For the last couple of weeks Mayor Daley has been taking what his press office calls a “Neighborhood Appreciation Tour” to thank the residents of communities around the city for helping him “keep Chicago moving forward,” as he and his supporters say as often as they can. But what the mayor is really embarking on is a Legacy Preservation Tour.
As Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel makes daily announcements about his new leadership team and its plans to “overhaul,” “change,” and “improve” city government, “decrease inefficiencies,” “engage people,” and “respond effectively to taxpayers’ needs,” the incumbent is using his last days with the bully pulpit to try to convince us he’s done all kinds of things to keep the city from going to hell—or, even worse, becoming another Cleveland.