8th Congressional rivals disagree on transportation
The three candidates for the 8th Congressional District profess very different stances on local transportation projects that would require federal support.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, a Democrat from Barrington, sees support for O'Hare expansion and rail improvements as an investment in the nation's safety and economic competitiveness.
Republican Joe Walsh of McHenry agrees with the importance of O'Hare modernization, but believes the current focus on rail travel is one the public is being force-fed by environmentalists.
Green Party candidate Bill Scheurer of Lindenhurst is an outright opponent of both O'Hare expansion and the proposed STAR rail line that would connect the airport with suburbs to the west and south. He believes the 8th District's congested roadways are most in need of federal support.
Scheurer said he's unconvinced there's a serious capacity issue at O'Hare and believes Milwaukee's Mitchell Field is already fulfilling the role of a third airport. If anything, the transportation corridor between Milwaukee and Chicago should be improved, he said.
Investment in the STAR line, Scheurer believes, would be a waste of money.
"It seems like a solution in search of a problem," he said.
The best place to spend federal money would be on widening traffic-choked roads such as routes 21, 45 and 83, Scheurer said.
He criticized the large amount of money the federal government is spending on transportation nationwide, and doesn't believe the 8th District is getting its fair share of it.
A new road project Scheurer would support is the northern extension of Route 53.
Walsh also favors the project, saying it meets the criteria of strongly improving road congestion.
"It needs some federal leadership," Walsh said. "It's an issue I made a big deal about during the primary."
Walsh said he is sensitive to the property rights of residents who would be displaced by the project, but would fight for them to be compensated beyond the market rate for their properties.
He also criticized Bean's handling of the sale of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad to Canadian National, an issue that strongly affects her hometown of Barrington.
"I don't think the sale should have been approved," Walsh said. "It doesn't seem at all that Canadian National has lived up to some of the things that they promised."
Bean said she has remained on top of the issue, holding CN accountable for safety measures at intersections, including ensuring that emergency vehicles can cross while lengthy freight trains pass through. It's a clear-cut example of a foreign company creating a burden for local governments and their constituents, she added.
Bean said her long-standing approach to transportation issues - to focus on projects that will have the greatest regional impact - is all the more appropriate in these revenue-challenged times.
That's why she believes in the importance of O'Hare expansion, the STAR line and high-speed rail projects that match the sort of internal improvements other nations are making to stay competitive in the global marketplace.
Bean said she already has a track record of support for important local projects such as the Route 120 McHenry bypass and access ramps from Interstate 90 to Meacham Road in Schaumburg.
The 8th Congressional District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.