Aye. The ayes are 17, 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. 020244.
An ordinance authorizing the Ralston House, owner of the property 3615 Chestnut Street to construct, own, and maintain underground conduit and pedestrian light post, 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.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill being called for consideration is Bill No. 020252.
An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 13S by striking from the City Plan and vacating Lawrence Street from Wharton Street to Titan Street, 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.
Aye. The ayes are 17, 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. 000349.
An ordinance amending Section 17-107 of the Philadelphia Code entitled "Contractors Labor Management Relationships" by revising the penalties for violation of the prevailing wage ordinance, 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.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The last bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 020165.
An ordinance authorizing the Managing Director to enter into an agreement on behalf of the City of Philadelphia with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acting through its Department of Public Welfare for the City to administer a managed care program under the name Health Care Choices Behavioral Health, 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.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. That concludes our Calendar for today. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It's becoming very obvious, Madam President, that we're heading for an incredible diaster come September of this year. The dismantling of the in its own chaotic pace. You have a School Reform Commission that doesn't seem to know its elbow from its head or where certain pieces of their bodies are at. But obviously they're not thinking very well. Wall Street has passed judgment on the largest contractor with the School Reform Commission, the Edison Company. The other day a report came out, it says Edison schools flunk. It calls the Edison Company involving goof ball business plan, millions in loan to the company brass, millions more inside stock options, hidden panhandling, retread politicians. And the question becomes what are we going to do about this? I've been going to schools during the last few weeks meeting with parents. In fact, Councilman Mariano has joined me in many of those meetings that we have had. In each of those meetings, the parents expressed their despair and their lack of knowledge about what is going to happen to the education of their kids. The teachers and the principals are in the same boat. But the School Reform Commission continues in trying to push privatization, Edison, as the stocks go down from a high of 25 to now around $3 and some-odd cents. It is obvious that this company doesn't have the competence or the capital to be able to engage and manage the schools that they've been given by this Commission. Yesterday there were rallies in front of the School Board, students during the noon hour, teachers after 3 o'clock. The question becomes, are we going to allow this so-called Reform Commission to dismantle the public school system of this City? I don't think we should, and we have to stand up, speak out, bring it to a close if we have to. But let's not permit this catastrophe that is going to happen to come about. It's our kids. It's our kids. And I will keep on talking about this issue every week until people begin to listen that we can't, we cannot allow the dismantling of our public school system. We cannot allow a system of separate and unequal to be established. We cannot allow the system to be given to companies such as Edison to run. We just cannot allow that. And if we want a middle class to come back, we really cannot allow that to happen. So, Madam Chair, I know you've written a letter to Mr. Nevels, and I don't think we've gotten a response from him. And that letter was probably written around two weeks ago. We cannot allow these individuals to keep on running our system. If we have to bring it to a halt, I think we may have to bring it to a halt. If we have to bring it to that crisis situation, I think we may have to bring it to that crisis situation. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. I didn't have the opportunity earlier to introduce a visiting group. It's Webster Elementary School's Gifted Students Program. It's in Councilmember DiCicco's district. And they're here today with their teacher Mrs. Frado (ph), and I'd like them to stand and be recognized. (Applause.)
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. While we are recognizing people, I'd like to recognize the 61st member of the 50th Ward Brittany Washington who's been with us. She's out of school today. She helped us run the 50th Ward. Stand up, Brittany. (Applause.)
Madam President, I'd just like to say -- and I believe all of our my colleagues will get in their mail today a copy of the Nation's Weekly Newspaper that is published by the National League of Cities. And the leading headline states that the local leaders senator unite to fight predatory lending. And they have joined with Senator Paul Sarbanes, Chairman of the Senate Banking House and Urban Affairs Committee. They had a press conference on May 1st to talk about legislation that Senator Sarbanes has introduced to deal with the whole issue of predatory lending. And I notice in the story that in the legislation it does require counseling and other disclosures that we had included in our bill here in City Council. So I again say to my colleagues, thank you for your noble action on the local predatory lending bill and need is national legislation because predatory lending is moving in every city throughout this country. And while states and cities have taken leadership from our legislation here in Philadelphia and passed bills -- and I notice that New Jersey just passed an anti-predatory lending bill led by my friend Donald Tucker who is a Speaker in New Jersey. Hopefully, Pennsylvania will come around with our new Governor. But we certainly hope that this national legislation is passed, then everybody will be covered throughout the country. Thank you very much.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Mariano.
Thank you, Madam President. Just to follow up on Councilman Ortiz's comments on the School Reform Commission. Yesterday a few of us went to the School Reform Commission. Councilman Ortiz was out there early leading the rally and Councilman Rizzo and Councilwoman Blackwell and I went in and the three of us had a chance to speak. It was an interesting experience for me, not having such a stellar career in school. I tried to get in and get out, as usually, much like high school career without being noticed, without getting in trouble and without getting any accolades. But I told the lady in the back, I said, "Look, there's three councilpeople here" -- they were very nice and we got to speak. But I got to tell you, it was almost as exciting as being in a principal's office being 13 years old in junior high school or 14 year old in high school because they were nice to us but I felt that they weren't listening. And they may be the nicest people in the world and they may not be, and it's beyond Personality. My message to them and the other Councilpeople was we feel that we are not getting the information, good, bad, or indifferent, they're not telling us anything to tell our constituency. And I tried to explain to them until the light came on and said your time is up and I just ignored that and just kept speaking that my district is a very unique district, much like all the Council districts. The long and short of it is, there's an avenue called Erie Avenue. On the one side of the Erie Avenue in my district just below Juniata Park miraculously all the schools they have trouble with it. But above Erie Avenue, they never schools above Erie Avenue. At least that's what they're telling us. But all the schools that have African-Americans, Latinos, Julio DeBurgos which is a school that's had national acclaim because of the way they teach bilingually. They actually bring you in, teach you algebra in Spanish, then the next half teach you algebra in English. It's just an amazing thing. The Spanish students were teaching the Anglo teachers Spanish while he was teaching them algebra. So that's going to be reconstituted. All the schools, Ludlow, Julio DeBurgos, all those schools are on the radar chart for the School Reform Committee. But nothing a block up from Erie Avenue is on the committee. We have no voice in that Committee. And may be a Johnny-Come-Lately to this thing, but as the summer progresses on, in June we're out of here. In July and August it's going to be awful hot in the streets of the City of Philadelphia. Come September when this train wreck ends, we're going to be standing on the sidelines. So if they don't respond to the Council President's letter and don't respond to three or four Councilmen coming down there, I'm open for suggestions. I don't know what's next. Maybe a City of Philadelphia. Maybe if all the parents and all the students walk out of school one day at one time. Maybe something like that because they were very nice, but I just had a feeling they have a job to do and their job is to bring the School District where they think it's going to be regardless of what experiments or what they're going to cause to the future of our city and our state and our nation. It's a for-profit thing, and they're thinking about saving money. So at all cost, they're going to save money. So when it comes down to the end of the solution, which is saving money, they're not going to worry about some child with special needs, they're not going to worry about some child with English as a second language. That's the kind of thing that we as a body need to speak up. And I'd like to thank Councilman Cohen and Councilman Ortiz for doing the yeoman's task on this thing because I've been to three or four meetings with Councilman Ortiz and Tim Kearny from Dave Cohen's office, and it's pretty hard.
You, now, there's 20 parents showing up at one meeting, the next meeting 150 parents. And we're trying to it's convenient for people to come. But if you're a single mother living at 8th and Master and you have to watch your children, you can't go down to the School Board at 1 o'clock on a weekday. So I'd like thank everyone for their contribution, especially the Councilman's. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. This morning we would also like to note that Ms. Tony Nash (ph) is here. Many of you know her from TV, radio, and media events. She's here. We would ask her to stand up. (Applause.)
And we would also note the presence of Ms. Carol Williams Green, who is in fact is the creator of the Environmental Center and the moving force behind it that keeps it going and that does all the great things to make it absolutely one of the greatest facilities in our City. Thank you. And as you know, she is the mother of State Senator of Anthony Williams. Thank (Applause.)
I'd like to thank Councilwoman Blackwell because the funds that were available came through Councilwoman Blackwell. We receive State and City funds and limited funds from the William Penn foundation. But without her this facility would not exist. And Councilman Cohen, Councilman Longstreth you may not remember me, but years ago I served on Philadelphia PECO Advisory Council. And at that time you were trying to create an understanding about alternative energy. Councilman Cohen, I hope that in the future you and the City Council will address the environmental issues by bringing young people into your facility to have a debate because I think today our young people heard some very interesting issues about that concern for the environment. And thank you, Councilman, for your speech about the School District. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I think it's appropriate to wish all the mothers on City Council a happy Mother's Day, and all mothers. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you, Madam President. I'd just like City Councilmembers to know that I have been in constant contact with the SRC and have requested a briefing time and time again, and I'm still waiting to hear because I do agree with all my colleagues that they are not -there is definitely a communication problem between the SRC and City Councilmembers. So I'm waiting to get a response. Mr. Nevels was out of town last week. I made a couple phone calls, and soon as I hear something, I'll let you know. And if not, maybe we do need to take some aggressive action. Thank you.
Thank you. Does anyone else want to be recognized? Seeing none, the Chair recognizes motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, May 16th at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Council stands adjourned until Thursday, May 16th. Thank you. (Council adjourned at 11:30 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 May 9, 2002, 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