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BGA: Corruption Tarnishes Mayor Daley's Reign As Great American Mayor

CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Mayor Richard Daley is presiding over his final City council meeting. His legacy was the topic of this week's Watchdog Wednesday segment on Newsradio 780 with Andy Shaw of the Better Government Association.

Shaw, the BGA's Executive Director, says Daley's biggest Achilles' heel will be several scandals, from Hired Trucks to patronage hiring issues. Shaw says transparency and accountability have been done half-heartedly under his administration. On the upside, Shaw points to how Chicago is much better as a world-class city after 20 plus years of Daley rule.

LISTEN: Better Government Association Executive Director Andy Shaw On Mayor Daley's Legacy

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"We're on the map," Shaw said.

Shaw said Daley tackled schools, housing and race relations. Environments around downtown have boomed.

"Navy Pier and Millennium Park are gems," Shaw said. "On balance, he will go down as one of America's greatest mayors, but there'll be that asterisk, and the word corruption will be there. That's something you can't really block from the record."

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