Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
There are 1,400 less employees, neighbors, citizens of the City of Philadelphia. Some of them were school police to stop violence in Philadelphia public schools. Some of them were nurses. Some of them were educators. Some of those people were the least of these from 32 BJ that clean the hallways and the bathrooms in those schools. They were custodians that were let go, bus attendants that were let go, hall monitors let go due to our inaction. I'm saying to you that if this were some other sector, we would be crying out. If these were somebody kids, we would be a bit more concerned. I'm saying to you that I have to go home to the barber shop and they're going to look and say, Well, what did you do for our kids? I'm not going to look them in the face and say, Well, what we did was, we waited a year or two so that the school board, SRC, could get theirselves together. It's not anybody's fault in this Chambers. That is not what I'm excited about. I'm excited and fearful of losing a whole generation of young people due to someone's ineptitude, whether it's the school administrators or whether those who are supposed to hold them accountable. I don't mind who gets pointed at, but they will not be the fall guy for our inaction. No. And that's all I'm saying.
Thank you, Mr. President. There are two issues on the table. The first issue is what is the fairest thing we can do to property taxpayers. The fairest thing we can do is have fair assessments, and so that's what you can man up on. It has to happen. There's no need to delay it. The second thing is whether we're going to go back to a 60/40 split and invest in public education first. If I hear Councilman Green right, what he's saying is he's not ready to move right now on that, that he will introduce or support a separate tax bill to support our schools. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. President. I think once again there are many issues on the table, but two whether or not we provide more school funding, and certainly we'll look at all proposals with respect to school funding. We haven't had the School District testify, and so I have not made a final determination with respect to school funding because I haven't heard how the District plans to fill a $218 million gap even if we provide them with $94 million. I'm not certain what they're proposing is responsible and not certain that I want to provide additional funding that will close 64 schools over the next four years. So let's have them come here and hear what they say before we make our final decisions on the School District. I'm not speaking about the School District. I'm talking about the responsibility of going to fair value and pointing out that the Administration testified yesterday that it will take three years to get to fair value under plan, and we can do it next year in a thoughtful, considered and responsible way without violating our fiduciary duty and having full information, and we will rue the day we didn't do that if we don't. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Oh.
Thank you, Council President. We have heard these arguments. We need fair taxes. The people certainly do need fair taxes, and we need good schools. And I agree with the arguments. I understand the arguments, but I also think that the issue that we got to address is accountability of the School District. The current system is not working, and one of the reasons is there's a lack of accountability, and I think one of the things we as a body have to consider -- the School District, it's not accountable to us -we have to consider something drastically different that assures that there's accountability to the citizens of this city, and someone has got to step up, and if there's nobody else to step up, perhaps it's City Council that will step up and speak to the Governor of our state about returning the authority and the accountability and the funds to our city. So I think that's an essential part, at least for me, in understanding how we're going to deal with this very difficult problem. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
We agree. We agree that we need accountability. We got snookered last year. Let me say this, let me say this -- three times. And let me say this, my colleague predicted that we would get snookered. He was right. Councilman Green raised this issue in a rough and tumble way three years ago, and I agree with you. We don't disagree on that issue. But we're not going to take it out on those kids. We'll take it out on whoever we have to flat line, fire, do whatever we have to take back control. I'm for all of those possibilities, but what will happen is, in September those buses will roll and our kids will get educated. It is their only -(Applause.)
It is their only pathway out of some of their issues. Education is the great equalizer. I will quote one of my favorite Councilmen. It is a national security issue, education. A great Councilman said that, and I supported him then, I support him now on that issue. But who will not be the fall Guarantee you that. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, sir. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Mr. President. I will end with this: You can't talk about uncertainty in the executive branch of government without recognizing uncertainty in this legislative branch of government. You have to know what you're prepared to do. At the end of the day, AVI will happen. It will happen because of a bill introduced by Councilman Green. The school situation will not go away. Be certain about what you're prepared to do and speak on that.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.
Thank you. tax structure and AVI. Thank you, Mr. President.
I'm waiting for that to light up. Are there any speeches on behalf of -- before I can go to minority, I'll recognize Councilman Kenney.
Thank you. Are there any speeches on behalf of the minority?
Thank you. With that, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. m. Thank you 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 on May 3, 2012, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. ) A activity 81:22 17:23 24:4 Air 53:21,23 amount 16:9 75:9 abandon 135:25 actor 28:13 27:25 airport 118:19,20 102:14 ability 90:21 92:2 actor/director adopted 110:14 Airy 117:10,16 amounts 107:15 93:16 26:4 111:19 112:16 Alabama 95:24 and/or 150:22 able 18:17 28:23 actress 25:7,17 113:18 114:24 alarms 109:19 anniversary 7:3 30:10 31:20 26:21,23 27:22 115:25 117:3 Albert 85:5 7:13,20 8:5 92:22 96:4 actual 128:9 118:12 122:4,24 alerts 75:17 10:23 97:21 Adam 79:20 123:23 124:22 algorithms announce 33:11 abroad 88:18 84:13 85:4 125:17 126:13 130:25 announced 10:10 absence 5:19,25 add 71:10,17 127:12 allow 66:25 67:9 Annual 48:6 6:9 132:22 added 106:3 adoption 54:7 79:10 80:3 122:8 absolutely 143:2 adding 51:2 57:3 110:3 111:8 96:15 annually 15:14 academic 9:7 72:9 116:8 112:5 113:8 allowed 87:14 anybody's 141:11 11:16 addition 8:22 114:14 115:14 allows 100:5 anyway 93:21 access 9:12 37:11 9:17 15:25 17:5 116:16 117:24 all-out 98:21 apologize 89:18 acclaim 22:11 91:8,13 102:17 121:18 122:14 alternative 64:9 105:2 acclaimed 27:10 additional 60:13 123:12 124:11 Altressa 90:2 appeal 13:3 accompanying 71:10,17 73:16 125:7 126:2,25 alumnae 3:24 appeared 25:17 7:4 14:23 121:5 143:14 advertisement 7:16 8:24 10:8 Applause 8:8 11:8 accomplish address 35:5,14 69:15 AMC 30:14,24 12:2 14:12 131:11 46:3 50:11 61:3 advertising Amen 4:12,13 17:25 19:4 24:6 accomplishments 80:23 83:14 118:19 amend 116:5 28:4 29:4,10 21:23 23:22 91:3 115:9 advise 34:17 amended 49:16 32:19 79:17 25:7 27:21 144:20 Advisory 12:5 67:18 70:4 83:20 85:16 accountability addressed 90:20 advocates 82:8 amending 38:14 89:20 93:3 135:22 144:21 addressing 90:13 Affection 89:6 44:19 46:15 94:12 96:20 144:24 145:6,12 Adelsberger afford 77:11 49:15 50:24 97:17 98:8 145:24 13:13 African 24:18 56:6,15 57:2,19 100:14 102:4 accountable adjourn 148:7,24 25:16 79:7,9,11 60:10 64:5 106:12 108:22 141:18 145:3 adjourned 149:3 afternoon 85:20 69:14,21,24 135:9 136:6 accurate 128:10 149:15,18 102:8 106:16 113:21 141:24 146:17 131:4 ADJOURNME...