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October 8th, 2004, 06:01 AM
City wins awards as model of openness
By Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 7, 2004
Mayor Richard Daley, whose stealthy midnight raid last year resulted in the surprise shutdown of Meigs Field, accepted a first-place award Wednesday from a Washington-based group for openness in government.
The Center for Digital Government cited the portion of the city's Web site that contains contract and vendor payment information, bestowing secondary awards on City Hall for the quality of Chicago's home page and an online database on problem buildings.
"The city is using technology electronically to open all of its doors and its drawers so the public can see comprehensively how their government is doing business on their behalf," declared Susan Benton, the center's director of strategic initiatives. "It is truly revolutionary. The mayor's transparency project and the city Web site is an example of success."
Benton, who spoke at a City Hall news conference, didn't stop there.
"Your city and this project are a model for good government, for accountability, for professionalism and for excellence," she said as Daley looked on.
Steven Whitney, former president of Friends of Meigs, said he was stunned by the award.
"The idea you could close a civic asset in the dead of night without notice and then claim openness in government is astonishing," he said.
Whitney said his requests under the Freedom of Information Act for Meigs operating budgets were denied when he sought to counter Daley's assertions that the airport ran up huge deficits.
"It was an example of how secretive they are," he said.
The mayor insisted the airport's shutdown was done in an open manner.
"There is transparency because it was done transparently," he asserted. "I made the decision. Transparent. You wrote editorials against me. You said it was wrong. ... You have to make decisions in government, and I have made decisions and will live with decisions. It was transparent because you saw it."
Meigs was closed to help ensure downtown security at a time of concerns over terrorism and "on behalf of the lakefront," the mayor said.
The airport since has been converted into a park.
Pressed on why there was no announcement in advance and time provided for public debate, Daley replied, "It's called trial lawyers. It's called injunction immediately. ... They would enjoin you immediately in the federal court."
The Federal Aviation Administration announced last week that the city faces a $33,000 fine and as much as $4.5 million in other penalties related to the shutdown.
Daley also was asked why there continue to be city contracting scandals despite the public availability of information about contracts.
"Human error and greed," he replied. "You see it every day. It is in the public and private sectors. That is why you have to do everything to make everything transparent."
The city's Web site received 4.8 million visits during July and more than 3.5 million in September, officials said.
Under one new enhancement, the number of city services that can be requested online is being expanded to 80 from 39, Daley said. And a new pilot project will enable bidders for some contracts to submit offers over the Internet in an initiative that officials believe should reduce errors and save money and staff time for both the city and vendors.
On another subject, Daley said unions representing city workers must become flexible on work rules or face the possibility of more privatization.
A day earlier, the mayor said that he is weighing a host of possible tax increases, including a real estate tax hike, as he also seeks greater operating efficiencies in an attempt to balance his proposed 2005 budget.
Unions "have to change in order to keep their workers," he said. "Working inefficiently by work rules--it is not the 1920s, `30s, `40s or `50s. ... If they don't figure that out, we basically will privatize more and more."
Unions have been bargaining on new contracts for 16 months, "and there have been no substantive work-rule proposals from the city," responded Tim Leahy, secretary-treasurer for the Chicago Federation of Labor. "If they want to talk about work-rule changes, they should bring them up."
Also Wednesday, Daley said lack of competition to build the new Kennedy-King College campus is the result of fear by potential bidders.
"A lot of contractors are afraid to go in to be very frank, dealing with problems in the community," he said. "A lot of them are just shying away from it."
Security is one among many issues in the community, Daley said, but he would not elaborate.
The project, planned for 63rd and Halsted Streets, suffered a setback in June when a lone bidder submitted a price to build the complex that was $30 million over the Public Building Commission's estimate for the work.
Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...i-newslocal-hed
On another note:
City taxes expected to drop, 80% of Chicago homeowners will pay less, assessor predicts.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...i-newslocal-hed
By Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 7, 2004
Mayor Richard Daley, whose stealthy midnight raid last year resulted in the surprise shutdown of Meigs Field, accepted a first-place award Wednesday from a Washington-based group for openness in government.
The Center for Digital Government cited the portion of the city's Web site that contains contract and vendor payment information, bestowing secondary awards on City Hall for the quality of Chicago's home page and an online database on problem buildings.
"The city is using technology electronically to open all of its doors and its drawers so the public can see comprehensively how their government is doing business on their behalf," declared Susan Benton, the center's director of strategic initiatives. "It is truly revolutionary. The mayor's transparency project and the city Web site is an example of success."
Benton, who spoke at a City Hall news conference, didn't stop there.
"Your city and this project are a model for good government, for accountability, for professionalism and for excellence," she said as Daley looked on.
Steven Whitney, former president of Friends of Meigs, said he was stunned by the award.
"The idea you could close a civic asset in the dead of night without notice and then claim openness in government is astonishing," he said.
Whitney said his requests under the Freedom of Information Act for Meigs operating budgets were denied when he sought to counter Daley's assertions that the airport ran up huge deficits.
"It was an example of how secretive they are," he said.
The mayor insisted the airport's shutdown was done in an open manner.
"There is transparency because it was done transparently," he asserted. "I made the decision. Transparent. You wrote editorials against me. You said it was wrong. ... You have to make decisions in government, and I have made decisions and will live with decisions. It was transparent because you saw it."
Meigs was closed to help ensure downtown security at a time of concerns over terrorism and "on behalf of the lakefront," the mayor said.
The airport since has been converted into a park.
Pressed on why there was no announcement in advance and time provided for public debate, Daley replied, "It's called trial lawyers. It's called injunction immediately. ... They would enjoin you immediately in the federal court."
The Federal Aviation Administration announced last week that the city faces a $33,000 fine and as much as $4.5 million in other penalties related to the shutdown.
Daley also was asked why there continue to be city contracting scandals despite the public availability of information about contracts.
"Human error and greed," he replied. "You see it every day. It is in the public and private sectors. That is why you have to do everything to make everything transparent."
The city's Web site received 4.8 million visits during July and more than 3.5 million in September, officials said.
Under one new enhancement, the number of city services that can be requested online is being expanded to 80 from 39, Daley said. And a new pilot project will enable bidders for some contracts to submit offers over the Internet in an initiative that officials believe should reduce errors and save money and staff time for both the city and vendors.
On another subject, Daley said unions representing city workers must become flexible on work rules or face the possibility of more privatization.
A day earlier, the mayor said that he is weighing a host of possible tax increases, including a real estate tax hike, as he also seeks greater operating efficiencies in an attempt to balance his proposed 2005 budget.
Unions "have to change in order to keep their workers," he said. "Working inefficiently by work rules--it is not the 1920s, `30s, `40s or `50s. ... If they don't figure that out, we basically will privatize more and more."
Unions have been bargaining on new contracts for 16 months, "and there have been no substantive work-rule proposals from the city," responded Tim Leahy, secretary-treasurer for the Chicago Federation of Labor. "If they want to talk about work-rule changes, they should bring them up."
Also Wednesday, Daley said lack of competition to build the new Kennedy-King College campus is the result of fear by potential bidders.
"A lot of contractors are afraid to go in to be very frank, dealing with problems in the community," he said. "A lot of them are just shying away from it."
Security is one among many issues in the community, Daley said, but he would not elaborate.
The project, planned for 63rd and Halsted Streets, suffered a setback in June when a lone bidder submitted a price to build the complex that was $30 million over the Public Building Commission's estimate for the work.
Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...i-newslocal-hed
On another note:
City taxes expected to drop, 80% of Chicago homeowners will pay less, assessor predicts.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...i-newslocal-hed