Aye. 3/27/03 - STATED - 2ND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE THE
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 030079. THE
An ordinance amending Section 12-2703 of the Philadelphia Code entitled "Designation of Permit Parking Districts", by amending the definition of District 5, by removing certain portions of that area from the permit parking district, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally? The Clerk will please call the roll. THE
Councilwoman 3/27/03 - STATED - 2ND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE Blackwell.
Councilman Ortiz. 3/27/03 - STATED - 2ND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 030124. THE
An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 317 and 319, by striking the City Plan and vacating illegally open portions of Borbeck Avenue.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally? 3/27/03 - STATED - 2ND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE The Clerk will please call the roll. THE
Councilman O'Neill. 3/27/03 - STATED - 2ND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 030137. THE
An ordinance authorizing the vacating of a portion of Sheaff Lane, under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally? 3/27/03 - STATED - 2ND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE The Clerk will please call the roll. THE
Councilman O'Neill. 3/27/03 - STATED - 2ND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The final bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 030139. THE
An ordinance amending Section 9-205 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Sidewalk Sales," by exempting sidewalk sales by owners and tenants of properties on both sides of Girard Avenue between Frankford and Susquehanna Avenue, all under certain terms and conditions. 3/27/03 - STATED - 2ND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally? The Clerk will please call the roll. THE
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. That concludes the Calendar. Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there any of the majority? The Chair recognize Councilman Cohen.
Thank you, Madam President. The strange tale of the newspapers in Philadelphia continues. Last week following my statement filing the passage of the resolution condemning the activity of the newspapers in Philadelphia and continuing to publish in the Daily News large ads approving of predatory lending, my office received a visit from a representative of the publisher of both newspapers, Robert Hall, asking for a copy of the resolution. I thought that was a bit strange since both newspapers have reporters present at these meetings all the time. But apparently, the publisher of the joint newspapers did not know of what was if the resolution, so we provided him with the information. He got a copy of the resolution. Thereafter, I noticed in the -- I believe it was in the Daily News, a short news brief that Robert Hall said that if Councilman had any questions, he should present the evidence to Mr. Hall and he would then consider it. I thought that was strange in deed that he did not enough about predatory lending to recognize what it was. But I read the resolution he would devote some time to consideration of it. Well, the answers have started to come in and I couldn't think of stronger support for the resolution we passed last week condemning monopolization of news media and particularly the effort by President Bush to combine the electronic and print media with a single ownership. Because what happened was yesterday the Inquirer wrote a beautiful editorial attacking some very hitherto very respectable companies like H&R Block company and other companies for their terrible practice on predatory loans and cited as examples an additional use of predatory loans that I had not quite mentioned. I was saving that for next month. And that was the effort to convince people to ask for their payment from Internal Revenue -- the H&R Block and other companies are advertising that we'll give you the refund before the government will. What they don't mention is, of course, they will charge interest rates of up to 700 percent in the meantime. So that anything you would gained from the refund, you probably pay off in interest rates. But the Inquirer had a beautiful yesterday, two columns, major editorial condemning that kind of loan, attacking even payroll loans in the process. What happens today in the Daily News? The same big ads. Go to of the Daily News and there's a gigantic ad about predatory lending, you know, urging people to get a payday loan or if they need cash for any reason, just call us and they'll get the money right away. I think there is a real disconnect between the publishers office and real life and maybe that accounts for the downgrade of the quality of news that the Daily News and the Inquirer have been involved in since the two newspapers merged into one. But isn't it time now -- and I think this maybe has the end of adjusting, and I think we've got to begin taking serious action if the major in Philadelphia is playing this double game, having the Inquirer write nice, clean, beautiful editorials demanding an end to predatory lending while at the same time they're profiting by the huge amount of advertising appearing in another newspaper of theirs supporting predatory lending. sermon for today. Maybe I should have followed a predilection I had in my sophomore year in high school when I thought for a awhile of attending the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, and becoming a rabbi. Because apparently preaching in the City Council seems to have maybe sometimes as little effect as sometime preaching in the churches or synagogs or mosques seems to have.
So let's hope finally this comes to an end and the Inquirer takes the moral and the ethical approach and makes very clear that they are not going to profit from this terrible disease of predatory lending go which just lives on the poor and takes away any real of them improving their lives. Thank you, Madam President. )
You're welcome. Any other speeches on of the part of the majority? (No response.)
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 3, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Moved and properly seconded that the Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 3, 2003. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? The ayes have it and the motion carries. (Council adjourned at 11:20 a.m.) C E R T I F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of March 27, 2003, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. RE: STATED MEETING ___________________________ Lisa C. Bradley, RPR and Notary Public