Daley picks up award, some flak
Daley picks up award, some flak
By Jim Tankersley
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published June 20, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Mayor Richard M. Daley picked up a public service award in Washington on Tuesday, along with praise from Capitol Hill Democrats impressed with his efforts to fight global climate change.
Daley, however, also got an earful from the senior Republican on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, who used a Tribune report to club him on the efficacy of Chicago's "green" initiatives.
Daley was one of three mayors who testified before the committee about municipal efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. He touted Chicago's efforts in transportation, energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive building and challenged the federal government to join the city and "lead by example" on climate change -- starting by forcing federal buildings to comply with municipal codes.
Most committee members praised Daley and his city as national models on the issue. But not Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), who repeatedly invoked a front-page article in Monday's Tribune to back up his contention that goals to reduce emissions are often unattainable for governments. The article reported that Chicago's greenhouse-gas emissions have actually risen since Daley pledged to cut them six years ago.
In a five-minute barrage of questions, Sensenbrenner mocked Daley for his administration's unwillingness to verbally respond to Tribune questions about emissions efforts. When the mayor said he did not know where the newspaper got its information, Sensenbrenner peered down at the story.
"I know my eyes are getting a little weak," he said, "but it appears to me that the source is the City of Chicago."
Daley said that the Tribune story had "discrepancies" and that it "has nothing to do with what we're here for. We're here for the environmental movement." Later, he told Sensenbrenner: "Remember, you can't believe everything you read in the newspaper about a public official."
It was a brief bump in an otherwise glory-draped day for the mayor, who received the Jefferson Award for Public Service at an evening gala. Daley was the first mayor in nearly 30 years to win the award. Past recipients include Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright and Sandra Day O'Connor.
Jefferson organizers brought Daley to the Mayflower Hotel before his congressional testimony to talk about his accomplishments.
Daley touted his emissions-control initiatives, along with efforts to improve Chicago public schools, expand affordable housing and crack down on gun crimes.
"Everyone's concerned about Iraq" and appropriately so, the mayor said. "But 30,000 people get killed every year in America [by guns], and no one says anything about it."
Asked how he deals with the media, Daley said it's important to stay focused and not take stories personally.
"They can judge me every day," he said. "I don't go off on tangents. ... The next day's another story -- Paris Hilton or something like that."
In a brief interview after the awards ceremony, Daley called the Jefferson Award a "great honor."
Asked whether the recent Tribune story would affect the weight of his "green" testimony, which was due to start in a half-hour, he replied, "I don't care what they write."
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jtankersley@tribune.com
By Jim Tankersley
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published June 20, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Mayor Richard M. Daley picked up a public service award in Washington on Tuesday, along with praise from Capitol Hill Democrats impressed with his efforts to fight global climate change.
Daley, however, also got an earful from the senior Republican on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, who used a Tribune report to club him on the efficacy of Chicago's "green" initiatives.
Daley was one of three mayors who testified before the committee about municipal efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. He touted Chicago's efforts in transportation, energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive building and challenged the federal government to join the city and "lead by example" on climate change -- starting by forcing federal buildings to comply with municipal codes.
Most committee members praised Daley and his city as national models on the issue. But not Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), who repeatedly invoked a front-page article in Monday's Tribune to back up his contention that goals to reduce emissions are often unattainable for governments. The article reported that Chicago's greenhouse-gas emissions have actually risen since Daley pledged to cut them six years ago.
In a five-minute barrage of questions, Sensenbrenner mocked Daley for his administration's unwillingness to verbally respond to Tribune questions about emissions efforts. When the mayor said he did not know where the newspaper got its information, Sensenbrenner peered down at the story.
"I know my eyes are getting a little weak," he said, "but it appears to me that the source is the City of Chicago."
Daley said that the Tribune story had "discrepancies" and that it "has nothing to do with what we're here for. We're here for the environmental movement." Later, he told Sensenbrenner: "Remember, you can't believe everything you read in the newspaper about a public official."
It was a brief bump in an otherwise glory-draped day for the mayor, who received the Jefferson Award for Public Service at an evening gala. Daley was the first mayor in nearly 30 years to win the award. Past recipients include Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright and Sandra Day O'Connor.
Jefferson organizers brought Daley to the Mayflower Hotel before his congressional testimony to talk about his accomplishments.
Daley touted his emissions-control initiatives, along with efforts to improve Chicago public schools, expand affordable housing and crack down on gun crimes.
"Everyone's concerned about Iraq" and appropriately so, the mayor said. "But 30,000 people get killed every year in America [by guns], and no one says anything about it."
Asked how he deals with the media, Daley said it's important to stay focused and not take stories personally.
"They can judge me every day," he said. "I don't go off on tangents. ... The next day's another story -- Paris Hilton or something like that."
In a brief interview after the awards ceremony, Daley called the Jefferson Award a "great honor."
Asked whether the recent Tribune story would affect the weight of his "green" testimony, which was due to start in a half-hour, he replied, "I don't care what they write."
-----------
jtankersley@tribune.com
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 8:31 AM
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