Hello. Good afternoon, distinguished members of the City Council. I want to make a correction. It's not Danilo Burgos. My name is Jose Mota from the Dominican Grocers Association, and we would like 167 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 to -- we were invited just to mention some of our support of different things that we are giving to the City of Philadelphia. We are the one who are making possible that in our neighborhoods people can eat a cheesesteak for 2.50, and it doesn't matter in which language you ask for. The Dominican Grocers Association was born in 1998. It's a non-profit organization. We have about 300 members, and we believe that we are about 500 Dominican grocery stores in the City of Philadelphia. We are a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Organizing Project, and we came to Philadelphia to work hard, and that's exactly what we're doing, 14 hours, 13 hours a day from Monday to Sunday, and we are located throughout Philadelphia in the old neighborhoods, especially in places where the big company won't go to make businesses. We are there. We buy those houses, sometimes destroy houses. We fix 168 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 them. We build them, and we renew this house as bringing new businesses to the neighborhood. We pay taxes there. We have to buy different license to operate a business. We had to pay dumpster licenses, cigarette license. We pay alarm, but we also pay different kind of taxes, like city, state and also federal taxes. So these are only some of the contribution that we are making to the City of Philadelphia. Now the City is attracting more than any other city the Dominicans that have saved some money in bigger cities, like New York or New Jersey. They coming with a little money and they are investing that money in Philadelphia. Therefore, you see grocery stores. There are also new restaurants, beauty salons, taxi companies, and these are only part of the contribution that we are doing every day in the City. And we really thank for the support that we get from different people 169 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 in the City. And that doesn't mean that we have no times where we have problems in the City to operate. Of course. But our association is willing to work and we've been working with different City agencies like, for example, the License and Inspection, the Department of Health, the Police Department. Those are only a few agencies to mention that they have being working with the Dominican Grocers Association just to make our Philadelphia a better city, a better place to live. We are here struggling with the native Philadelphians. As new Philadelphians, we are contributing not just in that, but we are also part of the system and we suffer while Philadelphia is suffering. We are suffering when the delinquencies is here in Philadelphia. We are part of that segment of the City that have been hidden also. We lost many Dominican grocers just while they are looking for a brighter future in this City. They lost their life, but that's 170 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 not -- this is only the negative part. There is a lot of a brighter future that we see in this future and that we are contributing to that brighter future, not just for us but for the City. Thank you very much.
Good morning, Council. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Mr. Merillels Joseph. I'm a Haitian immigrant and I'm a member of the Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs. I came here in 1994 as a political refugee. Actually, I'm a litigation paralegal, working for (unintelligible) right there in Philadelphia and also I'm working actually for a life insurance company as an insurance agent. However, I got my own business in West Philadelphia, 63rd and Haverford. 171 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 I am here today to represent the Haitian businessmen in Philadelphia. The Haitian community in Philadelphia is going up and the Haitian businesses are multiplying. We have actually two radio stations, more than Haitian businesses 8 in Philadelphia region only. When we go 9 to the Haitian population, we think we 10 have about 30,000 to 40,000 Haitian 11 families living in Philadelphia. This 12 information is not 100 percent accurate, 13 because we do not have an official status 14 stake now, but we are working on it. 15 We are here, ladies and 16 gentlemen, to cooperate with the City of 17 Philadelphia in any legal manner so that 18 we can have a better community where 19 everyone can live peacefully. So we urge 20 the Council to stand behind us in any way possible and help us to deliver up our businesses. As an immigrant, we are here in the United States for a better life. We are not trouble-makers, as some people 172 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 think. We are hard-working people. We urge all immigrants and everyone who cares about us to stand together with us to fight against any legal law that tend to consider immigrants as bad people, especially the law that is actually in discussion in the U.S. Senate. We thank you, Council, and we hope the Council will continue in that way so that we can share ideas and find ways to create a better community in Philadelphia. Thank you very much.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm very thankful for the 173 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 opportunity to address you on an issue that is important to all of us.
Oh, I'm sorry. Alston Meade, Honorary Consul, Jamaica. At this time, we especially appreciate the opportunity to focus on the positive effect that immigrants have on communities throughout the United States and especially in Philadelphia. On this occasion, I will offer a Jamaican perspective. Of course, I do not expect this to be significantly different from the things that other groups have said, especially those from the Caribbean, and simply confining my comments to the issues that I know best. A little bit of background information on the Jamaican immigrant. Jamaicans have enjoyed a long tradition in the democratic process of government. We have a culture where opportunity for service tends to be limited only by 174 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 ability. We have come a far way in ensuring that leadership, even at the highest levels of government, is not restricted by gender, social circumstance or other irrelevant criteria. People from Jamaica tend to work hard and to play hard. It is not surprising, therefore, to find us striving for excellence as hard in the workplace as on the athletic fields. Of course, we are not perfect. We're not immune from human frailties. The point that I wish to make is that the typical Jamaican immigrant tends to be a positive force in the community. In the professional ranks, we find Jamaica in the Philadelphia area in a wide range of occupations providing significant service for the City and its residents. This is volunteers that I wish to focus on in a minute or so that I have left. The quality of the Jamaican spirit is exemplified by the level of 175 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 volunteer service that they perform in the community and the contribution to the multi-culturalism that makes Philadelphia great. A few examples will suffice. The Annual Caribbean Festival at Penn's Landing provides the opportunity to join in showcasing collectively the charms of the island nations. The entertainment and education values cannot be overstated. Secondly, contributions to education and socialization process is exemplified by such activities at the Annual Career Conferences that were conducted by Jamaican volunteer organizations for more than a decade. This program supported by basketball legend Patrick Ewing, Jamaican diplomates, Temple University and local businesses contributed significantly in promoting good-will among students of different ethnic and geographic origins. A word about the religious institutions. The many Jamaican churches 176 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 with their multi-ethnic and multi-national congregations are of enormous value in the well-being of the communities that they serve. Even in elected policy-making positions in the greater Philadelphia area, we find Jamaicans have made significant contributions as elected officials; for example, in Board of Education and on other policy-making bodies essential to development of our young people and the functioning of our society. In conclusion, I stress that immigrants play an essential role in our community. They deserve our support and our protection. Thank you very much.
Wendy Hess? 177 6/7/06 - COMMERCE - RES. 060293 (No response.)
Is there anyone else to testify on this resolution? (No response.)
Seeing none, the hearing on this resolution is recessed to the call of the Chair. Thank you very much and thank you for your patience.
Thank you. (Committee on Commerce and Economic Development adjourned at 1:35 p.m.) - - - 178 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on June 7, 2006, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)