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. 110342.
An ordinance authorizing the Director of Commerce to enter into an Extension of the Use and Lease Agreements between the City of Philadelphia and each of the airlines servicing the Philadelphia International Airport.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill 6/2/11 - STATED - 2ND READING 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. 110343.
An ordinance approving the Fiscal Year 2012 Capital Budget providing for expenditures for the capital purposes of the Philadelphia Gas Works (including the supplying of funds in connection therewith) subject to certain constraints and conditions, and acknowledging receipt of the Forecast of Capital Budgets for Fiscal Years 2013 through 2017.
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 please read any additional resolutions on today's Calendar.
Thank you. That 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 Greenlee.
Thank you, Madam President. Very quickly. Just a reminder again, right now after Council in the Caucus Room, the representatives from the Philadelphia History Museum, Atwater Kent, will be new renovated -pictures of their new renovated museum, which I think everybody will be very proud of. So lunch will be served, which I think is important. So Councilmembers and staff, if they could, please attend. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. Today I rise regarding the issue of taxes. The issue I want to talk about is that which has been suggested with regard to raising parking meter taxes in Center City and University City. I represent University City, and I will say that I think it is unfair at this last minute, with no notification -- I tried to call some institutions just this morning since it just came up, and certainly the institutions I called -- and I mean Penn, Drexel, University of Sciences, for example. All three of them do not agree. And people can't agree to things about which they've had no information, no discussion. And last time when these meter costs/charges were raised, we had time for discussion. We talked about it, and they still went up somewhat and, in fact, to a great degree. Therefore, having done that, having had our meters raised in University City, with no discussion and having heard it and having seen it in the paper and discussed by members who are just dealing with this rolling number for taxes that we've been dealing with all week, I find it unfair. I hope that this Administration will consider it is unfair to take an area, one neighborhood, one area in our city -- or two areas it actually is, and to decide I'm just going to raise taxes there, I'm going to raise fees somewhere there, irrespective of how people feel, without any discussion, would certainly hope the Administration would reconsider this. We're always open for discussion. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.
Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to speak today briefly about the proposals from the Administration to increase either a -- to impose either a new real estate tax on the School District's side or impose a sugary-sweetened drink tax. We received a letter from the Mayor this morning that had a premise that I want to disagree with, and the premise is that more funding is required from us in order to have early childhood education and full-day kindergarten. That premise is incorrect. The School District has within its $2.7 billion budget the ability to provide the funding priorities. I'd like to see a sign of good faith from the School District before we act, have the SRC meet again, pass a budget we can agree with that contains the things that everybody knows are efficacious and important, like full-day kindergarten and early childhood education, and then come ask us for help rather than the other way around. I'd like to be treated like an adult by my partners at the SRC. It is not Governor Corbett, it is not the State Legislature, it is not the Mayor, it will not be City Council that cuts anything that is cut from a $2.7 billion School District budget. It is the SRC. It is the choices they make that determine the kind of education that our children are going to get next year, and I'd like to see them make those responsible choices prior to us acting on any legislation, whether it be City Council's, the Administration's or anyone is very important to note that relying on a sugar-sweetened beverage tax is very dangerous. It certainly will be challenged in court, and we have no opportunity to take back that funding unless we get relief from the state in that regard. We'll be required to come up with that money even if a sugar-sweetened beverage tax is struck down. That leaves us with a real estate tax. What the Mayor has proposed is a real estate tax on the School District's side of the ledger. That would provide us with zero accountability. I think this body made pretty clear in different people's comments, whether they were in favor of taxes or not, that we want complete accountability, and that is why I do support Councilman Clarke's proposal to put $44 million in the appropriation in a City Council line item so that we can School District, but I'd like to see them treat us as equal partners and adults prior to us taking any action. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam President. I just want to announce that at today's Streets and Services Committee hearing, the one bill related to sidewalk behavior, I will be calling on a recess of that bill to the call of the Chair for next Tuesday, I believe, at 4 o'clock p.m. I've spoken to my colleagues on that Committee and other members of City Council. We've been working since yesterday with Councilwoman Blackwell and others to try to come up with a bill that we can all live with. I suspect that will be available by next week, and I just want for the viewing watching that we will not have that hearing today, so there will be no need for them to come in to testify. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Madam President. I had an opportunity the other day to visit the Overbrook Education Center in my district. This particular school helps visually impaired young people. They integrate those visually impaired young people with young people who don't have that type of disability. But what they've also done is worked with art and music to work with those young people to learn how to paint what they hear. They use that through the aid of crayons and paints that have the scent of oranges, cherries and things like that, and are able to then translate art. As I went through that building, there was a sense of sadness, a sense of sadness because some of their teachers had received layoff notices, and that this particular type of education where many of these teachers pay out of their own pockets to get these type of supplies for them and the uncertainty of whether there will be a music or art program next year. Now, let me say this: This body did not cause this deficit. In fact, the deliberation of many of its members I am proud of. They're thinking about this issue on how to be helpful and to solve it. But the unintended consequences of whatever those decisions will not be only on those young people. I do not care who started it. I do not care whether it was the stimulus package that is not there or whether it's the surpluses that will not be shared. At the end of the day, art is important them, it is important to us as a society, and we will either help to support the schools or we will continue to build prisons. It is our choice. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, June 9th, 2011, 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, June the 9th at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.) (Stated Meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.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 June 2, 2011, 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.)