, who served in Iraq.
John knows the Congressional 14th well and is very engaged with the citizens who reside here. He’s running a people-powered campaign to give power back to its rightful owners, the American citizens. ‘Hastert Highway’ is just one example of Republicans and Washington insiders subverting the will of the people so they can stuff an extra dollar in their pockets – and it, like FISA is the kind of thing that John will fight against when he goes to Washington.
Take a few minutes to visit John’s website where you can find out what’s going on in the campaign and how you can volunteer if you’re in the area. Oh, and don’t hesitate to hit the Contribute button. John’s millionaire opponent is prepared to spend a lot of money so he can vote with Melissa Bean and the Blue Dogs:
Foster said he’d be a Blue Dog Democrat, a coalition of moderate and conservative mostly Southern lawmakers. Rep. Melissa Bean of Barrington is one of them.
"There’s not much they’re pushing for I don’t agree with," Foster said.
I don’t know about you all, but I don’t have much of a stomach for capitulation.
Thanks for reading. :)
ACTION ALERT: Attention all residents of the state of Illinois, YOU can help to stop the beltway! Please call your State Legislator and tell them that you oppose the Prairie Parkway. You can get their phone number by clicking this link and entering your address. Give Blagojevich a call while you’re at it. The Prairie Parkway/Porkway/Beltway/Sprawlway/Hastert Highway to Nowhere is NOT inevitable! With the budget currently stalled, Illinois legislators are in a vulnerable position. It’s time to exploit their vulnerability the way they exploit our tax dollars! Oh, and don’t forget to check out 47+, the coalition that’s working so hard to put an end to this madness.