To inform voters and to help the baiduhai Editorial Board make endorsements, the board posed a series of questions to the candidates running for alderman. See their answers below. See how other candidates answered here.
Name: Matthew J. O’Shea
Ward: 19th
Current job: Alderman, City of Chicago
Previous political experience: Alderman, 19th Ward, 2011 – Present Committeeman, 19th Ward 2005-Present Delegate to Democratic National Convention, 2004
Education: B.A. – Political Science, St. Mary’s University, Winona
Spouse’s occupation: Teacher, Chicago Public Schools
Sources of outside income: None
The rise in violent crime remains a top priority for City Hall. Homicides, shootings and carjackings are all unacceptably high. Tell us how city government can be innovative in combating crime, and explain what measures you would propose if elected.
In September 2021, I co-authored an op-ed with former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Susan Lee on the need for more investment in both the Chicago Police Department and in successful violence prevention programs. When discussing public safety, Chicagoans are too often faced with a false choice between law and order and violence prevention. To truly stem the tide of violent crime, we need both operating at full strength.
Addressing the staffing crisis in the Chicago Police Department (CPD) must be a priority. As an employer, the City must take steps to make the job more attractive to potential applicants, and to retain existing talent. That is why I proposed a package of hiring incentives that includes a $5,000 signing bonus for new recruits and $10,000 in down payment assistance for first-time home buyers in the department. CPD should also provide cash incentives to younger officers, especially those who have not yet vested in the pension system to help keep officers on the job. I am also exploring a student loan assistance program for the Department.
We should also explore non-financial ways to improve working conditions if we hope to recruit and retain officers. First responders do a difficult and dangerous job and the City has continually failed to adequately provide for their mental health nor do we provide them sufficient time for rest. An exhausted, overworked police force is problematic on many levels. That is why I introduced an ordinance that would mandate at least one day off per week for officers and worked with my State legislators to introduce a similar measure at the State level. I also passed an ordinance creating a financial benefit for families of first responders who die by suicide.
While incentives can be a valuable tool, steps should also be taken to help the department operate more efficiently with the reduced manpower they have now. As violent crime has increased, many members of the Council, myself included, have used menu money for public safety cameras and license plate readers. Camera footage help the department act more quickly to make arrests and free up officers who often spend hours canvassing an area looking for private camera footage. That is why I have proposed a “buy one get one” option for Alderman who choose to allocate funds for cameras, with locations being designated by local police commanders. In my ward, cameras were essential in arresting the offenders who murdered retired Firefighter Dwain Williams in December of 2020 and those responsible for shooting of Officer Danny Golden in July of this year.
Aside from cameras, the City must significantly increase its fleet of helicopters. Today, CPD has two helicopters; one is 28 years old and the other is 16 years old and both are frequently down for maintenance. The 2023 Budget allocates funds for the purchase of two additional helicopters, though between the procurement and construction processes, those helicopters will not be online until 2024. I have been calling for an investment in helicopters since the 2020 budget cycle. The Los Angeles Police Department has 17 helicopters and 1 airplane, the Houston Police Department has 13 helicopters, and the New York Police Department has 8 helicopters and 1 airplane.
It is equally important to address the root causes of violence. In my ward, I’ve worked with Chicago CRED and Becoming a Man (BAM) on outreach efforts to at risk youth. Research shows that even has violent crime skyrockets, these programs have begun to bear fruit. A Northwestern University study found that participants in Chicago CRED’s program are half as likely to be shot or arrested as non-participants with similar backgrounds. Two separate trials administered by the University of Chicago Crime Lab found that BAM cuts violent crime arrests among young people in half and boosts the high school graduation rate by nearly 20%. Data clearly shows that violence prevention programs can work when success models are properly resourced.
Unfortunately, these programs are not operating at scale. The Northwestern Study referenced above found that violence prevention efforts are reaching about one in twenty at risk young people. In 2022, the City allocated $85 million to support violence prevention and spent less than 20% of those funds. The administration must do a better job of getting these funds out the door and doing so with programs that have a proven track record of success.
Simultaneously, every Chicago elected official should use their public platform to push all stakeholders in the criminal justice system to work together in a more cohesive manner. Constant finger-pointing in this arena has created no actionable change in the day-to-day safety threats in Chicago. We need to be honest about what’s working and what is not, and prioritize public safety about political agendas.
Ultimately, more officers are needed to respond to calls and create a deterrent to criminals, investigate crimes, and deal with dangerous situations. More outreach workers and social workers are needed to reach at risk young people before they commit crimes, prevent retaliatory shootings, and guide them into a better socio-economic position.
The CTA, one of the nation’s largest transit systems, remains a troubled agency grappling with issues ranging from violent crime and ghost buses and trains, to flagging ridership. Give us your thoughts on what specific measures CTA should take to make train and bus service safer, more reliable and more equitable for Chicagoans.
Transit safety is a key concern and one that ties into the larger problem of staffing levels at the Chicago Police Department. Essentially, more police officers are needed not only at the district level but also to staff transit lines. The CTA should explore a pilot program to recruit retired officers or military personnel back to work on a part-time basis securing transit lines.
The CTA, like many government and private sector employers across the country, faces a severe labor shortage that drive service problems. However, they do enjoy unique advantages in the workforce development arena. A collaboration between the Cook County Workforce Partnership, CTA, CPS and City Colleges could have a major impact on this problem.
CPS and City Colleges should work with CTA to create a certificate program on their campuses that would prepare students for a career in public transit. CTA careers, while often overlooked by many, provide a good wage and the ability to raise a family. They have challenges with recruitment and have faced complaints about the amount of training needed to begin work. The CTA should also rely on local elected officials and the faith based community to help recruit employees.
If other educational partners like the CTA or City Colleges could implement some of the training needed into a curriculum program those graduates could be offered preference in hiring and a reduced training schedule. Cook County Workforce Partnership would be the ideal entity to help develop and promote programs like these and possibly bring in other transit partners like PACE to widen the universe of options to students who participate in such a program. Having an adequate number of buses would be a great first step towards service improvements.
However, an investment in technology is also needed so that tracking apps accurately dictate when a bus or train will arrive and more importantly can advise riders when a delay is coming. In any large transit agency there will be delays and complications with schedules – that is unavoidable. We can however, work to reduce those delays, and provide riders with the best possible information so that they can plan accordingly.
From the equity lens, the red line expansion, which I supported and your board rightly editorialized in favor, will be among the largest public transportation projects in CTA history. This is a huge step forward in connecting traditionally underserved communities to mass transit. The project will include affordable housing components and will connect a large segment of Chicagoans to new job and education opportunities.
Ten years ago, enrollment at Chicago Public Schools was 403,000 students. In September, enrollment stood at 322,000 students. Enrollment at CPS has dropped for 11 consecutive years. What specific measures should CPS undertake to reverse the trend of ever-dwindling enrollment?
CPS parents have long felt voiceless in decision making processes related to their children’s education. To combat this, more authority and control should be given to local school councils with fewer decisions being made at the district or network level. Decision making at a local level will help parents feel more connected to their schools.
Public school parents have lived with considerable uncertainty during the last decade with school closures, teacher strikes, and the controversial response to the pandemic. CPS should develop a survey to collect data from parents who are leaving the system. A one size fits all approach is not appropriate in a district this large. We need to spend some time really listening to its parents, learning from the feedback, and launching appropriate programs in response to the feedback and data.
The concerns public school parents in my ward raise most often are safety, quality of education, access to childcare, and condition of school facilities. These are very different issues impacting different school communities in different ways and CPS needs to be able to address each of them where appropriate.
In schools where safety is a concern, the district needs to establish a stronger connection with the local commander and CAPS office, as well as bring in outside resources from to promote safety in the school. At Morgan Park High School in my ward, I worked to bring the Becoming A Man mentoring program to the school to work with the most at risk students and coordinated resources between the police and school leaders to ensure a stronger police presence in the area at start and end times. Based on safety concerns we also shifted from an “open” campus format, meaning students were permitted to leave the school building on their lunch hour, to a “closed” campus where students remained in the school at all times.
Where quality of education is an issue, the district can seek to establish strong partnerships with outside organizations or curriculum changes. At Morgan Park High School, I developed a partnership between the school and Saint Xavier University where the University provided intensive math support to students who needed additional help, and dual credit opportunities for students who needed a more challenging course load. We also worked to expand the international baccalaureate program at the school.
Where parents need help with access to childcare, the District should invest in early childhood and after school programs. In a community like mine, CPS schools compete heavily with parochial schools. Nearly every private school in the 19th Ward offers early childhood education while public options are more limited. To address that, we’ve invested nearly $30 million in early childhood options to help establish a link between the school and young parents at an early age. After school programs should also be expanded using more state and federal Outside of School Time (OST) grants. Where OST grants are not available, partnerships with community organizations and non-profits can be utilized.
Finally, CPS’s limited capital resources should be deployed in a way to address enrollment losses. In the 19th Ward, we successfully used capital investments to replace a crumbling, dangerous building at Esmond Elementary School, replace a dilapidated modular building at Kellogg Elementary School, and address unsafe overcrowding at Cassell and Mount Greenwood Elementary Schools.
There is no silver bullet with public education. Specific plans need to be made to meet the needs of specific communities. This is where empowering LSC’s can be impactful. It should also be recognized that 35% of CPS students are African American, and the City’s African American population has dropped by 10% in the last decade; in that time, CPS’ African American enrollment dropped by 48,000 students.
Disinvestment on the South and West sides is a decades-long problem with myriad causes. Give us at least one innovative idea that you believe could play a role in reversing South and West side disinvestment, and explain why the idea is realistic and feasible.
The Mayor’s efforts to focus on the South and West sides are needed, even though her program is off to a slow start. But the biggest issue with rejuvenating these areas is crime. Business owners and developers won’t invest in areas of the City that are viewed as unsafe or unstable. More incentives are needed to attract businesses, such as property tax abatements, help with hiring security, and a citywide effort to entice corporate leaders to take a chance on hard hit areas.
Collaboration from local and federal officials resulted in the rejuvenation of the Pullman factory area. This should be a model that the City can learn from to see what worked there and how it can be scaled. As members of the City Council, we must step out of our silos and collectively push for resources to areas that need it the most.
Access to abundant fresh water is a tremendous natural resource for Chicago that can be leveraged to spark development especially in tech industries. Incentives around water should be explored to attract projects to traditionally underserved South and West Side communities.
If we can attract large scale employers to South and West side communities, ancillary businesses will follow and demand for housing will increase. All of which can stabilize struggling communities and hopefully reverse the impacts of long-term disinvestment.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
I support eliminating Mayor Lightfoot’s automatic annual property tax increase. I voted against this measure when it was introduced, I have voted against each of the annual increases since then. We can all agree that the City needs to establish new revenue streams to reduce our reliance on property taxes.
With looming pension debt, we cannot reduce existing property taxes without identifying a mix of budget cuts and replacement revenue streams. We would also need a solution for the pension crisis. I support the expansion of recreational marijuana to generate revenue. Moreover, I have opposed a wide variety of giveaways proposed by the Lightfoot administration including the gas give away, universal basic income, and the free bike giveaway. While certainly very popular with the public, we cannot currently pay for the government we have now, we should not be adding new giveaways like these.
The City should also focus heavily on the mega-developments planned for Lincoln Yards and the 78 and do all that we can to bring the One Central Development to reality. These large-scale developments will have a major impact on property and sales tax collections and create badly needed jobs.
Give us your take on the city’s use of tax increment financing districts. Do you feel they have been useful, or do you feel that the problems associated with them outweigh their usefulness? What if any reforms would you want to apply to the city’s usage of TIFs?
TIFs are a useful economic development tool that have made a major difference in the 19th Ward but there are certainly areas for improvement or reform. Unfortunately, TIFs are really the only economic development tools that we have when trying to attract significant projects. For that reason, they become the default vehicle for financing. If the City had other tools to utilize, the reliance on TIF could be reduced.
As a ward that borders other municipalities on three sides, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of sales tax incentives. Where TIF provides up front financing to developers backed by increased property tax generation, a similar incentive could be crafted rebating the municipal portion of future sales tax generation associated with the project. Suburban municipalities have been doing this for years with great success. If the City of Chicago launched a sales tax rebate incentive program for new developments, it could assist in attracting new businesses without deferring all property tax growth like a TIF does.
A sales tax rebate also ties the payments to the success of the new development, thereby limiting the City’s risk. A TIF subsidy requires specific payments on a specific schedule regardless of the success of the project. Sales tax incentives could be especially effective when developments involve a heavy retail presence like grocery stores for example.
I would also support a change to TIF Law that would hold CPS harmless in any newly created TIF. CPS is already exempt from Transit TIFs and its worth exploring extending this exemption to all TIFs. This would of course significantly reduce the amount of available TIF dollars but could also prevent the need for future CPS tax increases.
Lead in drinking water is a major health concern for the city. It is estimated that in Chicago there are roughly 400,000 homes and small apartment buildings with lead service lines. So far, the city has replaced less than 300 lead service lines. Do you feel the pace of lead service line replacement should be expedited, and if yes, what is the best, most feasible way to accomplish that?
A multi-pronged approach should be taken to expedite the replacement of lead service lines. In addition to the existing program, which provides free lead service line replacement to low-income families, shared cost, municipal financing, and residential rebate programs should be implemented. The City could allocate a set a budget for shared cost lead service line replacement using the model that is currently in place for shared cost residential sidewalk replacement.
If you are an incumbent, please explain what is it about your service on the City Council that makes you most qualified for the job. If you have never served on the council, please explain what is it about your background that makes you most qualified.
Since my election in 2011, I’ve established a record of success that is based on listening to others and working collaboratively to build consensus. In doing so, I’ve had many significant victories in the City Council. In 2019, I passed a ban on elected officials working as lobbyists that the Better Government Association called the strongest such regulation in the Country. A year later, I worked to beat back Mayor Lightfoot’s attempt to water down this regulation. These victories come from City Council that has a well-known historical reluctance enact any new ethics proposals.
In 2020, I passed a ban on flavored vaping products. To achieve this victory we had to balance the views of public health experts with business interests that were already struggling in the midst of a global pandemic. Aside from the many legitimate yet differing viewpoints surrounding this issue, we also faced the long reaching tentacles and deep pockets of big tobacco, which successful beat back similar legislation at the state level. Still, by listening to all sides we were able to reach a compromise that passed council and protects a generation of kids from becoming addicted to tobacco products.
Earlier this year, I introduced an ordinance to provide financial assistance for families of first responders who die by suicide. This measure was introduced with 50 co-sponsors and passed City Council unanimously – a rare occurrence for non-ceremonial council actions. To provide higher quality services to first responders in crisis, I worked with the Chicago Police Department to create the first officer wellness center on the southside which will open in Spring of 2023.
I also assembled a coalition of conservative, moderate, liberal and progressive Council Members to co-sponsor an ordinance that would mandate all Chicago Police Officers receive at least one day off per week. The strength of that coalition lead Superintendent Brown to voluntarily adopt much of what our ordinance called for.
My collaborative approach and ability to get important things done are what make me most qualified.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Public safety is the most pressing issue facing the 19th Ward and the City of Chicago. As outlined in greater detail in previous questions, an increase in staffing levels is critical to addressing this problem, as are violence prevention programs and outreach that will address the root causes of crime.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
The Chicago City Council, like many elected bodies throughout the country, has become increasingly polarized since the 2019 election. Building consensus among members with vastly different ideologies has become increasingly difficult. That struggle has limited much of what the Council can accomplish.
As a moderate Alderman, I have a proven track record of working with my colleagues to get things done (many examples are included in previous responses). The ability to bring people together and work through differences is critical to the future of our city and is more important than stances on any one specific issue. In this election, I face two opponents, one from either end of the political spectrum. Both seek solutions that are steeped in their own political ideology. In contrast, I have spent my career trying to bring people together, confident in my belief that things that unite us are far greater than the ones that divide us. I’ve tried to quietly find the middle ground in a time when we need to turn down the volume of polarizing ideology.
I firmly believe that working together and trying to see and understand opposing points of view are essential when trying to address a problem. Adding fuel to the existing ideological tug of war in the City Council will not produce a positive outcome.