By Ed Somers
May 30, 2011

Rahm Emanuel took the oath of office as mayor of America’s third largest city – Chicago – on a sunny and crisp morning April 16.

The event, held in Millennium Park and presided over by outgoing Mayor Richard M. Daley, was attended by a wide range of national and state dignitaries including Vice President Joseph Biden, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, both Illinois Senators, the Chicago Congressional Delegation, members of the Obama cabinet, and many others.

Representing The U.S. Conference of Mayors were Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz, President, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Vice President; and Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director.

Emanuel began by saying, “Today, more than any other time in our history, more than any other place in our country, the city of Chicago is ready for change. For all the parents who deserve a school system that expects every student to earn a diploma; for all the neighbors who deserve to walk home on safer streets; for all the taxpayers who deserve a city government that is more effective and costs less; and for all the people in the hardest-working city in America who deserve a strong economy so they can find jobs or create jobs – this is your day.”

Emanuel also acknowledged the tremendous leadership of his predecessor. “When Richard M. Daley took office as mayor 22 years ago, he challenged all of us to lower our voices and raise our sights. Chicago is a different city today than the one Mayor Daley inherited, thanks to all he did. This magnificent place where we gather today is a living symbol of that transformation… We are a much greater city because of the lifetime of service that Mayor Daley and First Lady Maggie Daley have given us. Nobody ever loved Chicago more or served it better than Richard Daley. Now, Mr. Mayor, and forevermore, Chicago loves you back.”

Speaking to the specific changes he will pursue, Emanuel said, “It is time to take on the challenges that threaten the very future of our city: the quality of our schools, the safety of our streets, the cost and effectiveness of city government, and the urgent need to create and keep the jobs of the future right here in Chicago.”

Even before taking office, Emanuel was successful in working with the Illinois Legislature to enact major school reforms that he said will result in, “a longer school day – and year – on par with other major cities. And reformed tenure to help us keep good teachers and pay them better.”

In concluding his remarks, the mayor said, “So today, I ask of each of you – those who live here, and those who work here; business and labor: Let us share the necessary sacrifices fairly and justly. If everyone will give a little, no one will have to give too much. And together, we will keep faith with future generations, and the visionaries of our past, who built on the shores of Lake Michigan a city where dreams are made.”