Do I have to wait for the green light? Do I have to wait for the green light?
Okay. Hi. I'm a resident of North Philadelphia and member of Carpenters Local 8. I'm here today in support of economic Bill 120013 that would create the ability to have a committee that would ban contractors of doing work with the City, contractors who discriminate, and I'm here in support of that bill, but yet I wonder who is going to stop business? Every year, millions of dollars in construction money go through the City, pass through the City, in every DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com neighborhood, some of them the poorest neighborhoods and districts in the whole country. Yet the demographics of the City are not allowed to participate in these projects in trades that make from $40 to $60 an hour. These are the living wages that bring people out of poverty. I also wonder when will we have the data collected and managed by uninterested parties that are not paid by the developers and the contractors, the so-called compliance agencies, compliance monitors that do the consulting for the developers and contractors. And how can this data be accessible to the public? It should be. It should be public information. And so I'm here today to urge you to stop allowing public money to be used as a public inheritance. Please stop allowing public money to be used to discriminate. Who is going to stop business? Thank you. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Kevin Lumpkin, commenting on 120013. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is Kevin Lumpkin and I'm actually here to just give you a couple examples of where we're actually going in the field. I'm a member of Local 401. I've been a member for 30 years, got in in 1980. And dealing with diversity, I have seen almost everything that you can imagine, but I'm just going to give you a scenario that just happened a week ago, really this week, at Temple at the Broad and Oxford job. We received a phone call, Umoja Erectors, for a majority contractor that DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com they was leading this project, and they asked us if we can step in to do this project for America Stairs to put the stairs in on this project. So what we did is, we looked at the numbers, made sure the number was good, went over about six hours, made a phone call back to American Stairs. And make a long story short, the reason that American Stairs denied us the job is because they said they don't have a history of us or they don't know us as a contractor. So they gave it to another majority contractor. They gave it to, same old buddy system, Central Metals. And what I'm saying is that this committee, with this bill being passed and if they pass 120013, if you have a committee that you can go to to let these problems and have somebody to talk to to correct these problems, then you might have solutions. Another thing that would help out too, even on the negative side, if DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com you have the committee to look at on projects that are going on in the City, like Philly Live. We did a project with a company called Thomas Lindstrom, a steel project. We did a (unintelligible) with this company, and they worked hand in hand. So you can give examples of the negative side and the positive, but the negative side outweighs the positive, because these contractors, there's no enforcement when they choose not to use minority contractors, especially African American and Latino contractors. And it's a different thing when you're dealing with the contractors and workers, because the contractor -- if you have African American and Latino contractors, these African American contractors will hire African American workers, but if you have African American contractors not on these projects, then your numbers will decrease. So I ask this bill to be passed again. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Then dealing with the worker side of this business is dealing with the trades. I hear over and over again that this city don't have African American in these trade unions. Every trade has a good number of African Americans, but a lot of these contractors choose not to hire these African American and Latino contractors. So I say again, in my short time that I have, is pass this bill so we can have someone to go to to complain with our problems. And one thing I say to this committee, please have strong enforcement. If you don't have enforcement, the same thing will keep going on for the last 40 years. Thank you.
Robert Lee, commenting on 120013. (Witness approached podium.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Hello. My name is Robert Lee. I've been a union ironworker, member of Local 401, for 24 years. I'm a second-generation ironworker. As a tradesman, I've been a student of my craft and every opportunity I've had to further my knowledge about my profession, I've taken it. But all my efforts have become to nothing. I am rapidly losing my chance of watching my chance to build generational wealth and to provide for my sons and other young members of my family a non-college alternative evaporate. I feel the only way to stop this tide of abuse by these contractors is to punish them. There are many white-owned companies that have proven that they are not interested in employing African Americans or Latinos or women. They have used every loophole to exclude us. They have blatantly used and twisted the inclusion clause on many projects and DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com have outright lied about the numbers of and qualifications of blacks and others in the trades. There have been many efforts made by City Council and other groups to help minorities, but most of these efforts fall short. Programs like the DAP, while well-intentioned, don't take into all consideration the things that are necessary for these men and women to succeed. The only way for them to gain proper training is on the job, working for black and Latino contractors, who are going to see to it that they get the proper training and the skills that are necessary. Companies that are willing to build in their own communities, black contractors, should never have to compete with a white contractor who uses his wife or his daughter or his girlfriend as a passthrough company, a front company. These companies, if they choose not to obey the inclusion clauses, they should DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com be removed from these City projects immediately. I do believe that Bill 120013 is a step in the right direction, but we have to do even more. If we can do this, we can help reduce many of the problems that the City is dealing with. If more blacks and Latinos have gainful employment, it can help towards violent crime in these communities and help give people a sense of pride knowing that they are members -- that them and members of their family have a real hand in building this great City of Philadelphia.
Thank you so much for your testimony. (Applause.)
Paul Williams, commenting on 120013. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is Paul Williams. I would like to thank City Council and the economic review committee for bringing forth Bill 120013. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com I'm a Philadelphia resident and a union crane operator. What I see happening in the City of Philadelphia is racial exclusion from construction jobs. I've solicited multiple jobs in the City of Philadelphia when the workforce was maybe one or two crane operators. Now the workforce on some jobs are in full speed and the jobs are being manned by non-City of Philadelphia residents and non-minorities, and I've been turned away, like others that represent my group. I support Bill 120013 and the enforcement of that bill because I believe it will make a change. Thank you.
John Queue. (No response.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Judith Robinson, commenting on 120013. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, all. I'm Judith Robinson. I'm here today to comment on Bill No. 120013. Here we go again. I have been coming to City Council for quite some time over and over talking about the same issue. This is just another layer of bureaucracy. You have various so-called compliant agencies, compliance agents, folk who have been around for year after year as we have come here talking about this over and over again. So I'm asking the question, who of you, power leaders, are going to have enough guts, enough guts to enforce this, like you're supposed to be enforcing everything else? DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com I have a few suggestions for you all. When you're sitting down with your union friends, when you're talking to the developer before the project even starts, when you're sitting down getting the concept together, why don't you ask about the black contractors then? Because it's really too late once the project starts. We all know that each craft has a certain limited amount of time to be on a job. So to play games with us as citizens and have us going back and forth and coming here over and over again is really a waste of time, and it's really insulting that we would have all of this work going on in the City of Philadelphia, like right outside this building, and not have a diverse workforce. It's really unacceptable. Lack of opportunity leads to all of the negatives we know. So I'm asking you all to have some guts. Talk to these union guys and women and the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com folks who put up their daughters and sisters with these bogus companies. You know what the deal is. Why don't you have enough guts to stand up to these folks and speak up for the people who represent you -- who you represent, who support you, who vote for you? These youth here today from this charter school, are we going to tell them the same stupid stuff we're telling my generation? Cecil B. Moore fought for Strawberry Mansion School. That was over 40-some years ago. Are we going to tell these youth that they don't have an opportunity after they go to school and are educated and qualified like we're doing the workers now? Why don't you all have enough guts to stand up and deal with this? Start outside right now and deal with this now. Up at Temple University, in the 5th District where I live, they are picketing. Temple has a master plan. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING They're building all over North Philly. You're about to now have a neighborhood improvement district. Please have some guts and stand up and stop being so shameful. Thank you.
Anyone else to testify on bills on the Final Passage? (No response.)
There being none, thank you so much for your testimony. We will now consider the resolutions and bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calender. The Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 120035.
That's DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING being held.
I'm sorry. That is actually being held. Mr. Decker, let's start out with 120115.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Twenty-Ninth, Thirty-Seventh and Forty-Seventh Wards of the City of Philadelphia.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read Resolution No. 120116.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Thirty-Sixth Ward of the City of Philadelphia.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Johnson for a motion.
I move for DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 120117.
A resolution urging the United States Senate and House of Representatives to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act so that we may continue the nationwide effort to prevent and address violence against women.
The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Johnson.
Mr. President, I move for the adoption of DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. That resolution is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution No. 120120.
A resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings on the role of certified nursing assistants in providing quality healthcare.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120120 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 120121.
A resolution authorizing the Committee on Appropriations to hold hearings regarding the Philadelphia Transit System Lease between the City of Philadelphia and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and authorizing the Committee to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents and other evidence. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120121 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 120124.
A resolution amending Resolution No. 110453, approving the annual Program Statement and Budget for the expenditure of the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative Bond Proceeds for Fiscal Year 2012.
The DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Chair recognizes Councilmember Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. 120124 is adopted. Mr. Decker, Resolution 120125.
A resolution authorizing City Council's Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings to investigate the quality of life as it pertains to personal safety and security for residents of public housing in Philadelphia.
Thank you, DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
The ayes have it. 120125 is adopted. Mr. Decker, No. 120127.
A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion the East Germantown Redevelopment Area, identified by house number and street address as 5935 Kemble Avenue.
Thank you, DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution No. 120127 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution 128.
A resolution authorizing Council's Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy to hold hearings to investigate how to fully take advantage of global opportunities and the creative/innovative economy to spur economic development in Philadelphia by increasing overseas investments, incubating technology and DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING innovation, encouraging creativity, and attracting and retaining the workforce to create good-paying, family-sustaining jobs with benefits.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
Resolution 120128 is adopted. We now move on to -- any other resolutions? We'll do those later, okay. We'll now move on to 120012.
An ordinance amending Chapter 19-2609 of The DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Philadelphia Code, entitled "Business Income and Receipts Taxes," by revising the Special Tax Credit Opportunity for Job Creation.
Thank you, Mr. President. I created the Job Creation Tax Credit Program in 2002, and through the end of last year, 109 businesses have applied to participate in the program, with 81 firms being approved, promising the creation of over 5,000 jobs. To date, over 1,000 jobs have already been verified in the new Job Creation. The Job Creation tool is DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING available to any types of business of any size in any part of the City. The program costs remain capped at the original level of 1 percent of the previous year's business tax revenue. I want to take this time to thank the Nutter Administration and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce for their continued support of this effort, and I ask my colleagues for your support of this new measure. Thank you.
Thank you. 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.
Councilwoman Blackwell. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 120013.
An ordinance DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING amending Chapter 17-1600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Economic Opportunity Plans," by enacting a new Section 17-1607, entitled "Economic Opportunity Review Committee."
Thank you, Mr. President. Let me first personally thank you for your indulgence. I have amended this Chapter of The Philadelphia Code enough that most people forget that you sponsored the original ordinance on economic opportunity plans. So thank you for letting me steal it.
Together this Council and the past two Administrations have increased the percentage of contractor dollars to disadvantaged businesses from less than 5 percent to over 25 percent, but we still DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING have work to do, and this accountability measure will help us get there. But we have even more work to do on workforce diversity. The members of this Council, old and new, want the same thing. We want local taxpayer dollars to support jobs for Philadelphians first and the diversity of Philadelphians, and Philadelphia should have a say in whether they are given access to those economic opportunities. I ask my colleague for support of this bill as well. As much as has been talked about the different agencies that have been created over the years, this is the first agency that's being created as an agency of Council. So we intend to see this through. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING shall the bill pass. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Councilman DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Kenney.
Council President Clarke. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The Clerk will please read any additional resolutions on today's Calendar.
A resolution authorizing the Committee on Rules to hold public hearings investigating the use of qualified interest rate management agreements by the City and School District; assessing whether corrective actives, including legal remedies, should be pursued; and determine the conditions, if any, under which it would be appropriate, introduced by Councilman Kenney.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
I move the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
And a resolution honoring Saint Hubert High School on the occasion of their 70th Anniversary, introduced by Councilman Henon.
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
And a resolution honoring the Father Judge Cheerleading Team on winning the National High School Cheerleading Championship, introduced by Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the resolution be adopted. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.
A resolution honoring the Philadelphia Safety Net for its outstanding efforts in hand gun violence prevention and intervention activities in urban neighborhoods, introduced by Councilman Jones.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
And a resolution DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/1/12 - STATED - 2ND READING recognizing March 30th as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day and October 2012 as the 25th Anniversary of the dedication of the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Penn's Landing, introduced by Councilman Oh.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you. Are there any speeches on the part -- I'm sorry. This concludes today's Calendar. Are there any speeches on the part of the majority? (No response.)
Any speeches on the part of the minority? Majority? Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to say that we better get a telegram, telegraph, but somebody better tell Public Welfare Secretary Alexander that it's okay to have poor people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He has misstated and misestimated the number of poor people in the Commonwealth, saying that 50 percent are on public welfare, when the actual figure is closer to 10 percent. Furthermore, since -- for the record, public welfare since it went through DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 1996 trumped close to 60 percent, and, in fact, poor people pay 11 percent of their income in taxes versus the percent or wealthier Pennsylvanians who only pay percent. As Senator Hughes talked about it, the big cats and corporate loopholes, 71 percent of the companies divert paying any net income tax at all by choosing Delaware, exhibited by my colleagues Councilperson Sanchez and Green in their examination of that very issue. Let me say this, that we need to strap up, put on our battle gear, because we're getting ready to have budget session this year like we have never seen before because of these cuts. But I'm encouraged, and I'm encouraged by an unlikely source, by the six freshmen, the six freshmen in this room, all of whom are doing serious work. Bobby Henon made me proud when he -excuse me; Councilman Henon made me proud when he took on slum landlords in his DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com on firsthand. Councilman Oh in his effort to deal with veterans has made me proud to be chairing his resolution. Cindy Bass and Councilman Squilla as they look at blight not only on commercial corridors but in their neighborhoods have made me glad to have them as colleagues. These are serious efforts. Councilman Johnson pulled off a senior move by pulling together an ongoing working group to deal with the issue of gun violence in our city. And the veteran yet, who guises as a rookie, put together a group to deal with the bail issue from a Harrisburg perspective. So these are serious issues, Mr. President, that they're taking on. So I want to be the first to dub them a new nickname like we had as freshmen. I'm going to from now on when I refer to them as a group, I'm going to call them The Serious Six. Thank you. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Well named, Councilman. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.
Thank you, Mr. President. I must echo the comments of my colleague Councilman Jones. I don't know what's going on in Harrisburg and I don't know what is in their water, but we got some serious issues to confront. So I thank you. I want to remind my colleagues that along with our Chairwoman and the Committee of Housing, we're hosting a Housing Resource Workshop, and I want to encourage particularly my new Council colleagues to send their staff. We'll have pizza. People can bring in their bagged lunch. We have a lot of issues confronting our constituents, from foreclosures to tangled titles to adverse possession and some landlord-tenant issues. This is a great workshop with DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com stakeholders, both the City's Law Department, CLS, the Fair Housing Commission and others, along with our renowned Judge Rizzo, who has put us on the national map as it relates to mortgage foreclosure. So please send your staff from 12:30 to 2:30 so that they can get these resources so that we can provide more proactively better services to our constituents. So thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Good work. No other speeches? (No response.)