Q & A with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley

(ATR) Richard M. Daley has yet to end his service as mayor of Chicago, but days away from the anniversary of his 20th year in office, he is already a legend in U.S. politics. He’ll turn 67 on April 24, the date he was first sworn into office in 1989. Facing no term limits, he’s won reelection five times with his current term ending in 2011.

There may not be a big city mayor in the U.S. who wields as much clout, maybe even more than his father Richard J. Daley who was the ultimate for his era as Chicago mayor from 1955 to 1976. Son Richard Michael will surpass his father’s length of service in December this year.

Daley is a lawyer by schooling, but he’s spent much of his professional career as an elected official.

He has been the leading government figure behind the bid since its early days three years ago when the U.S. Olympic Committee opened its review of potential nominees for 2016.

Since then, he has traveled widely on behalf of the bid, attending events such as the Beijing Olympics and Pan American Games. He’s visited cities that have hosted the Games, such as Atlanta, Athens and Barcelona and future Games city London.

Daley played host to the IOC Evaluation Commission this past week as it began its tour of the four 2016 candidate cities. ATR Editor Ed Hula spoke with the mayor at the close of the IOC visit.

Around the Rings: Do you think Chicago has been able to convey a sense of passion about the city, about the bid, to the IOC commission?

Richard M. Daley: I think so. I think they’ve seen everyone. I think all the volunteers and all the people they’ve run into…It isn’t a phony thing and they’re not just hired employees. I’ve never seen anything like this. Obama’s campaign caught the American eye, and I think the Olympic and Paralympic movements are catching the eye of Chicagoans.

ATR: You mentioned President Obama, who appeared in a videotape to the commission. You had Valerie Jarett, senior advisor to the President, speak to the commission. You had the address from Hillary Clinton as well. What does that say about what the federal government thinks about this bid?

RMD: Well, I think, in other countries, the national government runs everything...they run your place, your education, your fire services and all that. Here you have balances of power. You have cities, counties, states, federal government. And to get the federal government, the president, from the secretary of state, from Valerie Jarrett and Arne Duncan (U.S. Education Secretary) and others to truly support this, is a great move on behalf of the bid for America and Chicago. I mean this is very important. If we’re successful in the bid, we’ll have a person in the White House dedicated to the 2016 Olympics. That is important.

ATR: Do you think that should address any concerns the IOC might have about whether the federal government is committed to this bid?

RMD: Yeah, that should, because the federal government gives us help in the two most costliest areas, public transportation – infrastructure -- and security. Those are the two biggest costs. And especially in our position, those are huge costs, that they pay 100 percent of the money for. That’s very important, and then in turn, we deliver financial guarantees for good. We don’t have to build anything. I mean you’ve been to so many [Olympics]. They have to build all of these huge facilities. We don’t have to build these facilities.

ATR: You’re still being looked at suspiciously though by your competitors for not being able to provide that 100 percent guarantee...

RMD: Yeah, and you can’t. They’ve never had in the history. Even like Placid, or Utah, or Salt Lake City, or even Atlanta never had it. It doesn’t happen in out form of government. It doesn’t.

ATR: Do you feel within your gut that Chicago can deliver?

RMD: Oh yeah, I do. I think we can deliver, because we’re looking at a totally different situation. Just think if we had to build MCormick Place, if we had to build Soldier’s Field, United Center, all of these facilities. We don’t have to build those facilities. You don’t have to, all of the land is there. We don’t have to buy any land. If you look at our transportation system, you have three transportation systems going out to the opening/closing ceremonies. That’s unheard of, already built, already done. Now you have to modernize, update things. But you have whole transportation systems.

ATR: Is there anything that you thought you might have been able to do differently while they were here?

RMD: Not really. You know because their time is, the presentation is more specific in regards to the venues and transportation and security and things like that. I think we laid it out very professionally.

ATR: The IOC is releasing the results of its public opinion survey of Chicago. Do you think the results will show the same level of support as the polling done by Chicago 2016?

RMD: I get that, even when I walk down the street...and like anything else, you have to build up to this. We think initially we got the support. We talk to anybody, Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, conservatives. People are excited about this. We’re not taking any land from anybody. It’s most amazing. We’re not buying your home. That’s the most interesting thing. So we’re not displacing one person in Chicago because of this.

ATR: What will carry the day for Chicago with the IOC?

RMD: Well I think it is that people have to want this thing. It can’t be just a group of people wanting it. I think the city is showing, this summer, will show more with all of our festivals that everything will be built around the whole 2016 Olympic and Paralympic movement when this decision will be made. It’s interesting. We have such an immigrant community, each one of them are contacting relatives and friends all across the world. I mean we had a huge Asian festival with enormous attendance, four or 5,000 people, and they did it themselves. They raised the money for the event, and they put this huge event on, all the various communities of Southeast Asia.

We’re seeing that in Europe, Africa, South America, Mexico, Central America, the Islands. We see that in China, Russia. So we have so many people here from the rest of the world that are putting their own little communities together, not under our supervision. They just want to know how they can help.

ATR: So much about how the IOC feels about a city is based on trust, relationships that develop. You’ve spent some time with the chairwoman of the IOC Commission, other members. What do you think your relationship with the IOC?

RMD: I think they’re very open to everybody. They’re not going to slight anyone. They’re not going to slight someone from any other country or any other city.

ATR: You feel comfortable talking with them?

RMD: I do. Yeah, I do.

ATR: Do you think they feel comfortable talking to you?

RMD: Yes. Yeah they do. Because I think, and that’s how we have to be, because they have to find out who you really are. This isn’t just like, you just can’t have a set speech and you just can’t say this is our slogan. Trust me, they have to really get to know you.

In the weeks ahead, Around the Rings plans to bring you more on each of the mayors of the 2016 cities.

Written by Ed Hula.