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Old 04-29-2019, 11:49 AM
 
885 posts, read 624,911 times
Reputation: 1827

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Lori Lightfoot will be inaugurated next month as Chicago's 2nd woman mayor.


Do any posters have memories of Chicago's only woman mayor, Jane Byrne, who was elected exactly 40 years ago?


I voted for Byrne in the Democratic primary mainly as a protest vote against Mayor Bilandic and the Chicago political machine. Byrne campaigned as an outsider and reformer, even though she owed her political career to Richard J. Daley and the Cook Co. Democratic organization.


Later, I came to realize that because of her temperament, Byrne was ill-suited to serve as mayor of a major city. Her public style was brusque and mercurial. Byrne came across as a mind-changing and impulse directed mayor. During her tenure as mayor, she battled the police, fire, and teacher unions.


And, she joined forces with the 2 sleazy Eddies: Burke and Vrdolyak, to thwart the political ambitions of African Americans, Hispanics and progressive whites.


Your thoughts and opinions?
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Old 04-29-2019, 11:55 AM
 
Location: ✶✶✶✶
15,216 posts, read 30,558,979 times
Reputation: 10851
She was a political outsider who lacked the personality of a leader and directed on whims and impulses.

Now we have a POTUS just like that!
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Old 04-29-2019, 12:12 PM
 
Location: A Place With REAL People
3,260 posts, read 6,760,104 times
Reputation: 5105
Man oh man are you folks in for a ride. I've got a full batch of popcorn made to watch the show from a great distance fortunately. Can't wait to see how much further down the ladder you guys can be dragged. But it is sure not my fault, so enjoy the ride
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Old 04-29-2019, 12:24 PM
 
629 posts, read 543,611 times
Reputation: 994
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nearwest View Post
Lori Lightfoot will be inaugurated next month as Chicago's 2nd woman mayor.


Do any posters have memories of Chicago's only woman mayor, Jane Byrne, who was elected exactly 40 years ago?


I voted for Byrne in the Democratic primary mainly as a protest vote against Mayor Bilandic and the Chicago political machine. Byrne campaigned as an outsider and reformer, even though she owed her political career to Richard J. Daley and the Cook Co. Democratic organization.


Later, I came to realize that because of her temperament, Byrne was ill-suited to serve as mayor of a major city. Her public style was brusque and mercurial. Byrne came across as a mind-changing and impulse directed mayor. During her tenure as mayor, she battled the police, fire, and teacher unions.


And, she joined forces with the 2 sleazy Eddies: Burke and Vrdolyak, to thwart the political ambitions of African Americans, Hispanics and progressive whites.


Your thoughts and opinions?
She was absolutely horrible and I can't believe we are naming a major road intersection after her... but its fitting I guess
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Old 04-29-2019, 12:30 PM
 
1,501 posts, read 1,770,670 times
Reputation: 1320
I remember when she decided she would occupy a Cabrini Green unit. Ha what a joke.
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Old 04-29-2019, 12:36 PM
 
629 posts, read 543,611 times
Reputation: 994
Quote:
Originally Posted by hendersj31 View Post
I remember when she decided she would occupy a Cabrini Green unit. Ha what a joke.
That didn't last too long... Which is funny because thats probably the thing she is most famous for
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Old 04-29-2019, 02:18 PM
 
Location: Cleveland, OH USA / formerly Chicago for 20 years
4,069 posts, read 7,317,864 times
Reputation: 3062
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nearwest View Post
Do any posters have memories of Chicago's only woman mayor, Jane Byrne, who was elected exactly 40 years ago?
I was a young person still living in Cleveland during her entire mayoral term. I didn't move to Chicago until many years later. I do remember reading a front-page article in the local newspaper about her moving into a Cabrini-Green apartment. I thought it was interesting, but didn't have any particular opinions about it at the time.

Didn't Taste of Chicago debut on her watch? Or was that Bilandic?
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Old 04-29-2019, 02:31 PM
 
885 posts, read 624,911 times
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Andrew61: The Taste of Chicago was started in 1980, during Byrne's 2nd year in office. It replaced Chicago Fest, which began when Bilandic was mayor.


BTW, Byrne had a connection to Cleveland. Her first husband, Bill Byrne, was a native of Cleveland. He died in a plane crash around 1960.
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:42 PM
 
5,317 posts, read 3,227,783 times
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I was a kid when she was around, so I didn't have any opinions of her. The Blizzard of '79 was something I'll never forget and that's what got her in.
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Old 04-29-2019, 08:31 PM
 
Location: Chicagoland
337 posts, read 930,038 times
Reputation: 487
I remember the Cabrini-Green stunt. Also, I vaguely remember that she had a penchant for putting her name on things: most incongruously, a festival of modernist and avant-garde music called "Mayor Byrne's New Music America."

Someone played a joke on her at that one:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...408-story.html
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