Mayor Gets An Earful – “Stupid Olympics”

The mayor had another rough night meeting the public Tuesday at the South Shore Cultural Center.

Here’s a gem from WBEZ’s coverage of the hearing. “The mayor didn’t answer that – or most – questions directly, instead asking his staff to meet people individually. A handful of speakers brought up the city’s 2016 Olympic bid – almost all, like Judith Rodgers, opposed to it. RODGERS: If you can get that money together for a stupid Olympics, you can take that money and put more police on the street.”
You can listen to this short clip by using the Evoca player by clicking here.

Read other coverage:

Chicago Sun-Times – “Mayor culpa: Daley catches ab earful at public hearing” – “You’re spending all that money and energy on the Olympics. Mayor Daley, where are the dollars for improving the quality of life for African Americans in this city?” asked Queen Sister, founder of the It Takes A Village organization in Roseland.”

Chicago Tribune’s John Kass – “Mayoral ‘apology’ is really snow job”  – “…for the first time in my life, I really don’t understand what the heck you’re talking about. No, really. What’s prompting this is that the mayor desperately wants to host the 2016 Olympic Games. He must show the International Olympic Committee that he’s in control of his own town before the IOC picks the winning city in October. But Chicagoans are angry about his parking-meter rate hike, and about taxes, and about schoolchildren being shot to death in the streets, and that doesn’t speak well for the total-control image thing.”

Chicago Tribune – “Mayor Richard Daley criticized at public budget hearing“- “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.”