FOX Chicago News
FOX Chicago’s Anna Davlantes sat down with Emanuel for a one-on-one interview, to take an in-depth look at the man who will become Chicago’s next mayor.
The mayor-elect spoke about his lifelong commitment to public service, and what it would mean to serve the city of Chicago.
“If you want to be liked, and you are ready to be held accountable, public service is not where you want to be,” Emanuel said. “It is not about being liked. It is about affecting people’s lives in an affirmative way.”
He plans to honor that commitment to Chicago by organizing city finances, improving Chicago schools, and making the streets safer, so that businesses will want to invest in this city. Emanuel also vowed to develop a more modern city government.
Changes like these might seem hard to accomplish with the city budget running at a ten percent deficit, but Emanuel will face these problems head on. Cuts have already been made, but he will continue to make fundamental changes to achieve these goals.
“I’m not asking for sacrifices from anyone else, until I have sacrificed in my office,” Emanuel said.
Although the budget crisis presents this city with challenges, the mayor-elect believes that with every challenge, there is an opportunity to make better choices and effect change.
The people of Chicago gave him the opportunity to be their mayor, and to shape a better city. Emanuel said he does not want to let them down.
“What drives an Emanuel boy,” he said, “is the sense of responsibility you have to the people that put their trust in you… That’s what led me to public service.”
Emanuel hopes that by the time his work in Chicago is done, the children of Chicago will be better off, because of the improvements he will make as mayor.
President Obama and Vice President Biden will be in town to attend Emanuel’s inaugruation at Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion. Emanuel will also hold an open house at City Hall after he is sworn in, to meet with the public.
Photo:
The Christian science Monitor