Councilwoman 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING Quinones-Sanchez is voting aye. Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.
Aye. The ayes are 15; the nays are zero. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions.
A resolution recognizing and honoring The DICK's Sporting Goods Foundation for their recent donation of $250,000 to the School District of Philadelphia and for their commitment to support sports programming 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING through their Sports Matter campaign, introduced by Councilmembers Kenney, Blackwell, Tasco, Sanchez, Bass, and Squilla.
Councilwoman Blackwell, can you make a motion, please.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution Honoring, Congratulating and Recognizing 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING the Julia R. Masterman School and its Students for winning the Regional and State Odyssey of the Mind Championship, introduced by Councilman Greenlee on behalf of Council President Clarke.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution recognizing May 4, 2014 as Mental Health and Dignity Day in the City of 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING Philadelphia, introduced by Councilman O'Brien.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution Proclaiming May as Lupus Awareness Month and Celebrating and Recognizing May 15, 2014, as "Put on Purple Day" in the City of Philadelphia, introduced by Councilwoman Reynolds Brown. 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution recognizing and congratulating the Mu Omega Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated on hosting its 79th Grand Conclave in Philadelphia, introduced by Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.
The 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.
Yes. I should note that will be in the 4th Councilmanic District. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution proclaiming and celebrating May as "Older Americans Month" to recognize the diversity and contributions that older Philadelphians have made and to increase awareness of long-term strategies for safe, healthy living for older citizens 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING in Philadelphia, introduced by Councilman Jones.
Thank you, sir. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Safety to conduct hearings concerning the efficacy, public safety, and economic impact of installing and maintaining a network of public emergency call boxes in high-crime areas of the City of 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING Philadelphia, introduced by Councilman Jones.
Thank you. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. Again, I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution offering the sincere heartfelt condolences of the people of Philadelphia to the people of Korea for the tragic 5/1/14 - STATED - 2ND READING loss of life as a result of the Sewol Ferry accident on April 16, 2014, introduced by Councilman Oh.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor? (Aye.)
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to be recorded as voting aye on all bills and resolutions in my absence from the Chamber.
Thank you very much. So noted. It shall be reflected in the record. Thank you very much. That concludes our Calendar, and we will now call for speeches on the part of the minority. (No response.)
I have none today. There you go. Councilman O'Brien.
Thank you, Mr. President. I would just like to congratulate the Policy GIS and Media Fellows on completing their fellowships and, more importantly, I want to thank them for their service to City Council.
Thank you. Thank you so much, Councilman. Speeches on part of the majority? And the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. My first employment opportunity was a summer job. They hired me. We filled out the application, and shortly thereafter, Mr. President, they fired me. The lesson learned from that is I would never, ever be fired from another job in my life. And that was an important experience for a young teenager. Today, the City of Philadelphia is facing a job crisis. Despite the decrease in unemployment from 8.5 percent in 2012 to 6.7 percent in 2014, 20.2 percent of youth between the ages of 16 and 19 remain unemployed. The national youth unemployment rate is approximately three times higher than the national year, 18,000 young people applied for summer jobs, of which we were only successful in employing 7,600. That left -- and I went to public school -11,000 unemployed young people in the hot summer streets. Current funding for this summer indicates that only 4,000 young people will have jobs made available to them. That's a 47 percent decrease for our youth from last year. The average cost of a summer job is only $1,700, but to a young person who gets it, receives that job, it's priceless. We are looking at a summer where we don't want flash mobs, so we should try to create summer jobs, and what we're hoping to do is challenge everyone through the Summer Job Challenge sponsored by phillysummerjobs.com and PYN to come together, all of us, and make some calls, call some businesses that we help every day and ask them to put up, up, one job. We can do that and increase the outcomes for young people this summer. These jobs may not seem like a lot to us, but often it's the way they get their sneakers for school, buy their supplies for going back to school, and unfortunately in some cases, Mr. President, it's how they eat all summer, because the only real predictable meal they get in school. So during that summertime, they often go without. So I'm urging my colleagues to reach deep, make some calls, shake some trees, and create some jobs. Our young people need our help. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Council President. I would like to invite my colleagues and the public to myself, but Peter Ryan, the Irish Deputy Consul General, for a free exhibit and reception tonight at 6:00 p.m. at the American Catholic Historical Society. The exhibit is called the Labor and Dignity: James Connolly in America. James Connolly was one of Ireland's national icons. He was among an influential second generation of Irish American leaders in the United States who rallied immigrants from all over Europe to press for dignity of labor. So if you are interested in the history of organized labor and the immigrant labor in this country, I welcome you all to join me tonight for this important exhibit. It's tonight 6:00 p.m. at the American Catholic Historical Society at 623 South 4th Street. I appreciate your time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. President. I'd certainly like to say that I support Councilman Jones and the call for support, additional dollars so that we may be able to hire more young people during the summer. I just want to make a brief announcement. Many of you in this room and some of our colleagues who are no longer with us on Council remember coming to Moody's on the Pike up at Limekiln Pike and Haines. Walter Moody was the owner of that restaurant, and the politicians in Northwest Philadelphia spent a lot of time there dancing, eating, holding workshops, and celebrating our victories. I'd like to announce today that Mr. Walter Moody, age 93, a consummate businessman from the age of 18, passed away on April 26th. His funeral will be Saturday at Deliverance at 11 o'clock, viewing from 9:00 to 11:00. We will miss the great food that he offered to us and to the community. And he was very supportive of politicians in this city, and we'll miss him. Thank you.
Thank you. Remember the place well, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. President. As we look forward to the School District budget hearings next week, this week I want to seize the moment to share some positive news as reported recently in Governing Magazine this week. The United States high school graduation rate has reached 80 percent for the first time ever and is on track to reach a long-sought goal of 90 percent by 2020. So we have a lot of thanks to give, starting with the leadership in Washington, DC in the White House. Educational leaders hailed the 10 percent increase over the last decade as significant progress and highlighted particularly strong gains among minority students. However, we must also note that the disparities that still exist between states and persistently lower graduation rates in many of our nation's major cities. It's important to note further facts about Pennsylvania. Currently, Pennsylvania ranks No. 19 in the nation when it comes to high school graduation rates. Pennsylvania ranks above the national average with an 84 percent graduation rate, the good news. If we dig and drill down a little deeper, the graduation rate for Asian and Caucasian students is 89 percent. The graduation rate for Hispanic and African American students is 68 percent. And in the School District of Philadelphia, the number is 61 percent. say thank you to you, your leadership, your continuing work with the Harrisburg delegation to figure out how we get what our students deserve, a fair funding long-term solution. For sure, the rest of the state is flourishing, and we salute the school districts across the Commonwealth for their graduation rate success stories. But our message is that we want our Philadelphia students to enjoy a part of that story. Our students want to learn. Our students want to graduate. But we know the recurring chorus, all we need are the resources. In spite of the 25 percent poverty rate in Philadelphia, we know that the number one key to breaking the cycle to poverty is a quality education. This week I spent some time with the children of the late Councilwoman Augusta A. Clark. We are actively working to institute a chair in University under the leadership of Judge Moss, and talking with her children, it reminded me every day that Gussie occupied this Chamber and refused to back down from a fight on behalf of Philadelphia students. Her children talked about how she was always fired up. We always saw her resolute, and we know she had the quality I call moxie. And so we join you again and again and again in appealing to the Governor of this state and leaning on you for you to lean on us in telling us how we can help you get what these children deserve, a long-term solution to the funding for the children in the School District of the City of Philadelphia. So we will look anxiously as we learn what the School District has to offer next week. In the interim, we know that children really, really do want to learn and they want to graduate. I thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you very much, Councilwoman. And that appears to be the end of the speeches, so I again recognize you for a motion to adjourn.
Yes. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, May 8th, 2014 as 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, May 8th, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. And thank you all very much. ) 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, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. ) A 99:19 113:6 agencies 51:18 American 8:20,24 55:4 AA 75:24 additionally 52:17 9:3 71:15 76:18 approving 34:3 AAA 76:4 68:16 Agency 34:4 112:5,11,19 39:14 71:11 Aaron 78:17,21 address 71:17 39:15 115:22 approximately abiding 21:11 adhere 67:13 Agenda 65:1,2,14 Americans 45:9 109:24 able 3:20,21 16:2 adjourn 118:6 65:25 66:10 104:21 April 4:16,21 5:3 113:7 adjourned 118:8 68:1,4,15,25 analyses 78:13 10:4 49:17 absence 5:14,19 118:14,24 69:1,4,6,11 70:1 and/or 119:22 107:3 113:23 6:3 108:6 ADJOURNME...