Daley: "My Father Was the Better Mayor"

By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 21, 2010 10:00PM

As he inches toward the transition from having city signs with his name on them to having buildings named after him, Mayor Daley took the time to reflect on his time in office and compare it to that of his father. Daley said that history will recognize Richard J. Daley, who passed away 34 years ago yesterday, as Chicago's greatest mayor.

Daley made his comments after a dedication ceremony at DePaul's Loop campus naming a building after him and wife Maggie.

"My father, the son will always say it's the father," Daley said quickly when asked who would win in the debate about which mayor was the city's greatest.

"He went through the 50s, 60s and 70s, very interesting, an interesting time of the country," Daley said. "He saw everything from the 50s, 60s and 70s, that was amazing."

Daley said that the key to being an effective chief executive isn't the length of service, but the commitment. "It's not the time you put in, it is the passion you have given to your years of service." He also said that he would not encourage anyone in his family to seek a career in politics.

"They have to make their own decision. My dad never encouraged me," he said. "My dad said 'You make your own decision if you want to go into it.' Never push your kids into something they don't want to do."