"We have tremendous strengths, but the financial picture of the city of Chicago in 2011 and 2012 was the dark cloud over our prospects, and because we have taken and done the necessary things — and been honest about them, and I don't take lightly that affected some people and it affected different parts of the city differently — we are in a strong position for the whole city to grow, for the whole city to have economic growth and job creation at the same time."