Peotone Airport

I oppose the Peotone Airport for the following reasons:

1. There are more problems and questions raised by the project than problems solved.
2. This project has been pushed for over ten years. It has made no progress and no clearly defined or proven benefits have been made public.
3. Public monies continue to be expended and committed with no realized or promised return on the investment of tax payer dollars.
4. The major air carriers when polled responded that a third airport in Peotone was not needed nor wanted.
5. No public referendums have been held to allow the citizens impacted by the project to have a voice in this matter.
6. The Mid-America airport project in St. Louis was very similar in scope and planning to the Peotone project. Mid-America has failed to attain any of the goals it initially set out to accomplish yet still cost the citizens millions of dollars without returning the promised jobs and economic growth to the area.
7. The infrastructure of an airport will cost the tax payers multi-millions. New highways, electrical lines, water and waste disposal are only a few of the areas that will displace citizens, destroy farms and habitats and will ultimately render little or no reward.

No Child Left Behind Act

This legislation is leaving children behind and needs to be repealed with authority returned to the states for the following reasons:

1. It is an unfounded mandate that strips monies from existing school programs.
2. Testing does not measure student knowledge and growth.
3. The legislation only provides punishment for failing schools and no support mechanisms.
4. The legislation is leaving children behind and fails to aid children in their development.
5. It takes monies from schools that fail to meet the standard regardless of the schools economic base.
6. Schools with a minimal tax base could find their funding cut in areas that can least afford to loose valuable resources.
7. The states have lost a large measure of control of their states educational system.
8. It has been estimated that by 2012, 90% of all schools nation wide will be failing with the current legislation in place.
9. School curriculums have had to be changed and modified to prepare for this test resulting in teaching students to take a test rather than teaching them useful skills.
10. This legislation could divide communities by singling out failing schools and forcing students to attend schools outside of their community.

Immigration

Mass illegal immigration has a negative impact, some of the issues involved are:

1. The current illegal immigrant population is conservatively estimated at eleven to twelve million people.
2. As the rate of illegal immigration has continued to increase this has placed an unfair tax burden upon citizens and further results in higher consumer costs.
3. Rather than invent new legislation we must support and correct the current laws.
4. It is imperative we support our border patrol with the resources and staffing needed to help them succeed in their mission.
5. Identify problems with immigration legislation and correct them to encourage legal immigration and discourage illegal immigration.

Illicit drugs

Drugs continue to destroy lives and communities. Some of the issues we need to address are:

1. The current policies and programs have had little impact on the availability and use of drugs in our district.
2. We need to forge new partnerships between law enforcement, prosecutors and courts to provide them with the tools they need to do their jobs more effectively and evenly.
3. We need to review and develop programs for detection, prevention, education and rehabilitation.
4. It is unfair that some demographic groups and areas are adversely impacted.
5. It is imperative that we take into account the lives ruined by drugs and help those in areas that are economically depressed.
6. We also need to be more proactive about cutting the sources of drugs off and keep them from entering the United States.
7. Supporting the mission of those who are tasked with protecting our borders would have a positive impact in this area and illegal immigration.