Vi Daley was an
alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...
in the
Chicago City Council, representing
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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's 43rd
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
. The 43rd ward includes much of the
Lincoln Park and a small portions of the
Near North Side Community areas. Daley was elected to three four-year terms, and chose not to seek reelection when her last term ended in 2011.
Daley is unrelated to the
Daley family prominent in Chicago politics.
[Neal, Steve. "It's not just her name that will put Vi Daley in office." ''Chicago Sun-Times'', 3 Feb. 1999, LATE SPORTS FINAL, NEWS, p. 8. ''NewsBank'', infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/0EB423ECE6E7288D?p=AWNB. Accessed 15 May 2017.]
Background
Vi Daley was born on February 19, 1943 in
Rockford, Illinois, where she grew up and attended business school. After college, she worked for
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
at
O'Hare International Airport, and spent her time near
Rush Street (Chicago)
Rush Street is a one-way street in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The street, which starts at the Chicago River between Wabash and North Michigan Avenues, runs directly north until it ...
, where she met her husband, Vince Daley, a bartender. They married, and Vince began working in real estate. The Daleys had two daughters, who inspired Vi Daley to get involved in the community. She became a leader in the effort to create Cummings Playground, the popular playground across from the entrance of the
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo, also known as Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens, is a zoo in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The zoo was founded in 1868, making it the fourth oldest zoo in North America. It is also one of a few free admission zoos in the Unit ...
.
[Kogan, Rick. Smooth sailing; Vi Daley's ward, filled with beautiful old buildings, is among the city's most prosperous: hicagoland Final Edition ''Chicago Tribune'', March 19, 2006. Accessed May 17, 2017 - via Proquest.] Daley was also executive director of the Friends of Lincoln Park and was the president of the Mid-North Association.
In 1993, she became the chief of staff of the 43rd Ward Alderman,
Charles Bernardini.
Election
Daley was elected in 1999 to replace Alderman
Charles Bernardini, for whom she was Chief of Staff.
In the past Lincoln Park elected a more liberal breed of Democratic Aldermen than Daley. She has received support from a mix of interest groups, including the
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
(Chicago chapter), the Fraternal Order of Police and the Chicago Fire Fighters Union, the "
Lakefront liberals" organization, the
(
IVI-IPO), the Chicago Association of Realtors, and the
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
newspaper the
Windy City Times
''Windy City Times'' is an LGBT newspaper in Chicago that published its first issue on September 26, 1985.
History
''Windy City Times'' was founded in 1985 by Jeff McCourt, Bob Bearden, Drew Badanish and Tracy Baim, who started Sentury Publicat ...
.
City Council service
Of the 50 aldermen, Daley was one of the most consistent supporters of Mayor Daley, voting along with him 90 percent of the time, which was fourth most often.
Daley was the first Chicago Alderman to post the street cleaning schedule on her website and the first to send residents email alerts before cleanings. In a 2010 investigation by
Fox Chicago, Alderman Daley earned a perfect score for her timely response to an array of constituent requests.
Opposition to "Big Box" ordinance
Daley, along with 13 other Aldermen voted against the 2006
big-box retailer "living wage" ordinance which would have requiring different wage standards for employees of large retail stores.
2003 balcony collapse
Daley was quoted in the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' commenting on the
deadliest porch collapse in United States history. On June 29, 2003, early in Daley's second term, in the 43rd ward, an overloaded balcony collapsed during a party in an apartment building, killing thirteen people and seriously injuring fifty-seven others.
Soccer field for private school in Lincoln Park
In summer of 2007, Daley received media coverage regarding a controversial public land use issue, in which a private K-12 school, the
Latin School of Chicago
Latin School of Chicago is a selective private elementary, middle, and high school located in the Gold Coast neighborhood on the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school was founded in 1888 by Mabel Slade Vickery. Latin S ...
, tried to build a soccer field in part of
Lincoln Park in the 43rd ward.
Bubble Zone Ordinance
After receiving complaints about the increase in the size and "viciousness" of
anti-abortion protests from a Near North Side
Planned Parenthood, Daley introduced a
Bubble zone ordinance that was successfully passed on October 7, 2010. The ordinance creates a protection zone within a . radius of the entrance to any hospital, medical clinic or healthcare facility. Within that zone, no one could get closer than to pass materials, display signs, protest, educate or counsel another person without their consent.
Those who violate the ordinance can face up to a $500 fine. This law was modeled after a much stricter Colorado law whose "bubble zone" is 100 feet.
Alderman Daley was recognized for her work in passing the "Bubble Zone" ordinance by Planned Parenthood of Illinois at their annual
Roe v. Wade
''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and s ...
anniversary celebration.
Sex researcher, columnist and book author
Debby Herbenick
Debby Herbenick ( )) is an American author, research scientist, sex educator, sex advice columnist, children's book author, blogger, television personality, professor, and human sexuality expert in the media. Herbenick is a professor at the Indi ...
, Master of Ceremonies noted, "The fact that people are physically and/or emotionally harassed when simply seeking the health care to which we are all entitled is frightening, and that's why this ordinance is such an important victory."
The law has been challenged on Constitutional grounds by both pro-lifers and the
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
Historic Landmark Preservation
Alderman Daley served on the City Council Committee on Historical Landmark Preservation. During her tenure there were 16 areas in the 43rd Ward that were designated Historic Landmarks including the
Armitage-Halsted District. The Armitage-Halsted District was designated a Chicago Landmark on February 5, 2003 and features
bay windows and corner turrets with conical roofs.
Branch banking zoning regulation
Daley drafted and helped pass legislation opposing banks opening within of each other.
Chicago Sculpture Exhibit
In 2001, Daley founded the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit, a free, neighborhood art exhibition which installs sculptures in public spaces in
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park is a designated community area on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Lying to the west of Lincoln Park, Chicago's largest park, it is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Chicago.
History
In 1824, the United States ...
and
Lake View, Chicago
Lakeview, also spelled Lake View, is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois. Lakeview is located in the city's North Side. It is bordered by West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood A ...
.
Vi Daley papers
During Daley's three terms as 43rd Ward Alderman, Daley's office contributed to th
Vi Daley papersheld by
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...
Special Collections and Archives. The collection includes materials related to Lincoln Park urban planning, CTA redevelopment, and historic preservation projects.
Vi Daley papers.
DePaul University Special Collections and Archives. Accessed May 15, 2017.
References
External links
Alderman Daley
Developing Government Accountability Report Card
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daley, Vi
1943 births
Living people
Chicago City Council members
Illinois Democrats
Women city councillors in Illinois
DePaul University Special Collections and Archives holdings
21st-century American women