"Chris W" wrote in message
...
mtmueller wrote:

I for one will not do any business in Chicago if I can help it. I will
stay
away from any trade shows or conventions.

Meigs isn't only the latest reason to not do any business in Chicago. It
is
just the latest attack on the freedoms of those who live and do business
in
Chicago. I wouldn't step foot in Chicago before the destruction of Meigs
and I
certainly won't now.

Here is some boilerplate to facilitate communication of such. I think it can
be permutated into notice of cessation for other business activities pretty
quickly.

Unfortunately, I am unable attend the [event]; it is being held in the City
of Chicago.

As you may be aware, Chicago has some of the busiest and most congested
airspace in the United States. Regrettably, Chicago Mayor Richard Daly
unilaterally decided to close Meigs Field by tearing up the runway from 2am
to 6am on Monday, 31 March 2003. He did so under the cover of darkness and
with police-escorted heavy machinery. Even more shamefully, there was no
public input sought, or any proper coordination with the Federal Aviation
Administration or the Illinois Department of Transportation.

When asked to explain this action later in the day, Mayor Daly declared that
the airport posed a danger to the safety of Chicago citizens - in his view
terrorists could exploit the proximity of the airport to the city. This
excuse quickly fell apart three days later when Secretary of Homeland
Security Tom Ridge publicly refuted that Meigs Field represented any
terrorism threat to the city or its citizens.

It is also worth noting that Meigs Field provided revenue from the sale of
fuel and the fees imposed on flight operations there. Now, the land will be
turned into a park, regularly consuming considerable taxpayer earnings for
expenses incurred for the care and maintenance that parks require.

Moreover, the other nearby aviation facilities that remain (O'Hare and
Midway) are struggling under the increased load of accepting the arrival and
departures of aircraft that once used Meigs Field. Facilities like Meigs
are referred to as "reliever" airports, providing alternative facilities for
numerous aircraft, thereby avoiding extremely busy airports like O'Hare.
Since this alternative has been demolished, literally, the increased
congestion that results is endangering the safety of the flying public and
all citizens of the greater Chicago area.

This is indeed an ironic, unfortunate and bizarre occurrence during the
100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' accomplishment, proving to the
world that mankind could enjoy the benefits of the freedom, possibilities
and convenience that powered flight offers. The willful destruction of
public facilities worth millions of dollars without soliciting comment and
input from the citizens of Chicago, during a time when our nation is
dismantling tyranny in Iraq, is also an extremely disturbing development.

Thus, I have chosen to refrain from participating in events held in
Chicago - a venue that invokes disquieting images of freedom and democracy
lost.

Thank you for considering my point of view. I sincerely hope that
consideration will be given to selecting a location someplace other than
Chicago for future events.