Unbridled Synergism
Richard J. Daley, Chicago's illustrious 5 1/3-term mega-mayor, might have been among the most corrupt politicians, with his mob ties and the use of "dirty money" to fund a lot of his agendas, but he was also known for being quite resolute in his convictions and also quite meticulous in the way he often carried out those agendas of his.
Take, for example, his commitment to the city's park and recreation systems.
During the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention protest riots at Lincoln Park and Grant Park he would put the orders out to his minions in the maintenance division of the Parks and Recreation Department to thoroughly clean up and restore the parks back to a level of cleanliness and manicured perfectionism each night after all the participants, protesters, media and police departed the premises.
And thorough the maintenance crews were. Every piece of litter, down to each and every candy wrapper and cigarette butt, picked up. And the grounds completely scrubbed down. All within mere hours.
Anyone who visited either park the very next day would never guess the day before there were violent demonstrations and police confrontations if they hadn't already heard about it on the news or read about it in the papers. That's how good a job Daley's administration performed.
No matter how anyone feels about Richard J Daley, no matter how much of a bastard one thinks he was, one has to admit this level of synergy is the stuff of the most idealistic of dreams in terms of organization and functionality. Very rarely does one find this kind of cooperation, even within organizations, institutions, or workplaces (NASA's Apollo program being among the exceptions, naturally).
Richard J. Daley, Chicago's illustrious 5 1/3-term mega-mayor, might have been among the most corrupt politicians, with his mob ties and the use of "dirty money" to fund a lot of his agendas, but he was also known for being quite resolute in his convictions and also quite meticulous in the way he often carried out those agendas of his.
Take, for example, his commitment to the city's park and recreation systems.
During the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention protest riots at Lincoln Park and Grant Park he would put the orders out to his minions in the maintenance division of the Parks and Recreation Department to thoroughly clean up and restore the parks back to a level of cleanliness and manicured perfectionism each night after all the participants, protesters, media and police departed the premises.
And thorough the maintenance crews were. Every piece of litter, down to each and every candy wrapper and cigarette butt, picked up. And the grounds completely scrubbed down. All within mere hours.
Anyone who visited either park the very next day would never guess the day before there were violent demonstrations and police confrontations if they hadn't already heard about it on the news or read about it in the papers. That's how good a job Daley's administration performed.
No matter how anyone feels about Richard J Daley, no matter how much of a bastard one thinks he was, one has to admit this level of synergy is the stuff of the most idealistic of dreams in terms of organization and functionality. Very rarely does one find this kind of cooperation, even within organizations, institutions, or workplaces (NASA's Apollo program being among the exceptions, naturally).
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