Obamapalooza

OBAMA RALLY | Campaign to pay $2 million cost: 'Could you see me saying no to Sen. Obama?'

Mayor Daley on Thursday put a $2 million pricetag on the cost of city services tied to Barack Obama's giant election night rally in Grant Park and said the cash-flush Obama campaign has agreed to cover every penny.

“We have a financial crisis….The city of Chicago could not afford $2 million on this because we're gonna be laying off people, cutting back. That [cost] would really be unfortunate…It's a huge cost to the city of Chicago,” Daley said.

“This is not a presidential visit.This is a political event and they've agreed to pay for all those services -- all the expenses of that. "It's costly, but they raised quite a bit of money. There's no [shortage] of money in that campaign."

Daley said he suggested the United Center as an “easier” and more “controlled” alternative to Grant Park. But, the mayor said he was turned down by Obama campaign staffers who insisted on holding an outdoor rally.

Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt countered, “We checked before we requested space [in Grant Park]. Celine Dion is booked for the United Center the night of the election. It was not an option.” LaBolt refused to say whether the Obama campaign has accepted the city’s $2 million estimate or agreed to pay it.

Daley was asked whether he objected to Obama's decision to burden his hometown by holding, what the Illinois senator hopes will be a giant victory party in Grant Park.

“Could you see me saying 'no' to Senator Obama? Give me a break. I'm not that dumb,” he said.

But, the mayor acknowledged that the Grant Park rally presents major logistical challenges.

“When you close down Grant Park, you need police. You need fire. You need sanitation. You need an enormous amount of people there, as well as the condition of the park before and after. . . . You have to close the park maybe six, seven, eight, 10 hours before,” Daley said.

“You have to secure buildings, close down buildings. ...You have to secure the CTA. . . . You have to have extra police on the CTA going to and from downtown. That's quite a bit of . . . overtime. You have traffic people. You have to secure sewers and [manhole] covers. You have to realign gas mains.”

With a $465 million shortfall, Chicago is hardly in a position to assume any cost for the Obama rally.

It comes at a time when Daley is laying off 929 employees, eliminating 1,346 vacancies, slowing police hiring and raising parking and amusement taxes and a laundry list of fees.

The uncomfortable controversy over rally costs has not spoiled Daley's plan to attend the rally.

Asked if he planned to be there, the mayor said, “Why not?”