Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, this bill passes.
I'm sorry I was late at this particular meeting and missed the vote on the resolution calling for a referendum vote, an amendment to the Home Rule Charter. I wish to be recorded as voting aye on that matter.
The record will so reflect that. Thank you This concludes the calendar.
Are there any SECOND-READING CALENDAR speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney
Thank you, Madam President. Just a few words relative to what happened on Tuesday and I won't be belabor it 'cause everyone has been able to see for hours and hours upon end the videotape and the horror that we've experienced in the last week. But I just want to take a moment if I may to say a word about two different situations in our city. One has to do with the situation of Arab-Americans living in our city and living in our region. Many of these Arab-Americans have come to our country -- actually fled some of the horrible regimes that we have heard about and that we have experienced in the last number of years through terroristic acts throughout our country -- Oklahoma City and attacks on American installations. Many of these Arab-Americans left those countries in order to attain the freedom that they need to practice their religion, to make their living, and to become good American citizens After Pearl Harbor, there was a terrible backlash against Japanese-Americans in our country, SPEECHES where people and families were separated and interned, and that was one of the horrible situations in our country's history, and we still should feel ashamed for what we did during that time period. Similarly, during World War II, Italian-Americans were questioned and stopped and held in custody without trial or without charge and were put in prison camps and separated from their families. Both of those ethnic groups, along with many other ethnic groups in World War II served our country valiantly and heroically despite the fact that they were being oppressed here in this country, along with African-Americans, who could not even serve their country without prejudice and segregation in the army but still found a way to maintain their patriotism and their bravery and their loyalty, and today, we are still giving posthumously Congressional Medals of Honor to widows of African-American soldiers who were not given the proper treatment that they deserved when they sere serving our country. We should learn from those mistakes and not try to foist our anger and our fear and our SPEECHES outrage at this act on loyal, decent Arab-Americans who are living in our city and living in our region and living in our country. Islam is not a violent or hate-filled religion. Like Judaism, like Christianity, like other major world religions, the major tenants of Islam is love of God, love of each other, love of neighbor, charity, humility, and strength of family. And I think that we need to sometimes take a step back when things like this happen to make sure that we do not act out in stupid or thoughtless ways. There have been some minor attacks and some threats against Arab-Americans in Philadelphia and in our region, and I think that that is wrong, and I think that we need, no matter what our ethnic background, no matter what our race, we are all American citizens, and we all need to stick together to fight off this terror, to fight off this attack on our country, and that's what I think has made our country great. So to our Arab-American friends and citizens in Philadelphia, we welcome your hard work, we welcome your dedication to our country and your citizenship, and we decry and reject any of that SPEECHES hate-filled rhetoric or hate-filled threats that are coming at some people who are living in our city. That's on one hand. On the other hand, in addition to the terror and absolute devastation of New York City with the citizenry, the innocent citizenry who died, the firefighters and police officers of New York are an amazing bunch of people, as the firefighters and police officers in our city are. I saw an interview on television where someone who was escaping from one of the buildings at the World Trade center had said that thousands, literally thousands of people streaming out of the buildings in an effort to get away from the devastation and to get away from the destruction that was going.
And beside him, running the other way were firefighters and police officers in full gear, in full packs, who were going into the building as people were leaving the building. And as of today, more than 200 firefighters are still missing and hopefully some are alive, but many will be dead. Fifty or more police officers are in that building now, in that rubble, and hopefully they will be found and saved, but they are also presumed, many of them, dead SPEECHES I would like us to remember that when it comes to issues of contract, issues of safety, and issues of support for those brave men and women in our city who, thank God, didn't have to go through that particular circumstance, but in a small way every day do that for us, and I think that many of us -- all of us in this Council understand that, but I think that people in our community and I think in our administration need to understand that these people need and deserve all the support that we can give them, and I think that's important to be said today. And I thank you, Madam President, for your time.
Madam Chair, I concur with Councilman Kenney. I was going to speak on that. He spoke very eloquently on it, so I won't make it very long. I have received phone calls in my office about threats, attacks that have happened across the SPEECHES City to young men and some families of Arab descent. This should not happen to the citizens of Philadelphia; they had nothing to do with this cowardly act. And I believe that we should be able to extend our hands to those who live among us and not participate in the hate that is being fueled across the United States. I hope that we can come together as a city and understand that our city is a mosaic of people made up of different races and different religions, and we all have to learn to live together. And they're here, they're part of us, we're part of them so I believe that we should be very careful, we should embrace them because they are going through a very trying situation, as members of Arab countries that have seen hurt, have seen pain. And I believe that for us to be able to welcome them into the City and to say to them, This will not be permitted, we will speak out against it, and we will be there. So to Jim Kenny for speaking out today, I thank him. I was going to speak on it in the same way so I think the messages are very clear.
Thank you, Madam President I think all of us concur very heartly with the comments made by Councilman Kenney.
I think we all concur, Madam President, in the sentiments expressed so eloquently by Councilmembers Kenny and Ortiz, and I think all of us are going to do our best to see that Philadelphia's reputation for brotherliness and sisterhood remains at the highest level. To me, that's the highest form of patriotism that we can express Coming to a local matter that I think also calls attention. In the room today are many people we know as vendors. They're a very important part of the City's business. They're here today, they were here at the last session in June. I hope that the matters that bring them here -- they're SPEECHES concerned about pending action in City Council -somehow gets resolved so they can continue on their business. It's a great loss to them financially to have to come here, and I'm hoping all the parties involved are going to be able to get together and resolve the matter so that as Philadelphians, we can live together and continue to contribute to a healthy society here locally. Thank you, Madam President. (Applause, cheers.)
Councilwoman, just a moment. Gentlemen, if you're staying, we're still trying to conduct business. Thank you Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. I certainly support the comments by Councilman Kenney and Ortiz. And I believe now that we in America will not know life after Tuesday as we knew it before. I think the issue here is one of SPEECHES safety for all Americans and also particularly people in the neighborhoods because some of us in the neighborhoods live with danger every day because of violence from within our communities. So I think we as public officials in our country have to begin a dialogue on violence not only on the terroristic attacks that took place in New York, which is just absolutely horrible and something that seemed to me out of a movie, it was just devastating But also how do we deal with violence in our communities. I had a young man killed on the street on Friday on Ogontz Avenue. People are hit by cars, hit and run, children are killed by hit-and-run, drive-by shootings. And so we feel unsafe in our communities, and we have to begin that whole dialogue. And hopefully, we will in our Council and in other venues of public debate begin to discuss how we make Americans feel safe, no matter where they go -- you know, not only in other cities and towns throughout the United States but in their own neighborhoods. And I'm very, very sorry and saddened for what happened on Tuesday Thank you.
Thank you, Madam President. This morning, I rise to say a special thank-you to all the people across the country and even across the city who are pouring out gifts of service, of love, whether it be clothing, whether it be blood donations. Just before I left this morning, I had a call from a community group leader in my area, Pat Evans from SACA, saying, What can I do? Our organization stands ready to support the people in New York or anywhere to help in this tragedy. And so I think it shows that in America 0in our city and in New York and Washington and across the country, that when there's a problem, people rise to one another's aid, because in the final analysis, after all, we are our brother's keeper. And when we realize that, I think life gets better. So, again, I say a special thank you to all who have tried to give. Thank you. SPEECHES
Thank you, Madam President. As you know and many other people know, we do an annual blood drive in City Council. It generally takes place, I believe, sometime in February or March, but because of the circumstances with the shortage of blood that they anticipate because of the terroristic attack in New York, we will be moving that up. I do not have a definite date, but we anticipate spate sometime in the next two weeks. And the reason I'm raising that today is for anyone who may be interested in donating blood at our drive, it would be important if you can give either Robin Schatz of my office or Kathy Murray of your office your name and phone number so that we can contact you in advance of that blood drive Thank you.
Thank you for bringing that up. I think I made mention of that SPEECHES yesterday. I think there is a very crucial shortage of blood and I think that anybody that feels as though they can give blood, if they would do so by calling Councilman DiCicco's office or my office, we will make the necessary arrangements Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No speeches on the part of the minority.)
Seeing none I would like to call to everyone's attention also that at 6:00 o'clock this evening, there will be an ecumenical prayer service in Dilworth Plaza. Everyone is welcome to be there. I at this time want to take the opportunity to extend my best wishes to a Councilperson who will be celebrating a birthday this coming weekend, so would you please join me in wishing Councilman Clarke a very happy birthday. I believe it's on the 17th. Happy birthday. (Applause.)
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco. ADJOURNMENT
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 20, at 10 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday September 20, 2001 at 10 a.m. All in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the motion carries. Thank you. (Proceedings end at 10:55 a.m.) CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Thursday, September 13, 2001, are contained fully and accurately in the s10ographic notes taken by me upon, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. RE: STATED MEETING _______________________________, Josephine Cardillo Registered Professional Reporter and Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)