Daley retirement mania jumps the shark
Thursday, Sep 9, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller
* OK, maybe it’s time for the media to stop looking for every possible Daley retirement angle and tone it down a bit…
With Mayor Richard Daley set to leave office, it’s time to bring back Meigs Field, according to private pilots who still bemoan the shutdown of the lakefront airport seven years ago.
General aviation pilots from across the country suggest that the changing political climate in the Chicago will not only lead to a new mayor, but also possibly a new Meigs.
“From what we’re hearing and seeing, the aviation blogs and Twitter are alive with conversations about whether Mayor Daley’s departure may create an opportunity to rebuild Meigs Field,” said Chris Dancy, spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
Um, the blogs don’t seem to be lit up at all. Google Trends can’t show us a graph because there’s not enough search volume for “Meigs Field.” And the airport gets clobbered by Snooki in Google Fight.
There have been precisely two Tweets using the “reopenMeigs” hashtag in the past 24 hours, and five using the “Meigs” hashtag, and one of those was against reopening the airport. Most of the Twitter chatter yesterday was posted by one person who said he was working on a story about the topic, and who often Tweets about flight simulator programs. Meigs was the first airport on MS Flight before Daley carved those infamous X’s in its runway. Microsoft stopped including Meigs in the software and a few computer flight junkies were enraged.
The person quoted in the Tribune story gushing over all this newly invisible enthusiasm flaks for a group that published an article today about the possibility of reopening the field…
Although the airport was closed and turned into a park, AOPA President Craig Fuller has pledged to seek every opportunity to bring back Meigs Field.
“More than seven years have passed since Chicago’s Meigs Field was bulldozed under cover of darkness, but the airport has not been forgotten,” Fuller said. “Grassroots support for Meigs is still alive and many in the aviation community view Mayor Richard Daley’s decision not to run for re-election as a hopeful sign that the field could be restored.
Yeah. The field will be restored. They’re gonna kill off a lakefront park to rebuild an airport for state workers, millionaires and a handful of flight sim geeks when the city has no money. And people are clamoring for it because some pilots association flak says the Interwebtubes are just alive with activity, even though they’re not.
Sheesh.
* Meanwhile, Zorn provides us with something else to discuss in comments. What should be named after Mayor Daley?…
Millennium Park seems like the obvious choice. It hasn’t been around long enough for a name change to rile traditionalists and it certainly has Daley’s stamp. But let’s stretch our minds:
What about the Kennedy Expressway? It was re-named for the slain president in a fit of post-assassination sentimentality, but JFK’s connection to Chicago wasn’t so significant that it belongs forever on such a major thoroughfare?
Lake Shore Drive? Midway Airport? Your ideas, please.
Have at it. Snark encouraged.
* Late afternoon Daleypalooza roundup…
* Sheriff Tom Dart would have ‘head start’ if chose to run for mayor - ‘I told people I’ll entertain it’
* Rep. Luis Gutierrez Considering Mayoral Run
* The Case for a Woman to Replace Mayor Daley
* The Case Against Rahm
* Expert: No More Mayor Daley Impacts All of Illinois
- sal-says - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:26 pm:
Great idea; re-opening Meigs.
Let’s take more money we don’t have and provide infrastructure to folks who can own & fly planes.
Marvelous. Aren’t kids going to school or to bed every day in Chicagoland hungry? What am I missing here?
- lakeview - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:28 pm:
We can start referring to all of the median planters as Daleys.
- OneMan - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:29 pm:
The Richie River…
rename Lower Wacker Drive younger Daley Drive
- We Todd Did - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:35 pm:
THey should re-name the plaza in front of the Richard J Daley Center. I think people would quickly become comfortable with the name “Daley Plaza”.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:40 pm:
After Meigs, they’re bringing back the stockyards. And Chicago Stadium. And Ft. Dearborn.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:43 pm:
…And Harold Washington!
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:44 pm:
I about vomited when I read that piece.
Instead of a place, we should rename a thing–Daley Iron instead of wrought iron.
- CSTish - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:46 pm:
Daley Parking Meters! Obvi!
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:46 pm:
Don’t forget Marshall Field’s!!!
- Montrose - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:47 pm:
Any location that was suppose to have an Olympic building built gets a Daley’s Dream plaque.
Also, all the re-developed, mixed-income CHA communities have Daley’s name inserted. Roosedaleyvelt Square, Daleywood Shores, Jazz on the Daley, etc.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:47 pm:
They should rename the soon to be built Olympic Stadium, Daley Stadium…Oh wait.
I guess we could change the term parking meters to the Daley meters for as long as the contract lasts. That should give him the immortality he deserves.
- MuchTruth - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:50 pm:
Incoherent speech patterns: “He got all Daley-mouthed.”
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:52 pm:
Since Daley’s been in such a nasty ongoing fight with Michigan over carp and oil, how about we rename Michigan Ave. Daley Drive?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:54 pm:
Even better, “I Got ‘Yer Carp Right Here Drive”
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:57 pm:
Do we really have to pick something to name after Daley? After all, he did plenty of that himself over the last 20 years… Mayor Daley’s Graffiti Busters; Mayor Daley’s Bicycle Ambassadors; Mayor Daley’s Summer Track Program; Mayor Daley’s Three-on-Three Youth Basketball Tournament; Mayor Daley’s Keep Kids Learning Project; Mayor Daley’s Clean and Green Program; Mayor Daley’s Book Club…
I could go on like this all day. Don’t get me wrong, the man truly transformed the city, mostly for the better. But he also wasn’t shy about reminding you at every turn that he was responsible for everything positive - no matter how minor (oddly enough, negative details were always coincidently out of his realm of control or knowledge). So let’s wait a while before we immortalize him with a major landmark or piece of infrastructure.
And then, when the time comes – after every else is scrubbed of his Mao-esque reminder of his omnipotence, go ahead and rename Western Avenue after him. It is fittingly the longest street in the city, and no one has cultural or emotional connections to the current name.
- NorthsideJ - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:57 pm:
DePaul should rename itself DaLey
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:58 pm:
The giant hole that remains where they were going to build the spiral tower. It would represent what he left this city in when he decided all the money he could spend + 660 million more was gone.
- We Todd Did - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:58 pm:
Re-name the carp “Daley Carp” throw them into the lake and let them live their lives.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:59 pm:
The closest parking meter to City Hall.
- Way South of the Border - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:01 pm:
Let’s rename the Bean, that rotund, shiny, hypnotic, not-done-on-time, pricey work of art that requires ongoing maintenance and care.
Let’s rename it because no one wants to rename it. Let’s force it to be renamed by out of Sheer Will. Because that’s Daley’s legacy, in a nutshell, I mean, a bean.
- Montrose - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:02 pm:
We are missing the obvious.
Out with Chicago. In with Daley.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:03 pm:
How about we rename TIF Districts “Daley Districts”? Too Readerish?
- OneMan - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:05 pm:
In terms of Meigs and flight simulator, the original version was from a company out of Champaign/Urbana (that is why the original grid system it used had Urbana as 0,0 or the center as it were) so Meigs was a natural pick.
Cool airport, but trying to bring it back is silly.
- Responsa - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:09 pm:
“Mania” is exactly right. Maybe Elton John will write a song for the occasion.
Wish I had the time and money to take a six-month “grand tour” about now. Only two days into the post-Daley spectacle and the conjecture and non-stop yapping are already getting old and vomit inducing. C’mon media!! Simmer down! The mental health of an entire city–an entire region– is at stake here.
- Lincoln Parker - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:16 pm:
I can’t believe this stupid Meigs story is front page on the trib’s site right now. Shows how far they’ve sunk.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:22 pm:
Yeah, I hear the Tribune is saving Sunday’s edition for its scoop on Bensenville’s plans to remove the new runway at O’Hare and re-bury the graves at the old cemetary. It’s all over Twitter right now.
- KGB - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:32 pm:
Daley Pier
Daley Place Convention Center
Daley Fountain
Daley Bandshell
Daley Children’s Museum
DaleyMart
- Obamarama - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:32 pm:
I haven’t seen a single mention of Meigs since the Daley announcement until this. No idea what they are talking about.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:37 pm:
How about we re-name the “Chicago Way” to the “Daley Way” in honor of the family that has kept this somewhat unique brand of politics in force for decades?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:39 pm:
Since Kass lost his second-favorite target this year (DeLeo) and is losing his most favorite target next year (Hizzoner) then maybe he should rename himself John Daley.
Or not.
- dan l - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:40 pm:
—–
#
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:03 pm:
How about we rename TIF Districts “Daley Districts”? Too Readerish?
——–
Yup. Sorry.
:)
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:54 pm:
How about renaming the Dirksen Building? So many of Daley’s employees, friends, and supporters have had trials there. And it would make a good counterpart to the Daley Center.
- dan l - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:56 pm:
—–
Since Kass lost his second-favorite target this year (DeLeo) and is losing his most favorite target next year (Hizzoner) then maybe he should rename himself John Daley.
—–
Or maybe he could take Jay Mariotti’s place on Around the Horn. They have similar charisma…
- circularfiringsquad - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 5:59 pm:
Capt fax save this one fo replay in. Sept 11 to see how dumb they look
- LouisXIV - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 6:10 pm:
I know you want heavy snark but I am very opposed to naming anything after people who are still alive. We should use the rule the post office uses for stamps - no images of living people. Just because Big Jim rammed through the funding for the ugly overpriced monstrosity that bears his name or that John Stroger did the same thing for the amazingly expensive new hospital that bears his name, does not mean that they should have had their names put on them while they were/are alive.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 6:14 pm:
The fact that Big Jim named that ugly oversized monstrosity after himself is somehow appropriate.
- Objective Dem - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 6:17 pm:
I’m shocked no one has put the two items in this blog together. Northerly Island, site of the former Meigs field should be named Daley Island.
Another possibility is Lake Calumet or Wolf Lake could be renamed Lake Daley. I’ve heard there are a lot of secrets buried in both lakes. And Daley was good at keeping secrets.
- fedup dem - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 7:06 pm:
How about an empty cell at the Terre Haute Federal Prison, which is where he’d end up but for the likely fact that he’ll probably first take an extended one-way trip to one of Chicago’s sister cities (say Casablanca, Morocco), in a land where there is no extradition agreement with the U.S. There he can open a bar, call it “Ritchie’s” and have it be the location shoot for “Casablanca II.”
- Gregor - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 7:07 pm:
Well, I’m going to step into the oncoming pitch, I guess, and say that Killing Miegs was a very short-sighted thing Daley did. The drive-by’s like to say it was an airport for rich millionaires. Well, yes, it was that, but also much more.
Some of the still-living Tuskegee Airmen gave regular introductory flights to young kid from the runway at Meigs, inspiring future generations of pilots, designers, engineers.
Far more small private planes like Cessna’s and Pipers were based there or stopped there , then there were Gulfstreams and Lears. When Daley carved those x’s, he left a number of small Cessna’s stranded there.
And as far as millionaires, well, what was wrong about attracting the people with all that capital to spend, right to the heart of our convention and finance district, exactly? The state is falling all over itself every week trying to attract businesses like Boeing, and here we plowed under the airport that was blocks from their corporate building. High-rolling conventioneers, investors, developers, heck yes, the convenience of that access was a perk to them, but not exclusively to them. Meigs was poised to take a large next step; adding new GPS-based precision approach equipment would have made it safer in poor weather and more accessible. Daley spent a long time trying to strangle Meigs, though, with policies specifically aimed at driving away business, in order to then point to low numbers as an excuse for closing it. But the darn millionaire investors wouldn’t play along. They and the plain vanilla Cessna owners kept coming, no matter what hurdles Daley threw up. And people liked to come to the airport to watch the planes, until Chicago cops under orders started driving them away, and parking rates were made untenable, again, at the orders of an Aviation office commanded by “da mare”.. Daley’s own dad had a dream of extending Meigs, and having another, larger landing spot built out on the lake, with an el line connecting it to downtown.
Meigs was also a great place to have in the case of a mass-scale downtown emergency: a handy place to land men and supplies, to run evacuations from, to stage rescues. It was a security ASSSET after 9/11, not a threat.
Airports are economic engines. They bring and support business and tourism. Most cities would kill to have had a setup like the one Daley threw away, and he did it for the most transparently stupid lies of a reason, “9-11″. He did it to please his wife, and he did it with the glimmer of a plan to eventually convert the land to casinos. Not for any other reasons. When it became obvious the casinos weren’t coming in his lifetime, the park became the fall-back excuse. Ask Bobby Rush how much Daley really cared about parks on the lakefront, because he sure didn’t spend much on the ones in Rush’s area.
No, it wasn’t in Burnham’s plan, but then again, Burnham planned several islands, not just the one that got built. And had aviation existed in his time, Burnham would have integrated it into his plan somehow.
Okay, go ahead and mock. But I stand as a fan and supporter of the Meigs Field airport, and I couldn’t sit back and not challenge some of the statements made about it that I feel were in error or without complete information.
- Muskrat - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 7:27 pm:
I am an exiled Chicago native. On a trip back a few weeks ago I got a chance to rent a bike and ride around Northerly Island. I was amazed at what a great space it was, so close to the heart of the city. Meigs may have had its uses, but creating that park as part of the greater lakefront was a good thing.
And speaking of the greater lakefront, since everybody seems to be projecting themselves into what they claim to see in Mayor Daley, I say we re-name the Bean to “The Daley.”
- Emily Booth - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 7:42 pm:
Dad had a private pilot’s license and he believed Meigs was too close to the lake. Sometimes, the wind blew planes into the water. A bit of trivia, our state paychecks were flown into Meigs.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 7:44 pm:
They could rename Daley Plaza, Daley Plaza.
- Gator - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 9:02 pm:
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 4:52 pm:
Since Daley’s been in such a nasty ongoing fight with Michigan over carp and oil, how about we rename Michigan Ave. Daley Drive?
—————–
Why don’t change the name of Lake Michigan to Lake Daley? That would teach Michigan a lesson.
- South of the Loop - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 9:13 pm:
A City College …there is one named after his Dad on the SW side (of which I am an Alum), formerly called SouthWest College, and the former Loop College was named after Mayor Harold Washington, along with a Library.
I am sure a High School or other CPS will be named after him, since he thought Education was a priority, and took over CPS.
As far as Meigs field…no, I don’t see that re-opening, especially if a Jackson becomes Mayor, (Jesse Jr, wife, brother etc), because Jesse Jr. has been pushing for the far South Side airport for years. Where the old South Works plant on the far south side, Ward 7, Sandi’s ward is, would be a good place for a small private airport, Meigs style.
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 9:46 pm:
I agree with the poster above that Northerly Island should be named after Daley.
It’s not that northerly and it’s not an island anyway.
- Objective Dem - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 10:13 pm:
I agree that it isn’t really an island, but calling it Daley’s Peninsula just doesn’t have a good ring.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 10:26 pm:
Why shoot so low in this naming business? Why not just rename the whole city of Chicago to Daleyville.
- Will County Woman - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 10:35 pm:
Mayor Daley is retiring for several reasons, some he has already mentioned, but also I think that despite his efforts to think of ways to balance the budget w/o a tax increase he finally accepted that it was impossible to balance the budget w/o a tax increase. Of course he was loathe to do it–especially in advance of an election.
The city of Chicago’s dire fiscal state, with no relief in sight, forced the mayor’s hand. Bilandic had his blizzard and Richard M. Daley had his budget woes.
- Scoot - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 10:41 pm:
Revive Meigs….Andy Mckenna for Mayor slogan.
- areader - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 10:45 pm:
Whoa!? Did I hit something back there!? No, just another Daley Hole.
- Amalia - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 11:04 pm:
Dear Rebecca Sive: when you write an article about a woman running for mayor, you have to make it real, as in please include the names of some potential candidates. A sitting judge,
the current City treasurer, one of the more visible City department heads or a key lawyer in the Cook County State’s
Attorney’s Office or the United State’s Attorney’s office, or
a well known lawyer in private practice, a corporate leader.
It cannot possibly be just against Rahm. that’s too easy.
putting out the names of women is the right thing to do. unless you and your gal pals have not yet decided which of your
candidates you wish to back. that’s the difference between
actually advocating for a cause and just treating the opportunity like all the ethnic throw downs which are a silly way to approach
running a government. Please do better Rebecca.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 11:47 pm:
Richard M. Daley Metropolitan Correctional Center.
- IrishPirate - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 2:08 am:
Wait till the man is dead and buried at Holy Sepulchure before naming something after him.
Perhaps US Daleyular Field.
- Anonymous - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 6:44 am:
Rich - can you give a prize to Arthur Andersen? I think you have a winner!
- Commonsense in Illinois - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 8:47 am:
Most pilots are anything but millionaires, including me. While having Meigs back would be a great boon to general and corporate aviation, I’m also a realist that unless the federal government decides it’s going to build an airport, it is highly unlikely that Meigs will ever return. That’s too bad, too. Meigs was very convenient and kept GA traffic away from Midway. Now, most GA traffic has to conduct operations at DuPage, Chicago Executive (Palwaukee) or Aurora which means car rentals etc. Without Meigs it’s jut too expensive to fly to Chicago. A new Meigs field…probably just a dream.
- dupage dan - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 8:47 am:
The problem with Meigs field is that it was a prominent, visible, reminder that there are folk who are more affluent than others. Right in the heart of a very blue city. Something that Daley coulen’t manipulate or control. He could rip it out, put a wrought iron fence around it and call it the peoples’ park and get some mileage out of it. Throw in a few comments about fat cats and industry moguls jetting in and showing off their wealth and you will get no backlash from the populace. Forget the fact that it is a perk that can be used to lure and/or retain businesses that would look favorably on such a benefit. Now that it’s gone, however, it is highly unlikely that the funds needed to restore it are going to be found. Leave it be, now.
- Velma D. - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 9:03 am:
Lakeview’s suggestion of renaming the median planters “Daleys” is great.
But, re-naming Northerly Island after Daley is even better. I agree Daley Peninsula doesn’t have the right ring to it. Maybe Daley’s Finger? Or Daley’s Point?
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 9:29 am:
DuPage Dan
You must also be forgetting the Chicago Yacht Club on Lake Michigan just north of Queens Landing, just South of Navy Pier, with their clubhouse a retired cruise ship, can’t miss it, it is more obvious than Meigs ever was.
- Namer - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 9:53 am:
As a I lifelong city resident I would support renaming Millenium Park to Daley Park or Lake Shore Drive to Daley Drive.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 10:18 am:
===Now, most GA traffic has to conduct operations at DuPage, Chicago Executive (Palwaukee) or Aurora which means car rentals etc. Without Meigs it’s jut too expensive to fly to Chicago. A new Meigs field…probably just a dream.
There are trains out to those areas. That would lower your cost significantly.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 10, 10 @ 10:22 am:
Or Gary.
- Chris - Monday, Sep 13, 10 @ 10:20 am:
I am so glad that everyone who is posting here knows absolutely nothing about this subject. The city is currently is a $500+ Million dollar deficit. When Meigs field was open it generated $50+ Million dollars a year. Now that is a park it generates less than $1 million. Currently the park is under developed and is very little use to Chicago residents. The rebuilding of the airport could be done with federal funding from the FAA. There are several mixed use plans to have the island used as an airport/park. Opening up the airport again would not only help the economy but pour millions in the the park system helping make all the parks in the city better. When Daley shut down the airport he basically shut off the easy business access to the downtown area (i.e. driving business away for Chicago). FAA has done studies that since Meigs was closed non-commercial aviation to the city and surrounding area is down over 50%. It is not about privaledged people having an airport at their disposal and non pilots not having a park. It is about making the best use of the property when the city is drowning in debt. It is about developing the commerce of the city and strategically planning out the city so we grow business and not stiffen our economy for a park that no one uses anyway.
- Chris - Monday, Sep 13, 10 @ 11:48 am:
additional side not to my previous comment:
The Chicago Park District oversees more than 7,300 acres of parkland, 552 parks and 33 beaches. Today, nine museums, two conservatories, 220 facilities and six golf courses sit on Chicago Park District land.
Northerly Island is only 90 acres. That is only 1% of the Chicago Park land. Is it really that important to keep that 1% and loose out on tens of millions of dollars that is highly needed relief to our money woes?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 13, 10 @ 11:54 am:
Chris, I checked your IP address and it’s from New York. Are you? If so, stop trying to act like this is “our” thing. It ain’t.