Shortshank's Waterloo ????

August 25, 2009
Daley hears critics on Olympics, budget, parking
Posted by Dan Mihalopoulos at 11:01 p.m.

Mayor Richard Daley fielded complaints about crime, the city’s Olympics bid and the parking-meter controversy Tuesday night during a packed public hearing on the South Side, but he offered little direct response to his critics.

In a short speech that was received with a mixture of cheers and jeers, Daley defended his oft-criticized deal to lease the city’s parking meters to a private company. He called it a financial bonanza for the city but said “the implementation was not good at all from the city’s side.”


“I know that, you know that,” Daley said.
The mayor stopped short of an apology—a point noted by some critics in the audience. He also skipped over harsher language that was in the prepared remarks his staff gave to reporters—in that script he was to say “we screwed up the way it was implemented.”

Parking rates went up as a result of the switch, which also was plagued with widespread technical problems for motorists.

The meeting was the first of three hearings that are held annually by the mayor in the run-up to the release of his budget plan. While Daley warned participants to “respect one another,” the session was at times turbulent.

Daley did not directly respond as several critical speakers unloaded, but mayoral aides later approached them quietly to discuss their concerns.

Some in the crowd expressed concerns the mayor places a higher priority on the bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics than on problems in neighborhoods.

“The crime rate is so high, we would be an embarrassment for the United States,” said South Side resident Michelle Dixon-Holmes. “People will be gentrified away from their homes for a two-week event.”

Daley smiled but did not answer when she noted that Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis has makes a higher salary than the president and asked if Weis would continue to work at that pay rate if the city’s 2016 bid fails.

Carol Smith, an activist for the mentally ill, blasted the mayor for closing the decision to close mental health centers.

“Why should people who have mental health problems suffer because the administration screwed up?” she asked Daley. “I want an answer right now.”

Daley sat stone-faced for several seconds as many in the audience yelled for him to reply. Finally, the city budget director said the health commissioner, who sat at the front table with other members of Daley’s Cabinet, would address the question. But he did not immediately answer, and Smith walked from the microphone.

Melvin Slater, one of dozens who signed up to speak, pressed for financial details that the city has not released as part of the preliminary budget, such as the amount paid by the administration to settle lawsuits against police.

The crowd jeered and laughed when budget director Eugene Munin replied, “We’ll have somebody talk to you.”

A mayoral aide approached Slater as he left the room at the South Shore Cultural Center and spoke with him for several minutes. But Slater said he was disappointed that there were fewer details available at the time of the hearing. Without more information, he said, “Then it’s just for show.”

In some cases, the speakers seemed more intent on making a comment than getting an answer.

"The words 'I'm sorry' never came out of the mayor's mouth regarding the parking fiasco," said Ted Seals, a member of the Grand Crossing Park Neighborhood Network who left the room after making his comment.

As he walked away, Seals added, "I was told we were going to have a great apology tonight. I didn't hear anything like that. It was more of a vindication."

Many of the comments centered on the Olympics, including a plea for funding from Queen Sister, who heads a community group in the predominantly black Roseland neighborhood called It Takes A Village.

She suggested that Daley places higher priority on the Olympic bid than on the problems of her neighborhood.

"You talk about bringing forth the Olympics, a multi-cultural event, when in the city African culture and black pride is being denied," she said, with 30 young men from her group standing behind her in bright yellow shirts.

"I am so damn tired of hearing about the Olympics," added Judith Rodgers, who lives near the proposed Olympic stadium at Washington Park.

She said venue construction is "going to tear up Washington Park, which is a black park."

Sharon Payne of the Woodlawn neighborhood said only "big wigs" want the games in Chicago.

"We can't afford it, sir," she told Daley. "Please think this over again."

The mayor smiled tightly and said nothing but "thank you" at the end of her remarks.

The last word went to an Olympic backer.

"Our community is in full support of 2016," said Leonard McGee, president of The Gap Community Organization on the Near South Side and the last speaker of the night. "2016 - bring it on.'

The mayor will do it all again on Wednesday and Thursday. The schedule is below.

Wednesday: Central West Regional Center, 2102 W. Ogden Ave.

Thursday: Laughlin Falconer Elementary School, 3020 N. Lamon Ave.

Hearings begin at 7:00 p.m. Those wishing to speak should be there early for registration from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.


dmihalopoulos@tribune.com

Posted at 11:02:40 PM in Chicago politics, Mayor of Chicago, Olympics