Kirk Wants More Private Partnerships for Illinois

In May 2009 a first of its kind deal to privatize an airport fell apart in Illinois.

Judging by his comments Monday, Mark Kirk thinks the deal should be resurrected.

The junior senator from Illinois said Monday that he would like to explore in more detail the possibility of public-private partnerships to help keep the state working.

"That's the trend internationally," he said during a presentation at the Public Affairs Committee of Chicago.

Kirk wants to allow commercialization of rest areas on highways to provide state's with more resources; airports like Midway, and more. It's part of his overall plan to build new roads, airports and railroads without using federal borrowing.

Supporting him today were Congressman Dan Lipinski and Congressman Randy Hultgren. 

"My participation in today’s event reflected my belief that we should be trying to find common, bipartisan ground to provide alternative financing for transportation at a time when revenue is in short supply. At the same time, privatization is no substitute for robust public investment. CREATE is a great example of a successful public-private partnership; I have helped garner $333 million in federal money, $300 million in state money, and over $120 million in private money for this critical Chicagoland program."

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