The Best of Punxsutawney Daley's Press Conference
By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 3, 2011 7:00PM
Mayor Daley's press conference addressing the blizzard cleanup ended 40 minutes ago and, depending on where you fall on the May Day love/hate spectrum, either he answered the pertinent questions as to why he was wasn't seen yesterday, or his answers just served to piss you off further. We also learned that His elective Majesty is a delegator, that the city department heads speak for him, the lakefront needs a breakwater from Diversey to Oak Street to protect the waves from hitting Lake Shore Drive, and that the airlines can say "no" to him when he wants to arrange a meeting. It's also going to be an interesting final four months of his mayoralty. We watched the press conference and compiled some of his better quotes.
On why he wasn't seen during the immediate response or press conferences yesterday:
"I was around 'til Tuesday. Wednesday I spent time with department heads. I saw fit to let them handle the press conferences."
"I'm one who delegates"
"This isn't a 'Daley' show. (City department heads) speak for me. Each one of these people up here speaks for me."
"I have confidence in all these people to make the decisions."
"it was one day... Not all of you were here, either."
On taking responsibility for keeping Lake Shore Drive open:
"They can blame me. That's life."
On questioning Daley's contention that city department heads speak for him and rating the response of the various city agencies to the storm:
"I don't do ratings. That would have to start with me."
(To a Tribune reporter): "they speak for me. Right now, you speak for the Tribune."
On arranging a meeting with airlines to review storm preparation:
"We had a meeting with them Monday scheduled. They canceled it. We asked if they could meet Thursday. They said 'no.' We asked if they could meet Friday. They said 'no.' Saturday? 'No' How about Sunday, then. They said, 'Sunday's the Super Bowl.' So, no. We tried to set a meeting for next Monday. They said 'no.' Tuesday? 'No.' Wednesday? 'No.' I said I'll be out of town Thursday and Friday. How about next Saturday? They said 'no.' Next Sunday. They said 'no.'"