Councilman Mariano? 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 980892
Aye. The ayes are 15, the nayes are 0. A 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 980896 majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill for consideration is Bill No. 980896. The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance authorizing Twelfth Street Hotel Associates, L.P., owner of the property at 1200 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, to construct and maintain a glass and aluminum electrified canopy. . .
This bill having been read on two different occasions, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will call a roll.
Councilman DiCicco? 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 980896
Aye. 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 980897
Aye. The ayes are 15, the nayes are 0. A majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill for consideration is Bill No. 980897. The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 307, by relocating a portion of the northerly curbline of Clover Street between 12th Street and Camac Street. . .
This bill having been read on two different occasions, the question 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 980897 now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will call a roll.
Councilman Mariano? 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 980897
Aye. The ayes are 15, the nayes are 0. A 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 960598 majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill for consideration is Bill No. 960598. The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance amending the Retirement System Ordinance, approved December 3, 1956 and the Retirement System Ordinance approved April 22, 1987, as amended, by redefining "average final compensation" for certain employees in positions which cannot be represented by a union, by revising the base compensation upon which retirement benefits shall be computedI beg your indulgence.
This bill having been read on two different occasions, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will call a roll.
Aye. 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 960598
Councilman 12/17/98 STATED - Second Reading - Bill No. 960598 O'Neill?
Aye. The ayes are 15, the nayes are 0. A majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. This concludes our consideration of the calendar.
I beg your indulgence. I need a two-minute break before we entertain a special order of business. I know you 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business understand. (Laughter.) (Short break taken.) (Proceedings resume.)
Is Councilwoman Verna in the chamber? Councilwoman Verna, please approach the Chair. Council will now proceed with a special order of business. Councilwoman Verna will please take the Chair. (Councilwoman Verna assumes the Chair. )
Thank you very much. First of all, I'd like to personally thank former Mayor W. Wilson Goode for being here with us today. (Applause.)
He was the mayor of this city during some very trying times, and we certainly appreciate the contributions that he made, and I personally appreciate his willingness 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business to come be with me here on this special day. I see Councilman Ed Schwartz here and Councilwoman Ann Land and Councilman Tayoun and Councilmember George Burrell and, I think, Councilman Joe Vignola is here. I certainly appreciate your coming. We've had some very good times in this Council. Fellow Councilmembers, visitors, guests, and friends, please allow me a few minutes to share some thoughts with you as I take my leave from this Council. Approximately 20 years ago, in December of 1978, I stood in a small cafe at 29th and Ridge Avenue and announced my candidacy for the office of 5th District Councilman. I had a war chest of approximately $3,000, no ward leader support, two small children, an old flat-bed truck, a freshly minted law degree from Temple University, and a determination to make a difference in the lives of poor people in this city. I was on a mission. Twelve months later, after a grueling election, I dropped my son Shariff off at Gompers Elementary School and arrived victorious on the fifth floor of City Hall. Parenthetically, one of 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business the first persons I saw that day was Councilwoman Krajewski; she might remember. We were both trying to find the rest rooms. (Laughter.)
I think we agreed that we'd rather be lost in City Hall, looking for a rest room, than be in any other place in the city on that day. Over the past 19 years, Shariff has graduated from Central High School, Moore House College, and in May, will receive his law degree. Of course, he could have gone anywhere, and he did -- the University of Pennsylvania. (Laughter.)
My daughter Rasheeda, also a high school graduate, has now graduated with the highest honors as an architecture student from Georgia Tech University. My son Lateef also graduated from Central, and he's now a freshman at the University of Maryland. My son Akeem is in sixth grade at Masterman Elementary School. He couldn't stand the glare of all this publicity; he went to 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business school. Shariff and Rasheeda and Lateef are here, and I would like to ask them to stand at this time. (Shariff, Rasheeda, and Lateef Street stand.) (Applause.)
Thank you very much. In case anybody wondered, there were some other things that I had to do in the last several years. I can certainly attest to the fact that time flies when you're having fun, and it's hard to believe that it's been 19 years since I first walked in this building. My first week at City Hall was not without incident. On three of my first four days here, my personal vehicle was towed from its authorized parking space. The police officer explained that he just didn't think that a car that looked so bad could possibly belong to a Councilmember. (Laughter.)
Of course, I kept 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business reporting this, and the officer was disciplined and, of course, I was criticized in the press. I don't know how anybody could have possibly believed that I would have the clout to get an officer disciplined, particularly at that time. Nevertheless, I was excited to be in City Hall. I had an office here, an official parking spot, three rotary phones, an old City car -- and they gave us used City cars in those days -- and a hundred stamps a month. It didn't get any better than this. Some of you may recall that Council was on a pretty fast track in those days. In the first 60 days, for example, the council president and majority leader were indicted. Within the first 180 days, we had not one but two elections for council president. You might say that local government was in full transition. To make matters worse, the first year also brought a teachers' strike, a demonstration by uniformed police officers against proposed layoffs, a major racial incident in South Philadelphia that lead to the need to use police to enforce a court order regarding the Whitman 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business Park Housing Development. And, lastly, I experienced what was for me the greatest personal tragedy of my life. In December of 1980, my mother died on my father's birthday. Many of you were present at her funeral, and I will always remember your kind words and condolences on that special occasion. I promised that I wasn't going to do this. Between 1980 and 1990, we experienced many ups and downs in Philadelphia. Tall buildings went up, the real estate market went down. Proposals to raise taxes were voted down, and the City budget deficits went up. As budget deficits went up, bond ratings went down, the City population went down, and the cost of doing business went up. By 1990, apprehension about the future of our great city was at an all-time high, and confidence was at an all-time low -notwithstanding the fact that this Council had approved and supported hundreds of millions of dollars worth of investment on Market West, and we approved the development of the Convention Center, Marriott Hotel and other significant development. I should say that former 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business Mayor W. Wilson Goode deserves a fair amount of credit and should be recognized for his vital role in those timely developments in the history of this city. (Applause.)
In 1991, I was given the great honor of being elected by my colleagues to the Office of President of City Council; thus begun a much different phase of my life in public service. With that new responsibility came the opportunity to set a new course and to establish a different tone for this legislative body. The Council presidency also provided an opportunity to work as a partner with a man who has become my closest political confidante and partner over the past seven years -- "America's mayor," Edward G. Rendell. (Applause.)
As most Philadelphians, know Ed Rendell and I did not exactly start out as political soulmates. (Laughter.)
Particularly in the primary of 1999 (sic), when he used his best 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business efforts to oust me from office. But once we recognized the awesome responsibility -- I didn't do much to get him out; my efforts were practically worthless. But once we recognized the awesome responsibility that was being entrusted to the executive and legislative arms of this government and the great opportunity to make substantial improvement for this city, we put our differences aside, rolled up our sleeves, and got the City's work done in an unprecedented fashion. No matter what else I or he ever accomplished in public life, I will always cherish the special period of time, the special relationship we enjoyed, and the progress the City has made over this time. Ed, I thank you very much. (Applause.)
We opened the Convention Center and the Marriott, the largest hotel in the state. We reduced our job loss rate. Hotel occupancy rates were moved to an all-time high, and 14 new hotels are now either being planned or built with dramatically increased 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business investor confidence in the City, as evident in our recent success in bringing in new Center City retailers and attractions such as Banana Republic, Disney, Tiffany's, and scores of other new and exciting restaurants, art galleries, and shops. There could be no doubt that by virtually every standard, Philadelphia has moved from the, quote, fiscal intensive care to being recognized as one of the country's hot spot cities. Council deserves and should take a fair share of the credit for all of that process. You should all be proud. (Applause.)
Next to my family and my faith, service on this Council and to the people of Philadelphia has been my life. I have worked and enjoyed my work with the great citizens of the 5th District and have developed a special appreciation for each and every Councilmember with whom I've served. The importance of my entire 5th District staff cannot be overstated -- especially, I might add, Darryl Clark. (Applause.) 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business
In the 5th District, he is sometimes referred to as "the Deputy Councilman." (Laughter.)
The technical and support staff here at City Council have been a prerequisite to our staff, and I thank each and every one of you. During my tenure as Council President, I have worked hard to maintain the respect and trust of each Councilmember. The disagreements among us have been grounded in our legitimate differences, not simply on a clash of personalities, party affiliation, or petty personal agendas. We have worked hard to be the competent legislative partner to the Mayor's Office that framers of this charter envisioned. Together, we have developed a better city. This Council also has continued a long tradition of openness, serving as a place where ordinary citizens from culturally diverse neighborhoods can access their government. This has been a Council that has always thrived on community input, no matter the volume, intensity, 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business or popularity or unpopularity of the cause. Over my years here, I have come to believe that Council membership is the most difficult public office one can hold. (Applause.)
It's true. No State or federal office holder is accountable in the same way as Councilmembers. Councilmembers face an inevitable stream of difficult choices. Some of our constituents think we can fix everything. Sometimes our very best efforts are totally overlooked, casually minimized, or completely, or simply distorted. This Council has come to understand and accept this and has performed admirably under the most trying circumstances. And in the final analysis, I believe that this Council will be remembered as one that was responsive, diligent, and productive, one that earned the respect of a very tough audience. In my own case, let me emphatically say that no one is perfect and I'm not perfect. Along the way, I have made mistakes. In my zeal to represent a personal or constituent view, I have 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business undoubtedly offended a colleague, a member of the general public, or even a member of our distinguished press corps. (Laughter.)
Thank you very much. If I have offended anyone, I offer my sincere apology. No experience or relationship has been more profound than my relationship with my friend and the former Councilman Francis Rafferty. And approximately 18 years ago, Councilman Rafferty and I made a place for ourselves in Philadelphia political folklore forever. The incident so shocked the collective conscience of our city that people are still taking about Rafferty's fight with one of the Street brothers. Sometimes I let Milton take credit for that. (Laughter.)
At the time, the School District was in the midst of a devastating teachers' strike. Mayor Green was refusing to implement a 10 percent pay raise for teachers, as provided under their contract. The teachers weren't cooperating, Councilman Cohen, they wanted 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business the money. The city was up in arms, community groups and parent groups were calling, demonstrating, protesting. People couldn't go to work. I simply wanted to introduce a bill. And my zeal to introduce the bill and my passion for public education got the better of me, and my tactics exceeded Councilman Rafferty's capacity to be patient. You know the rest. (Laughter.)
As shocking as this incident was to the city, I learned a most valuable lesson early in my fledgling political career. No matter how sincerely we hold our beliefs, we must have the patience, courtesy, and respect for our fellow members. That incident was the beginning of the maturation process which prepared me for leadership in this city. I think it was then that I first began to appreciate the need for self-imposed limits on the privileges of membership. It was not enough to be smart. I understood in the clearest way that intelligence 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business and dedication must be accompanied by a sincere appreciation and compassion for every other person's point of view. Respect is a necessary prerequisite for credibility, without which leadership is impossible. I have tried very best to respect all people and all views, and especially every member of this Council. Now, the most difficult challenge to the city's future political leadership is meeting people's reasonable expectation that all views will be heard, respected, and fully considered, even if it is a minority view or a controversial view. People must be convinced that all neighborhoods and all people are important. 6 million shoes. We must do more to correct the false impression that Center City is the only important place and that the wealthy are the only important people. And just as Frannie and I learned to get along and work together in this Council, people within and between our great neighborhoods of this city must learn to work together and cooperate for the common good if this city is to 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business reach its potential. As I take leave from this Council, I am, however, reminded of the work which is yet to be done. Too many people in neighborhoods around the city are overrun with blight, vacancy, and disorders. Too many of these same people are without a job or entrepreneurial opportunity upon which to base any hope for the future. Too many people who seek quality education for their children choose to leave our great city, despite the signs of recent progress in our public schools. And to many people feel vulnerable to an all out-of-control criminal element, notwithstanding the good work of our new police commissioner. I assure you, I am not leaving this Council because I am tired. I am not leaving because I believe there is a higher calling than service in this legislative body. I leave in search of an opportunity to build upon what we have already achieved. The future of Philadelphia will be substantially influenced by the executive leaders of the next millennium. This new leadership must 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business understand firsthand how to work effectively with this Council and build upon our successes. This is not the time to risk our future success and moment on well-intended individuals who possess limited qualifications. Today our local government is a complex combination of State, local, and federal rules, regulations, and policy considerations, whose interaction, if not properly understood and managed, will inevitably lead to political, economic stagnation, and a derailment of all we have worked to achieve. Future leadership in this Council must continue the fight for new job opportunities for Philadelphians, continue to expand Philadelphia as a destination city, work to strengthen our bond with our regional neighbors, as well as to protect our fiscal integrity, including balanced budgets, lower taxes, and enhanced city services. Good schools and safe streets are key ingredients for strong neighborhoods, and the strength of our neighborhoods will ultimately determine the strength of our city. If you are getting the impression that 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business you might hear more from me in the not too distant future about how we might address these ongoing challenges, then you might probably be right.
But for today, however, I'm resigning membership from this Council effective December 31, 1998. I'm going down to room 494, clean out the office, and prepare it for my successor. And then I'll spend some time discussing all of this with my lovely wife, Naomi, who's in the chambers, and I'll ask her to stand at this time. )
And we will decide what the future holds. I want to extend my appreciation to all of you who have gathered here today and to the people across this city for providing me this great opportunity to serve. God bless you and thank you very much. (Applause.)
I almost made it. Is Lou Blackwell here? You know, I don't know what I would have done in the early 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business years without Congressman Blackwell. I didn't see him over there. He was a brother to me, a big brother. He told me that I should say "poor people" and not "black people" because it my not be understood. He gave me every piece of guidance and direction that a person would ever want from a friend, and I just so much appreciate all that he has done for me. And, you know, I love him like a brother, and I thank you, Lou, for all of your support. Thank you. (Applause.)
I'm just fouling this all up. Marie. I'm looking at Marie. You know, not everybody wanted Marie Hauser to be the chief clerk of this Council. There are people who wanted a political appointment; she remembers that. She had worked in this Council for years, and she didn't have a political spot; she just was a person who worked hard around here, day in day and day out, year in and year out. And there were people who tried to negotiate the chief clerk's job. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business I remember talking to Councilwoman Verna, and I said, This is a person who deserves that job. She has earned the right to be the chief clerk of this Council. She earned it. (Applause.)
And I couldn't -- I couldn't be more proud of the work that she has done in these years. People don't understand, the legislative activity in this Council went through the absolute ceiling. No chief clerk has had to deal with what she had to deal with -- two, three, four public hearings in a day, transcripts overnight. All the rules of advertising changed. You couldn't just call up and, you know, and get a title advertised. I mean, we went through a whole tradition down at the chief clerk's office, and she led the way. She had help from some really good people but, lord knows, I appreciate everything she's done. She's just been very good for this Council. And I got to get my hug, Marie. I'm sorry, I apologize. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business (Applause.)
Did I miss anybody? I hope not. You know, I'm going to stop for the moment. Thank you very much Madame Chairwoman.
You're welcome. The chair now recognizes Mayor Edward Rendell. (Applause.)
Good morning -- or I guess, afternoon, everyone. Seven years ago, most of the members of this Council and myself took our oath of office at the Academy of Music on January 6, 1992. It was a time that, without exaggeration, we can say that the City of Philadelphia was at its darkest hour, faced its most severe crisis, and needed the good will of all of its citizens and all of its leaders. ) and Joan Spector and the late Herb DeBeary, who 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business served in that first four years. And this Council responded with courage, with grace under fire, with resoluteness, with intestinal fortitude, with creativity, with good spirit and with optimism and hope in the future. And that response will be marked forever as the single most important thing in the ability of this city to climb out of the trouble it was in and to be where we are today. No one can forget for a moment that without that action by a talented group of 17 men and women, nothing else would have been possible, nothing else would have been possible. The city needed this Council to respond at its moment of crisis. It needed it to put aside its partisanship, to put aside controversy, to put aside disagreements, to put aside idealogies, and to act as one. And you did. And you did. And you changed the face of this city, hopefully, forever. This city also needed us to put aside some of the past differences that have existed between administrations for years, for decades, and City Council as an institution. And, 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business together, we did that as well. We created a whole new way of doing business where, before ideas were launched into legislation, we discussed them thoroughly, we debated them among ourselves. We put suggestions, modifications, changes amendments on the table, and we tried in every piece of legislation that went forward to act as one, to avoid public disagreements, to show a unified front. That was so important at that time, to show first and foremost the people of Philadelphia that in a time of crisis, we were unified, to show the business interests in Philadelphia and outside Philadelphia that we were unified, that there was a new way of doing business, that there was change happening. I remember the first time, my second we're as mayor, that we went up to Wall Street, Council President Street and myself. The investment bankers and the rating agencies were absolutely blown away by this new spirit of cooperation. And we've held to that, not only through the turbulent first term, but through the second term and the first three years of that 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business term, when we've seen incredible progress made by the City. We've held to that. Even when we disagreed the Administration and Council, we have tried to the best of our abilities to work those disagreements out so that the best result occurs for the people of Philadelphia. So I want to start by saluting the members of Council, to those members who were with us in the first term and, of course, Councilman DiCicco, Councilman Mariano, Councilman Rizzo, and Councilwoman Miller who have been with us during the last three years, which I think can be marked as three of the most successful years in this city's history, notwithstanding the problems that still remain. This Council has done its job done job courageously, has done it's job effectively, and has done the job well. And all of us know that although each and every member of Council has contributed to that effort and has lent their own special power and force to that effort, that we couldn't have done it without a great leader. And people say and historians say that great leaders are made by the circumstance in 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business which they are put in. And that may be so, it doesn't matter. Because at a time when this city needed a great leader the most, we had one in your Council President, John Street. )
A leader who governed by his extraordinary intelligence, a leader who governed by his extraordinary store of knowledge of municipal government, a leader who governed by the guiding principle of respecting each and every member of this Council and each and every member of the Administration, a leader who governed by the wonderful trait of loyalty, a leader who governed by the wonderful trait of friendship, a leader who brought us to the brink and held us there, a leader who always had the courage when necessary to take the weight squarely on his shoulders. And for that, John, there is no way the citizens of Philadelphia can repay you. I said yesterday and last week that were you not to serve another day in the service of the citizens of Philadelphia, the debt and gratitude that all 1.6 million people of this city 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business owe you is incalculable, it's impossible to quantify for your 19 years of service; but particularly for what you did at this city's darkest hour and the leadership you provided. It has been nothing short of extraordinary. And John is absolutely right about 1991. Although I think he Freudianly said "1999." And, John, I promise I won't try to get you out of office in 1999. (Laughter.)
But in 1991, we did oppose each other. John worked to support Lou Blackwell for mayor, someone who in my judgment would have made a tremendous mayor. And I supported John's opponent for Council because I had the mistaken belief that John would be counterproductive on the City Council. And I never had any idea that he could provide such a unifying force. But since '91 -- and, at that time, I didn't know John very well at all. But since '91, I've gotten to know John extraordinarily well. The knowledge that you get from just constantly being around someone, but the knowledge you get 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business from being in the proverbial foxhole. And you all know each other very well in this Council 'cause we have we have been in the foxholes together certainly for the last seven years, and many of you before that, and we've been in those foxholes. And when you're in the foxhole and when this gallery is packed with chanting people who want who want something very badly, it creates a foxhole probably unlike any other, and probably like the ordinary folks have never experienced. And we've been in those foxholes together, and I've gotten to know John very well. When John talked about making mistakes, John talked about making mistakes that all of us, every elected official in this room, we have made our share of mistakes, myself included. And John has said some things that have offended individuals and sometimes a larger body than individuals. But when John has made mistakes where he has said things that have offended people, he has done them out of a great sense of passion and caring. What I like most about the John Street I got to know is that he gave a damn, that he cared 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business very deeply about everybody in this city. He cares about business interests in downtown, but he cares very much about people in his district, but beyond his district; he cares about people in Northeast Philadelphia, he cares about South Philadelphia, he cares about Nicetown, Tioga, he cares about Kensington. He evens cares, on occasion, about East Falls. (Laughter.)
And when you care a lot and when you're passionate about what you do, there are times when you lose control, there are times when you lose your temper. And I've always said -- and Justice James McDermott said to me once, he said, "Edward, beware of the person who never loses their temper because that means that that person doesn't care, doesn't care about anything." And if John has been guilty, as certainly I have and most of you have, of losing his temper or saying something intemperate, it's been because of his passion for helping people in this city, because of his extraordinary love for the people of this city. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business John Street is not only a great leader, he's a good man. Many of you -- I guess all of us have gotten to know Naomi and John's children, and there couldn't be a better family man, there couldn't be someone who cares more about his family and attends to his family. (Applause.)
I cannot tell you how many times John -- watching John and seeing the time that he devotes to his family made me feel guilty; it didn't make me change my course of action, but it made me feel bad about it. (Laughter.)
John Street is also a person who, if he tells you something is going to happen, if he gives you his word, you can take it to the bank, you can count on it. (Applause.)
In seven years, in seven years of some of the most difficult times that any government has undergone, John Street has never told me anything that he didn't live up to, not once. And I think most of you can say the same thing. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business (Applause.)
And John talked about respect. And when you take the measure of a man, this is a man who respects everyone. He respects his colleagues, he respects us in the Administration, he respects the business leadership of this town, and he also respects people who are homeless and lying on the street. And he does care about them and he considers their fate and he weighs it. He respects every citizen of this city. And, lastly, John is as courageous a politician as I have met or seen on the national scene. I don't know if many of you recall this, but about three or four years ago now, there was a cover of Time Magazine with a picture of George Washington, and the picture of George Washington had a tear rolling down his right cheek. And the caption of headline was, "While America's Leaders Are Paralyzed by Fear, the Country Flounders." Too many people in this process are paralyzed by fear. Too many people in this process that we call "politics" worry about what the consequences to them are going to be. Too 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business many people cast votes, or if they're in the executive, undertake courses of action that they know aren't right but that they believe are politically feasible. Again, for the seven years that I've worked with John, I have never seen him once do something he didn't believe was the right thing for the City of Philadelphia. I may have disagreed with him, you may have disagreed with him, but he did it because he believed it was the right thing -- not because it politically was the expedient thing to do. So, John Street, all of us and everyone who's gotten to know you will tell you what you need not us to tell you -- and that is, you're a good man. (Applause.)
A great leader, a good man, someone who I am proud to have been a partner with for these seven years, someone who I am proud to call a friend. And now for the rest of us, John, you're entering into a brave new world. And who knows what the future holds for you. And for the 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business rest of you and me, we are entering into a brave new world because we won't have your leadership. No one, of course, is indispensable -not you, not me, nor any of us. And I think that we will make it work for the next year because we will remember the lessons that your leadership has taught us. We will remember what our mission is. We have come so far in seven years that I don't think any man or woman in this body or in our administration is going to think about turning back for a second. We will stay the course, we will make you proud of us in this next year. And after that, I'll be on a beach somewhere. John, congratulations. (Applause.)
Thank you, Madame Chair. It's with great pride and honor that I offer in this special order of business a privileged resolution.
I thank you. The chief clerk will read the resolution. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business
A resolution honoring City Council President John F. Street. Whereas, since 1980, the Honorable John F. Street served as the Council representative for the City's 5th Council District, which comprises 11 wards in north central and Center City Philadelphia; and Whereas President Street has served as chairman of a number of Council standing committees, including the Committee of the Whole, Rules, Ethics, the Select Committee on Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation, Appropriations, and Licenses & Inspections; and Whereas, Council President Street, during his Council career, has played an instrumental role in steering key pieces of legislation through City Council, including approvals for the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel, the First Union Center and the Kvaerner Shipyard; and Whereas, in January 1992, the Council unanimously elected John F. Street to serve as the president of Council. As president, John F. Street has played a vital role in the restoration 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business of Philadelphia's fiscal stability by helping to broaden public confidence in City Council and in enhancing the relationship between members of City Council and the City administration; and Whereas, on December 10, 1998, President Street announced his intention to resign from City Council on December 31, 1998; Now therefore resolved by the Council of the City of Philadelphia that we hereby acknowledge and commend Council President John F. Street for his outstanding and dedicated service to the citizens of the 5th Council District and the City of Philadelphia. Further resolved that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Council President Street as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body, signed, Councilwoman Anna C. Verna, Councilwoman Augusta A. Clark, Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell, Councilman David Cohen, Councilman Frank DiCicco, Councilman James F. Kenny, Councilwoman Joan Krajewski, Councilman W. Thatcher Longstreth, Councilman Richard T. Mariano, Councilwoman Donna Reed-Miller, Councilman Michael A. Nutter, 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business Councilman Brian J. O'Neill, Councilman Angel Ortiz, Councilman Frank Rizzo, and Councilman Mariano B. Tasco.
Madame Chair, I move the adoption of the resolution, and I wish to speak on the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
All those in favor of the resolution -- I'm sorry, did you say you wanted to speak on it, sir?
Thank you, Madame Chair. As I said in introducing and certainly with a great amount of pride and, the Council President knows, with some sense of mixed feelings that he leaves at the end of this year, this is naturally his last session. I just wish to express my thanks to him. He made some comments earlier that 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business reminded me earlier of our meeting. In coming here, I came in January of 1992, but the Council President and I met about this time in 1991, about seven years ago. We did not have the greatest of relationships either; we had a very bad relationship. Because of a couple elections and comments, I've been known to say a few things from time to time and he's been known to say a few things from time to time, and he's been known to say a few things from time to time, and we had to get some things straightened out. But we had a discussion. And we agreed that in private, we would be brutally honest with each other; and publicly, we would expect each other and figure out a way to work in this Council. This Council President has been incredibly supportive of every effort that I've ever put forward, with the exception of one. And in all of those efforts, whether we agreed or disagreed, we found a way to work together and work things out. He's had a tremendous impact on my legislative career in this Council, standing with me and supporting me, and even providing 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business advice every step along the way -- at times, to the great benefit of the mayor. Mayor Ed Rendell has no idea how many times the Council President saved him from me, for which he should be eternally grateful. (Laughter.)
But I have enjoyed our time together, I've learned a great deal in this process, I respect his work prior to coming to Council and certainly after getting here, knowing that I had the opportunity to work with him. I wish him well in his next endeavors, but I will remember always the things that he did for me in this body. Thank you, Madame Chair. (Applause.)
Thank you Madame Chair. Madame Chair, I rise to speak on this momentous occasion because I know John Street. We went to law school together. We are neighbors. And for a period of exactly eight years, we didn't 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business have one kind thought about each other. (Laughter.)
And that hostility might have gone on forever, except that Street called a truce, and we had a meeting in my office. It was a long meeting, it was a frank meeting where there were no other people in the room and we were free to say exactly what was on the mind, and there came a time where it was on the lung, on the tongue. Everything got said. And when it was over, the air was cleared, and Street and I shook hands and stood and hugged each other and promised each other out loud that we would speak truth to each other. Whether it was easy to hear or hard to hear, we would not fancy it up and sugarcoat it to make it appear otherwise. I have enjoyed a friendship with him because I respect truth. I respect people who say what they mean and mean what they say; or, put another way, as I say to Street all the time, I will with hang with or hang for whatever I say. And so will he, and that has been his great contribution to the leadership of this Council, 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business which has had the effect of turning us into the greatest legislative body in the free world, which is a great paraphrasing of our characterization by a former mayor. John, I wish you well. I hope the road rises to meet you and that God will bless your efforts. That you, Madame Chair.
Thank you, Madame Chair. In 1996, on January the 1st, when I'm sworn into office, a couple days leading up to that swearing-in, I was quite intimidated by the fact that I had finally gotten to where I had wanted to be, and that was to the position of elected official. And I really wasn't certain at that point how I would be able to handle that job. I've gone through life always believing that sometimes you have to add a little levity to things and be a little bit loose about the 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business different things that you go through in life. And because it was January 1st, and I think it was the first time in about 28 years that the swearing-in ceremony took place on that date. I, being a mummer, wasn't certain of where I should have been that day but, obviously, I had to go in to get sworn in. So I decided to wear gold slippers to my swearing-in ceremony, and I was wondering how people would look upon me, this gentleman being sworn into a very high office in the City of Philadelphia, with a suit and tie and gold slippers with gold star dust on them. And I really wasn't certain how the Council President would appreciate that until later on in the proceedings when he came out on stage with a red suit. I knew I was in the right place. (Laughter.)
I knew that I would fit. And because of that and I guess because of that day, the beginning of that day, the transition for me from private citizen to an elected official was made a lot easier. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business I really didn't know John Street all that well. I had read a lot of things about him, and I remember the Rafferty incident quite well also. And the only time I think I may have had some disagreement with the Council President was when someone asked to sit in my seat. And you all remember that day, but we got past all of that. And in a nutshell, Mr. President, I just want to say thank you for the respect that you gave me over the last three years, a job that was all new to me. And sometimes I was a little bit concerned as to whether or not I was doing the right thing, but any time I came to you and spoke to you about my apprehension, you always treated me with the utmost respect, and I almost thought was here for thirty years as opposed to the three years that I've been in Council. I want to thank you for that respect. You made that transition great. And I wish you Godspeed to you and your family, and all of the best in the future. (Applause.)
The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business
Thank you, Madame Chair. Mr. President, I want you to know how much I appreciate your guidance through my first term in Council. And I wish you nothing but the best in the future. Thank you. Thank you, Madame Chair. (Applause.)
Thank you, Madame Chair. I'd like to take this opportunity also to echo the sentiments of Mayor Rendell and the other members of this Council who have praised the Council President's leadership over these last seven years. We have had some disagreements over the years, and I attribute them to what, paraphrasing what Mayor Rendell, was the issue of passion. I express myself in a passionate way; I know the Council President does the same thing. And from time to time, we have disagreed, but I believe that both of us are sincerely interested in the 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business betterment of this city and in the welfare of all the people who live here. I don't want to talk about any particular issues, but I would like to thank him for being a good image to me personally in one particular regard. When I was sworn in as a Councilmember in 1992, my son Brendan was two years old, and my daughter Nora had not even been born yet. Today, as I sit here, my son Brendan is 9, and my daughter is 5. And perhaps the most important thing I think I've learned from the -- in trying to emulate the Council President is how to be a good political father. We are out all the time, we are out every night of the week just about. During the election cycles, it seems that we're out seven nights a week, seven days a week. And one of the things that he always told me in our private conversations was to always find the time for your children and for your wife, to always make sure that, no matter what it was that you were doing that evening, to get to the hockey game, to get the basketball game, to get to the parent-teacher's conferences, to get home 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business sometimes and just simply help your wife clean the house and do some of the things that you neglect and that you leave on their shoulders. So, despite our budget process, despite our city's stability, despite all of the things that the Council President's leadership along with Mayor and this Council have done, I want to personally thank him for being a personal example to me on how to be a good dad. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you, Madame Chair. I'd like to say to John, best wishes and good luck. I was in the first term part of that "Gang of Five" that fought the other "Gang of Four," and it was a tumultuous four years for me in my first term, and I thought John Street was the worst president I had ever met and the worst councilman I ever met, and I went out and recruited his opponent to run against him. (Laughter.) 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business
But we weren't successful but we agreed that we were going to work together because we had to put our personal feelings aside and work with the mayor to move this city forward. We have not always agreed on every issue. I've been a part of the decision-making process of this Council. He has been good to my district, good to individuals we have brought to him for services and for resources. And we want to thank you for that, and we wish you well as you go forward. (Applause.)
Thank you, Madame Chair. I, too, would like to express my thanks and personally acknowledge President Street for his help, advice, guidance, and support he has provided to me as a first-term councilwoman. I'm honored and blessed to be a member of this body under his leadership, and I'll always admire and respect him. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business In many ways, President Street reminds me the late David P. Richardson, Jr. -- You know, stand tall, fight for the right things at the right time for the right reasons. And I've learned a lot, can learn a lot more but I do want to say good luck and best wishes. Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, Madame Chair. John, I'd also like to go back to 1980 when we ran into each other in that hallway and also to the time we made the front page of the Evening Bulletin -- do you remember that? -during the AbScam days.
We had more fun. You never lost your sense of humor. You have led this Council in the right direction. You made very, very hard decisions, and you stuck with them, and I applaud you for your courage. 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business I've also found you to be a God-fearing man, which I respect, believe me. And I want to wish you all the luck in the world and Godspeed. It was great working with you, and I'm going to miss you, John. (Applause.)
John, we have gone from representing your brother in the '70s, Milton, to City Council and sharing these 14 years in this Council. I think we share the outlook and the philosophy to better the lot of those individuals that, really, society doesn't give a hell of a lot about. We've had different approaches along the line, along the way, but they have never been personal. It's always been about the approach, the people, the goal. I have gone one way, you have gone other ways but, obviously, always thinking of the goal that this city has to become a city for every citizen of Philadelphia. I think you share that goal. We have had incredible experiences in 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business the last 14 years. They've been the greatest years of my life. I think you share those years. I wish you everything, the best, good luck. It's going to be tough running citywide and going from one place to the other within half an hour. You will see yourself becoming exasperated and frustrated when you get to a place at 88 people in front of you to speak, but it's an adventure and it's a new adventure and a new road. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope we both accomplish the goals that we set out to do. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you, Madame Chairwoman. I don't want to be the only one not to say anything about John Street. From an electrician from Juniata Park, it was quite an amazing experience to be elected to City Council, and I will tell you about the first time I met John Street; it was much around the same time Councilman DiCicco did. We went into the office, and I sat with John Street. And 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business I had worked in Council but I never got to really see John Street. Usually, I just seen Winbush and never got to see John Street -- it was the back of Winbush, actually. (Laughter.)
And I finally got to sit down and talk with John Street. So I -John was very helpful and told me what would be a good way to behave, and I paid attention most of the time and I learned from John Street. Well, that night, I went home and my brother called me, and I thought my brother would be all excited about me being elected to City Council. And my brother Frank says to me, "What is John Street really like?" And I said, "Frank, the guy shows no emotion, the guy shows no motion. I got to wonder." As I got to know John Street and I realized, after being here a year, two years, three years that if he showed emotion on everything, he wouldn't have any energy left. He has people coming to him all the time, asking him for things. So he really showed no emotion that day. I seen him show more emotion today than I 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business knew he was capable of. But he's always been there. And, John, I want to thank you for making this electrician from Juniata's first term in Council pretty good. (Applause.)
Thank you, Madame Chair. Certainly, it gives me a great pleasure to say good-bye to our President. Sitting here in Lou's seat was a special gift for me. The President gave me former Councilman Lucien Blackwell's seat, and I just knew I had arrived and kind of thought I was on the in-crowd. I was absolutely surprised one day when I kind of got voted down by everybody and came into the real, real world of politics, where it's taken me a while to grow and kind of take my place. Certainly, I believe that the President has been a great leader for our time; I believe that history will record that. He took this Council to a new height with our relationship with 12/17/98 STATED - Special Order of Business the mayor. And, certainly, we thank him for his leadership, and we wish him Godspeed and best wishes. Thank you. (Applause.)