Aye. The ayes are 15, 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. 030331. THE
An Ordinance declaring that it is desirable for the health, safety, and welfare of citizens of City of Philadelphia that the Hospitals and Higher Education Facilities Authority of Philadelphia undertake a project involving the current refunding of the Authority's revenue 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE refunding bonds.
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
Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Councilman Nutter.
Aye. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE THE
Aye. The ayes are 14, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the Bill passes.
Thank you, Madam President. I have to step into the hallway for a moment. I would like to be recorded voting aye on anything that comes up while I'm out there. Thanks.
Thank you. The next Bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 030339. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE THE
An Ordinance amending Title 20 of the Philadelphia Code entitled "Officers and Employees," by enacting the W. Thacher Longstreth Memorial Survivors and Dependents Medical Care Ordinance.
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
Councilman Kenney voting aye. Councilman Mariano Councilwoman Miller voting aye. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE THE
Aye. The ayes are 14, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the Bill passes. I see Councilman Clarke running in the room, and I would recognize him. I'm sure he wants to cast his votes on Bill Nos. 030331 and 030339.
Yes, Madam President. Thank you. I'd like to vote aye on both 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE of those Bills.
The record will so reflect that. Thank you. (Councilman Clarke recorded as voting aye on Bill No. 030331 and Bill No. 030339.) The next Bill to be called for consideration is 030340. THE
An Ordinance amending Title 20 of the Philadelphia Code by providing for certain health and welfare benefits for pensioned employees, 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
Aye. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE THE
Councilman Kenney voting aye. Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. THE
Aye. The ayes are 15, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE the affirmative, the Bill passes. The next Bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 030386. THE
An Ordinance amending Title 14 of the Philadelphia Code, relating to zoning and planning by extending the boundaries of the area subject to special controls.
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
Councilman Kenney voting aye. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Councilman Nutter.
Aye. The ayes are 15, 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 is Bill No. 030389. THE
An Ordinance amending 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE Title 14 of the Philadelphia Code relating to zoning and planning by extending the said controls to conform with the City Council Ordinance.
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
Councilman Kenney voting aye. Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. THE
Aye. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE THE
Aye. The ayes are 15, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the Bill passes. The Clerk will please read the title 030420. THE
An Ordinance declaring it is desirable for the health, safety and welfare for the people in the area served by the Philadelphia Health and Education Corporation to undertake the project for the Drexel University 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE College of Medicine.
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
Councilman Kenney voting aye. Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Councilman Nutter.
Aye. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE THE
Aye. The ayes are 15, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the Bill passes. The Clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 030244. THE
An ordinance approving the Fiscal Year 2003 Capital Budget providing for expenditures for the capital purposes of the Philadelphia Gas Works.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally? 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE The Clerk will please call the roll. I'm sorry. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Thank you, Madam President. I'm going to vote no on this Bill because I think it's time for Council to be a legislative body and no longer to continue to be intimidated by the Mayor or to have the Mayor outlast us. This is the Capital Budget for the Gas Works. Gas Works which twice repudiated City Council as an authority refused to obey the law in Philadelphia on the senior citizen discount and the Mayor, as usual, outlasted City Council because the Mayor is clearly apparently turned his back on the people of Philadelphia when he changed the senior citizen discount. And City Council -- the papers were very kind to City Council. They said we accepted a compromise. Councilman O'Neill lauded the City because he said the senior citizens were getting something when they were fearful they were getting nothing. But they're getting less than what they had before, and senior citizens ought to be getting 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE at least what they had before and probably more because the old law was 30 years old. And by this time, we should have developed enough resources to recognize senior citizens better than we do, not worse. Which is what we're doing. This Capital Budget ought not to be passed by this body. Why doesn't the Gas Works go to whoever they took their orders from. They didn't take it to this City Council. They gave us the back of their hand. They insulted us. They came here and asked us for help after on two separate occasions they said no to us. I hope that if this Bill passes today it will be the last time this City Council acts as if it has no backbone, no guts, no understanding what a legislative body's duties are. Apparently, my colleagues have a feeling that it's our job to go along. I don't think it's our job to go along because the people of Philadelphia waited through 10 candidates to elect Councilmembers-at-Large. They waded through many other candidates to choose the District Councilmembers, and the voters expect this legislative body to act like a legislative body and not to be subject to control by anybody else. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE In Philadelphia we have a separate court system which is independent, and that's the way it ought to be. We have a Mayor who is independent; that's the way it ought to be. And we have a legislative body which ought to be independent, but which fails, always goes down on its knees finally before the Mayor. And that would be true whoever the Mayor is. In the forthcoming years, it's important that the people of Philadelphia know they have an independent legislative body because it's the City Council that assures the people of Philadelphia of their right as people to participate in government. It's us who make possible the discussions that took place earlier today on the rights of people. And the reason is that an executive -- the Mayor, any Mayor, has the right to go into his office, close the door and write out an executive order with no notice to anybody in advance and make that law effective as an executive order. But in City Council, we cannot do that. The way we work is each Councilmember, if he wants to have a law introduced and made law finally, has to introduce that law. It has to be advertised in the press. We have to hold a public hearing at 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE which every citizens of Philadelphia and even non-citizens have the right to come and testify. That's why we call the Council the people's body. It's the one body they can go to, the one body that cannot act against the will of the people without the people knowing about it. Therefore, it's important that we have an independent body. That's why I'm voting no. Let the Gas Works go to whoever they recognize as the boss. If they go to the Mayor and want the Mayor to help them, let him give them the money. They ought not to be coming to City Council. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. Again, I repeat, 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
Councilman Cohen. 06/12/03 - STATED - 2ND READING & FINAL PASSAGE
Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Councilman Nutter.