Interview with Ald. Matthew O’Shea

Ald. O’Shea Wants City Council to Be Kinder

In response to League interviewer Barbara Goering’s question on what should be changed in the operation of the City Council, Ald. Matthew O’Shea of the 19h Ward said that he would like to see the Council members be kinder to one another. He sees some of the current rancor as one of the effects of the pandemic. He included himself when he said that each speaker needs to take a deep breath and then plan to work out differences. Watch the full interview, which premiered on February 3.

Ald, O’Shea, who chairs the Aviation Committee of the City Council, says that O’Hare is the biggest economic engine of the city. More cargo goes in and out of O’Hare than any other airport in the country. Airline travel means tourism and business. Tens of thousands are employed at O’Hare and Midway airports.

Some other highlights of the interview include:

• Ald. O’Shea believes that not enough is being done at any level to deal with gun violence. One reason is criminals are not afraid of being held accountable. He recounted that a senior citizen was car-jacked on Christmas Eve in his ward by a 10-year old holding a machine gun, which points out additional problems.

• Ald. O’Shea says he would like to achieve more investment in early childhood education before his current term ends, citing the Barbara Vick Center as the example of what he would like to see expanded.

The communities of Mt. Greenwood, Morgan Park and Beverly have been in the 19th Ward since 1923.  For those of you wondering about the center section of his ward marked “not in city” on the ward map, Ald. O’Shea explained that this is Mt. Greenwood Cemetery, a privately owned, unincorporated area of Cook County.