Type: Title:
Committee(s) Assignment:
Daley, Vi (43) Tunney, Thomas (44) Levar, Patrick (45) Shiller, Helen (46) Schulter, Eugene (47) Smith, Mary Ann (48) Moore, Joe (49)
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Resolution
Congratulations extended to Mayor Richard M. Daley retirement from city service
MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MAY 4, 2011
, The Members of this Chamber wish to congratulate and are proud to honor Mayor Richard M. Daley, the longest-serving mayor in Chicago's history, upon the occasion of his retirement after twenty-two years of unparalleled service to the residents of our Great City and to this Distinguished Body; and
WHEREAS, Born on April 24, 1942 at Mercy Hospital in Chicago, Mayor Daley was the fourth of seven children and the eldest son of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and Eleanor C. Daley. Raised in the Bridgeport neighborhood on Chicago's South side. Mayor Daley graduated from De LaSalle Academy, and he received his Bachelor of Arts degree and Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University in Chicago. A South sider at heart. Mayor Daley is a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan; and
-WHEREAS^Mayor-Daley-began his careerin public-service in-19©9^when he
was elected as a delegate to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention; and
WHEREAS, During this time, Richard Daley met Margaret C. ("Maggie") Corbett at a Christmas Party. Smitten by Maggie's charming personality, captivating smile and natural good looks, Richard asked Maggie to go out with him on New Year's Eve and she accepted. Fifteen months later, on March 25,1972, the happy couple married. Together, they had four children: Nora, who is married to Sean Conroy; Patrick; Kevin; and Elizabeth. Sadly, Kevin was born with spina bifida and died as a toddler. The Daleys have been blessed with three grandchildren, Maggie, Jack and Kevin; and
WHEREAS, From 1972 to 1980, Mayor Daley served as a senator in the Illinois General Assembly, where he spearheaded efforts to remove the sales tax on food and medicine, sponsored landmark mental health legislation and secured rights for nursing home residents; and
WHEREAS, Elected State's Attorney of Cook County in 1980 and re-elected in 1984 and 1988, Mayor Daley successfully pushed for tougher state narcotics laws, dramatically increased the conviction rate for drug violations, worked to overhaul Illinois' antiquated rape laws and developed programs to combat drunk driving, domestic violence and child support delinquencies; and
WHEREAS, On April 4, 1989, Richard AA. Daley was elected Mayor of the City of Chicago and made Chicago history by becoming the only person to be elected as Mayor of the City of Chicago after his father had previously held the position. Mayor Daley further made the history books by serving more terms in office than any other Chicago mayor. Re-elected by overwhelming majorities to five consecutive terms in office, Mayor Daley received more than 70% of the mayoral vote in 1999, 2003 and 2007; and
WHEREAS, A mayor who thought it is essential to "focus on what unites us," Mayor Daley firmly believed in the value of coalition building; in promoting fair treatment of all Chicagoans; in making government more transparent and accountable; in implementing ethics reform; and in protecting our City's most vulnerable residents, especially children, the elderly and those with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, From the beginning of his first term in office, Mayor Daley made education his top priority. Deeply committed to this endeavor, Mayor Daley did the politically unthinkable by requesting responsibility and accountability for the management and performance of the Chicago Public Schools. In 1995, after obtaining unprecedented control over the schools from the Illinois General Assembly and becoming the first mayor in the nation to do so, Mayor Daley imposed fiscal discipline; refurbished aging and overcrowded classrooms; invested more than $5 billion in building improvements; constructed 47 new schools; overhauled the basic curriculum; ended social promotion of underperforming students; paved the way for magnet and charter schools; significantly expanded world language programs; increased after-school, summer-school and early-childhood education programs; and worked to create a safe learning environment for students through enhanced security in and around schools. In recognition of his comprehensive efforts to educate and empower students to become community builders and leaders, Mayor Daley has been extensively honored for his leadership in urban school reform; and
WHEREAS, Guided by the belief that all Chicagoans deserve to be treated fairly, with dignity, and free from discrimination, Mayor Daley, in 1990, introduced landmark legislation setting the goal of awarding at least 25% of all city contracts to minority-owned businesses and 5% to women-owned businesses, and he successfully fought legal challenges to this law, thereby preserving the City's M.B.E./W.B.E Program. Mayor Daley consistently worked to increase the number and percentage of minority group members in the City's work force. He established procedures to investigate complaints of sexual harassment; stiffened the penalties for hate crimes; and created the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities to ensure that all people have easy access to public services, equal opportunity, a broad array of support services and the ability to participate fully in public life; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Richard M. Daley took legendary city planner Daniel Burnham's adage "Make no little plans" to heart. During Mayor Daley's tenure in office, Navy Pier was renovated and became the most popular tourist destination in the Midwest; McCormick Place was expanded; the Loop's State Street shopping area was revitalized; the theater district was revived; a portion of Lake Shore Drive was relocated to accommodate the Museum Campus, comprising three world-class institutions; hundreds of businesses expanded or located in Chicago, creating tens of thousands of jobs for Chicagoans; Chicago's two airports were modernized and expanded; historic landmarks were refurbished and new landmarks were built; and the growth of culture and art was nourished throughout the City; and
WHEREAS, Under Mayor Daley's guiding hand, Chicago achieved the distinction of becoming one of the "greenest" cities in America and is widely recognized to be among the cleanest and most beautiful cities in the nation. During Mayor Daley's tenure in office, more than 1,500 acres of additional open space were created throughout Chicago; approximately 600,000 trees were planted along miles of major roadways and in City neighborhoods; Northerly Island was transformed into a wildlife preserve and restful retreat for all Chicagoans to enjoy; hundreds of rooftop gardens, covering more than 7 million square feet of space, were constructed or planned on top of public and private buildings throughout Chicago, including on the roof of City Hall; over 180 LEED-certified "green buildings" were built in Chicago, surpassing any other city in the nation; 148 miles of bike lanes were designated on city streets; and more than 10,000 bike racks were installed throughout Chicago. In recognition of Mayor Daley's concerted efforts to lead by example to improve the environment and to conserve Chicago's resources for future generations to enjoy, the United States Green Building Council recently created, and named Mayor Daley as the 2010 winner of, its Mayor Richard M. Daley Legacy Award for Global Leadership in Creating Sustainable Cities; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Daley's unwavering commitment to the highest standards of responsible development earned him the Urban Land Institute's prestigious J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development. A lasting legacy of Mayor Daley's tenure in office, Millennium Park is a stunning and internationally renowned example of the transformative power of a truly visionary leader. Where others saw the old Illinois Central Railroad tracks as an emblem of a rustbelt city's decay and as a permanent blight on Chicago's lakefront, Mayor Daley saw the potential for an urban oasis; an economic development engine for the downtown area that would benefit the entire city; a new home for major works of public art, such as _Cloud Gate; the Jay Pritzker Pavilion; the Crown Fountain; the spectacular Lurie Garden; and, most importantly, a free park with cultural and family programs for everyone to enjoy; and
WHEREAS, A mayor who believed that the strength of a city lies in the strength of its neighborhoods, Mayor Daley was well known for regularly touring the City and for taking detailed notes as he met with community leaders and residents throughout Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Daley always understood that his single most important job as Mayor was to address quality-of-life issues in Chicago's neighborhoods. From undertaking the largest and most ambitious public housing redevelopment effort in the United States, to developing more than 170,000 units of affordable housing in neighborhoods throughout the City, to promoting community policing, to reducing the size of city bureaucracy, to removing graffiti, abandoned cars and deteriorating buildings, to aggressively tackling gangs, to fighting for sensible gun control laws, to reinventing Chicago's community college system, to investing in infrastructure improvements, to building or renovating 59 neighborhood-based libraries, to constructing 15 new state-of-the-art police stations and 9 new fire stations, to offering job training and other programs to modernize Chicago's work force, to establishing public/private partnerships, to creating business assistance programs, to developing the Earned Income Tax Credit Program to provide tax relief to Chicago's neediest residents, to enacting the nation's first legal prohibitions on predatory lending, to implementing foreclosure prevention and protection initiatives, to instituting one of the first 3-1-1 systems in the nation, to creating a
world-renowned emergency communication center that supports the City's extensive camera network, and in countless other ways, Mayor Daley always insisted on taking care of the basics; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Daley always recognized that many of the accomplishments of the last 22 years would not have been possible without working collaboratively and in partnership with the Members of Chicago's City Council; and
WHEREAS, A coalition builder, who believed in the power of many voices, Mayor Daley served as President of the United States Conference on Mayors from 1996 to 1997; started the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative that brings together mayors from the United States and Canada to restore and protect the Great Lakes; and founded and chaired the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, which brings together 273 mayors from across the region to advocate collectively on issues of regional importance; and
WHEREAS, During Mayor Daley's time in office, Chicago emerged as a strong player in the international economic arena. Mastercard International rated Chicago in 2008 as the 5th most influential city in the global economy. In 2010, Foreign Policy magazine's Global Cities Index named Chicago as the 6th most important and influential global city, ranking it 6th out of 60 contenders for this distinction. Standard & Poor's ranks Chicago among the world's Top 10 Economic Centers. In keeping with his global perspective, Mayor Daley worked diligently to attract new businesses from around the world to Chicago; expanded Chicago's Sister Cities International Program to include 28 sister cities; and brought together municipal leaders from all over the world to exchange ideas and best practices; and
WHEREAS, Convinced that he had "the greatest job in America," Mayor Daley pioneered many innovative programs to create a City where people would want to live, work and raise a family. These initiatives, which have been emulated in municipalities across our great nation and throughout the world, have won Mayor Daley national acclaim. Mayor Daley was named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County Magazine, as Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine, and as Politician ofthe Year by Library Journal. Time Magazine ranked Mayor Daley as one of America's best mayors; and
WHEREAS, No tribute to Mayor Richard M. Daley would be complete without mentioning the many contributions made to our Great City by his lovely partner in marriage Margaret C. ("Maggie") Daley. An inspiration to all Chicagoans, Maggie Daley has worked tirelessly as Chicago's First Lady on behalf of After School Matters, a nonprofit organization that provides high-quality, out-of-school opportunities to countless numbers of Chicago teens at more than 150 locations throughout the City. Under Maggie Daley's guiding hand, After School Matters has become a national model for best practices for after-school programs serving teenagers. In addition to her commendable work on behalf of Chicago's youth, Maggie Daley dedicated her time and talent to preserving, strengthening and expanding Chicago's arts and culture programs, and she supported many other worthy causes. In 2010, the Mayor and Mrs. Daley received the Easter Seals 2010 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of their sustained efforts to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, A brilliant ambassador for the City of Chicago, Mayor Richard M. Daley will always be remembered as a great unifier of people; as a Mayor who gave his heart and soul to Chicago; and as a Mayor whose legacy of progress will be appreciated for generations to come; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, do hereby extend to Mayor Richard M. Daley our deepest thanks and appreciation for his many years of exemplary service to the residents of Chicago, and our best wishes for health, happiness, prosperity and continued success; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mayor Richard M. Daley as a token of our appreciation and esteem.
CITY CLERK
Alderman Joe Moreno, 1st Ward
Alderman Robert Fioretti, 2nd Ward
Alderman Pat Dowell, 3rd Ward
Alderman Shirley Newsome, 4 Ward
Alderman Leslie Hairston, 5 Ward
Alderman Freddrenna Lyle, 6th Ward
Alderman Sandi Jackson, 7 Ward
Alderman Michelle Harris, 8 Ward
Alderman Anthony Beale, 9 Ward
Alderman John Pope, Itr Ward
Alderman James Balcer, 11th Ward
Alderman George A. Cardenas, 12th Ward
Alderman Frank Olivo, 13th Ward
Alderman Ed Burke, 14th Ward
Alderman Tony Foulkes, 15* Ward
Alderman JoAnn Thompson, 16th Ward
Alderman Latasha Thomas, 17th Ward
Alderman Lona Lane, 18th Ward
Alderman Virginia A. Rugai, 19 Ward
Alderman Willie Cochran, 20th Ward
Alderman Howard Brookins Jr., 21s Ward
Alderman Ricardo Munoz, 22nd Ward
Alderman Michael Zalewski, 23 Ward
Alderman Sharon Denise Dixon, 24th Ward
Alderman Daniel Solis, 25th Ward
Alderman Roberto Maldonado, 26th Ward
Alderman Walter Burnett Jr., 27th Ward
Alderman Jason Ervin, 28th Ward
Alderman Deborah Graham, 29th Ward
Alderman Ariel E. Reboyras, 30th Ward
Alderman Ray Suarez, 31st Ward
Alderman Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward
Alderman Richard F. Mell, 33rd Ward
Alderman Carrie Austin, 34th Ward
Alderman Rey Colon, 35,h Ward
Alderman John A. Rice, 36th Ward
Alderman Emma Mitts, 37th Ward
Alderman Timothy M. Cullerton, 38th Ward
Alderman Margaret Laurino, 39th Ward
Alderman Patrick J. O'Connor, 40th Ward
Alderman Brian G. Doherty, 41st Ward
Alderman Brendan Reilly, 42nd Ward
Alderman Vi Daley, 43rd Ward
Alderman Thomas AA. Tunney, 44 Ward
Alderman Patrick J. Levar, 45 Ward
Alderman Helen Shiller, 46th Ward
Alderman Eugene C. Schulter, 47 Ward
Alderman Mary Ann Smith, 48 Ward
Alderman Joseph A. Moore, 49 Ward
Alderman Bernard L. Stone, 50th Ward