Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. We will now consider Bill No. 080650.
An ordinance amending Section 9-605 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Towing," by amending the requirements required for towing from private lots, private property and driveways, all under certain 3/26/09 - STATED - 2ND READING terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. We will now consider Bill No. 080750.
An ordinance amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity," by providing for the establishment of a daytime curfew for minors of compulsory school age on days when such minors are required to be in school.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please 3/26/09 - STATED - 2ND READING call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. This concludes our Calendar for today. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President, for the opportunity to say a few words about the 2009 World Irish Dancing Championships being held in Philadelphia. They are being held in Philadelphia for the first time in the United States from April 5th to 12th at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts in Center City. The World Irish Dancing Championship is an eight-day event that well over 4,000 of the finest Irish dancers from all over the world, including dancers from Philadelphia and the region here and across the country. This world famous event will draw an enormous amount of national and international attention to Philadelphia and is predicted to attract over 20,000 fans, and they will be staying in our hotels and hopefully spending their euros liberally in our city. The first World Irish Dancing Championship was held in a tiny theatre in Parnell Square in Dublin. Since that time, the Championships have grown into an international event of immense proportions, and I can't stress more how important it is for this city to have attained this championship for the first time out of Europe. It could have gone to New York or Boston or Los Angeles or any large city in the country, Chicago, but it is coming here to Philadelphia, to take the opportunity to go and see it. And I know Councilwoman Brown, as a former professional dancer herself, will appreciate the fact that these fine Irish athletes and American athletes and European athletes dance in a manner that is very much similar to what you'd see in our American jazz and tap and you can really see the real melding of many dance traditions and great athletes at the same time. So I urge everyone to do their best to come out, see these young people, these young athletes and artists, and also to support the event, because it is very important that we show our happiness and thankfulness that's been brought here to the City. So I thank you, Madam President.
Thank you, Madam President. Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. I will be joined by Arlene Ackerman, the superintendant of schools, along with Sandra Dungee Glenn at the A. Philip Randolph Career Academy, and we had a briefing by the Superintendent that talked about a lot of wonderful goals and ideas for the public school system, but one of them that struck me most was the pathway to a green economy. In that spirit, a number of unions, local unions, are going to join us in that tour to talk about ways that local public school high school students can participate in that career fair, and I encourage all my colleagues to join us up at the school and see what we can do to help the green economy along its way. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you, Madam President. Next week we will introduce a resolution honoring the life and works of John Hope Franklin, who passed away at the age of 94. He was a great American, a true historian, and our world is better for his life and contribution. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. I will be brief, as John Street used to say, no matter how long it takes. I just want to say that in the next few weeks --
In the weeks, we will be deliberating the budget in City Council, and it's a very hard time for all of us in this city and in this nation because of the financial condition of the country and the world. We will face decisions that we have not had to make before and that it's going to be quite difficult, but we will sit here and we will do what we have to do, and hopefully the outcome will not be as dire as predicted. But this morning I do want to speak to an article which appears today in the Philadelphia Daily News which leads one to believe that the infamous DROP program has something to do with what we have to do relative to the budget. My purpose today is to bring clarity to the issue of DROP as related to budget issues. In 1999, the Pension Board submitted an ordinance to the City Council relative to a program which would be voluntary for City employees to that when they decided to retire would freeze their retirement benefits for four years. That money would be put into an escrow account. There would be an interest payment, and at the end of the four years, they would take their money, their money which has been deposited for four years into the pension fund and invested by the pension fund. If they have retired at the end of the four years without going into the DROP, they will have received their pension fund every month of their money. At that time when we had the discussion about the DROP program, we made fun of David Cohen because we told him it was time for him to go into the DROP, but Mr. Herkness and Mr. Hayler both testified that the elected officials could not go into the DROP in 1999. We had to wait until we were reelected and do it the following year. There was never any discussion about the elected DROP since the DROP has no impact really on the General Fund. It seems that we are being maligned because we are accepting the money that we have contributed in the DROP program for the four years. None of the money comes from the General Fund. The DROP money can't pay for recreation centers. The DROP fund can't keep libraries open. It is an employee benefit that is a contract between the City employee -- and we are public City employees. It is a benefit and it's a contract that the City has with the employee and in between the City. So as we move through this budget, I hope that people will form their own judgment about this, but I think they need to know the other side, which has not been clearly stated in the media. It is always that we are taking suitcases of money out of the City that somehow will hurt the City, but it's not has been paid through the years, and only for 28 years can City elected officials participate in the DROP. There's a determination -- I think it's 30 years for regular City employees. And, Madam President, I resent the fact that they have chosen to malign you. You have been with the City for 50 years. You can only collect 28 years of pension. So, in essence, you and some other Councilmembers are actually working for nothing. So we are not taking money out of recreation centers. We're not taking money out of pools or libraries, but we give, we pay every two weeks. There is a deduction taken from the City employee, put in a fund, and that money comes back to the employee. Matter of fact, the interest rate paid to the employee is four and a half percent. During that discussion in 1999, our Councilmember Nutter raised the issue as to why was the interest rate so low. There's a rationale for why we have the DROP program. People may not like it because they don't like us to take the lump sum. At the time that the -- during that hearing Mr. Herkness and Mr.
Hayler said that the DROP program was a financial planning tool for City employees, because they decide they're going to leave in four years and they leave. And as to this loophole that people talk about, any employee, City employee, can retire and can come back and work for the City. The fact that elected officials run, it is up to their constituents whether or not they choose them to come back. If they think they are worthwhile to come back in spite of the DROP, they will determine that. And if they don't believe they should come back based on their record, the voters will not return them. So I, for one, just wanted to bring a little clarity and give another see it. Now, people will choose to disagree, but I just wanted to go on the record to say that. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I was planning also to speak on this, but I want to thank Councilwoman Tasco for her remarks today and making sure that our side of the story is heard, and I believe that there has not been the proper communication on this issue, and, again, I want to thank Councilwoman Tasco for her remarks today.
Thank you. Are there any other speeches on the part of the majority? (No response.)
none, the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 2nd, 2009, 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 2nd at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. (Stated Meeting adjourned at 11:00 a.m.) 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 March 26, 2009, 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.)