Point of order. Councilman Longstreth did not leave his vote for any resolutions. He only left his votes for bills. You cannot count Councilman Longstreth. I do not know why we're doing this, but please proceed.
Councilwoman Miller STATED MEETING - CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION is voting aye. Councilman Nutter.
Councilwoman Tasco is voting aye. Councilwoman Verna is voting aye. Council President Street.
Aye. The ayes are 12, the nays are zero. The majority of the members of Council having voted in the affirmative, this resolution is adopted.
I understand that, but I would like to have an accurate count. STATED MEETING - CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION
Is there anyone other than Councilman Longstreth whose vote was not recorded?
Well, Councilman Cohen, if you insist on this, then I'm going the ask -- we will stand in recess and I'm going to ask the Clerk to go back through the record and review each and every statement of every member who left to determine whether or ot that member left a vote in favor of bills and resolutions. You're now gilding the lilly. I don't know why you want to do this to us because I'm not sure I remember, and I don't know whether or not you have a right to count the votes of people who left and may not have said that they're in favor of resolutions. Now, if that's what you want to do, that's what we can do. If that's what you wish to do, then Council will stand in recess for an appropriate time. Well go back and we will check the record.
Your argument is eloquent, and in view of the time, I will accept it.
Thank you very much. The resolution is adopted. STATED MEETING - SPEECHES Are there any speeches on the part of the members of the minority? Are there any speeches on the part of members of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
First of all, Mr. President, I'd like to apologize for this late hour, the speech I have to make is timely. It is representative of my views, not to be construed as representative of any views of this Council as a whole or any individual member unless, of course, they happen to agree with me. In March 1996, I introduced a resolution asking for public hearings to explore all available avenues of funding for School District of Philadelphia, including examining support for a pilot voucher program in an effort to use that support for leverage additional funding for the public schools from Governor Ridge and the Republican controlled legislature. Naturally, the resolution stirred great debate and discussion. The debate was passionate, but productive. Since then, another member of Council has introduced a related resolution to study the STATED MEETING - SPEECHES potential effects of charter schools and vouchers on the Philadelphia public schools. At the time, my resolution lost by one vote. The subsequent resolution introduced by Councilwoman Clark passed with my support. This week in Harrisburg the voucher debate continues and is coming to a head. It might be decided by Monday the 23rd of November or even midnight on the 24th. I have talked to members of the legislature and have been told there may be as many as 99 to 100 votes in the house in favor of this measure with 102 votes needed for passage, and that the Senate is also supportive of Governor Ridge's plan to provide between $350 to $1,000 per student for families making $15,000 a year in the first year. A sliding family income scale upward over five years would enable parents earning from $25,000 to a high of $70,000 to also partake in this program. These are not wealthy people. It has been estimated by different groups that the School District of Philadelphia needs between 250 and 300 million dollars to continue Superintendent Hornbeck's Children STATED MEETING - SPEECHES Achieving programs. Let me honest as honest with everyone as I can be. In my opinion, we will not receive that amount of money or anything even close. This Governor and Legislature are clearly not of the mind to provide these types of dollars. There has been disastrous public relations between the Superintendent and Harrisburg. The climate is not conducive to reasonably expect that somehow this money will be flowing to Philadelphia Public Schools anytime soon or ever. At this critical juncture and before the legislature adjourns, I implore Mayor Rendell to try to negotiate a reasonable and deliverable amount of new dollars for the Philadelphia Public Schools in exchange for the Mayor's efforts in trying to convince two or three more members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Philadelphia to vote in favor of the Governor's voucher plan. It has become increasingly clear to me and to many people over the years that parents of all backgrounds and income levels desperately demand the right to choose the place and manner of their STATED MEETING - SPEECHES precious children's educations. Whether they are seeking a decent public school in Philadelphia or sadly by moving to the suburbs, whether they are seeking a religious school or a non-sectarian private school, they demand that choice. It is time for our Mayor to use his tremendous negotiating and salesmanship skills to get this deal done. This voucher train is rolling and it is picking up speed. We can all benefit from the Mayor and Governor Ridge's past teamwork similar to their efforts in winning the Republican National Convention. Or we can sit by while vouchers happen, get no new dollars for our public schools, and continue to whine about how unfair we are treated while our children's futures are in jeopardy and our tax base continues to erode because of working class family flight in a desperate search for a decent school. We need to help our children now with the cards which we have been dealt now.
Parents and families at 24th and Lehigh, at 17th and Stiles, at 47th and Wyalusing, at 63rd and Buist, 17th and Marrs, B and Lehigh, Fifth and Godfrey, and every other neighborhood in our City deserve our efforts to accomplish something we can actually do. STATED MEETING - SPEECHES Please, Mr. Mayor, don't lose this opportunity at the 11th hour to do the right thing by every family in our great city by not picking up the phone and calling Governor Ridge to make an offer to help get this legislation passed. It may well pass without us and without a real deal for new dollars for our public school system. Sports stadiums are important, but this issue is much more important and the families in our City struggling to do better for our children. Thank you, Mr. President.
Councilman, thank you very much for your remarks. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. President. On December 10th at 10:00 we will be having public hearings, quasi state and local hearings, to discuss charter schools and their impact on our city and state. As it is well known, we are still having growing pains with many of those who are trying to as an alternative school to try to in a public school to try to get those straight and up and running. In our city we've been having STATED MEETING - SPEECHES various issues and problems with regard to public education and which way it should go. My opinion is at this point we've still not reached the time where the majority of our public officials have embraced the idea of vouchers because of the impact of the funding for public education. I will say that we look forward to having the debate. The State will be here at that time, and we're glad to deal with and certainly I'll ask my colleague to deal with all the issues relevant during that hearing. Thank you.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Mr. President, I just want to remind the members of the Law and Government Committee and Commercial and Economic Development Committee that there will be a meeting of the joint Committee at 10 o'clock Friday morning on the resolution that was adopted Council with respect to why we are not getting the information from the Administration that we had been requesting with respect the employees of companies that the City hires to do much of the city work. So we request STATED MEETING - ADJOURNMENT all members of the Committee to be here tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. Thank you.
Thank you very much. The Chair moves the Council stands adjourned until Thursday, December 3, 1998 at 10:00. (Duly seconded.)
All in favor, let it be known by saying aye. Those opposed say nay. The ayes have it. This Council stands adjourned until Thursday, December 3, 1998, 10 o'clock a.m. (Council adjourned at 1:00 p.m.) C E R T F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of November 19, 1998, 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