INVESTITURE OF MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNCIL INAUGURATION OF THE MAYOR and INVESTITURE OF MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY JUDGES OF TRAFFIC COURT CITY COMMISSIONERS SHERIFF REGISTER OF WILLS The Academy of Music Broad and Locust Streets Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Monday, January 2, 2012 10:00 a.m.
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning and Happy New Year. Welcome to the investiture of members of Council, the organization of City Council, the inauguration of the Honorable Michael A. Nutter as Mayor, and the investiture of members of the Judiciary, City Commissioners, Register of Wills, Sheriff, and Judges of Traffic Court. We ask that everyone please turn off all pagers and cellular devices for the remainder of the ceremony. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and bow your heads for the invocation given by His Excellency Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia. (All guests rise.) ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: Let us pray. Father in heaven, make us honest stewards of the world you place in 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION our hands. Make us good guardians of the dignity that you give as a birthright to every human person. Help us to reach out to the suffering and the persecuted and to protect the poor, the weak, and the immigrant. Help us to reflect your light to others and to show by our action that truth, integrity and service still shape the purpose of the community life we share. In a special way, bless our leaders, especially Mayor Nutter for his dedication and service to our city, but also including all those who serve in public life. Guide them in building a civil order that honors your law and your love. Give us the eyes to see your holy face in each other and to live and love accordingly, and pour down your grace on all of Philadelphia so that those who come after us will see beyond the buildings and history and industry of our city to the greater beauty of the 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION goodness and decency of her people. We ask this as your sons and daughters, confident in your love. Amen. (Amen.)
Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments and the Prison Guards present the colors, while the Philadelphia Boys Choir leads us in singing our national anthem. (Colors are presented; national anthem is sung.) (Applause.)
Thank you. You may all now be seated as we continue with this morning's proceedings. Let's listen to a poetry reading by Philadelphia Poet Laureate, Ms. Sonia Sanchez. (Applause.)
How nice, now I'm tall. Good morning, Philadelphia. 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION (Good morning.)
Since I was given seven days to write this... I call this "A Song for Philadelphia" for Mayor Michael Nutter at our new beginnings. Before birth or becoming, before the pulse of a seed, before our creation, our nothingness, our eyes challenged, the death trumpeters. When we turn in our birth nostalgic for blood, when we show ourselves on the water into the sleeves of winter, what does it matter if we cannot taste the scene? So precocious a city, how did we learn to serve death with our hands in our pockets, so young our breaths? How did we inoculate our needs until we genuflected death too? A vigil of blood clotting on steel and glass leaks into our pores, a vigil of slot machine profits courting our spirits, a vigil of hope rummaging our eyes for food and shelter. This earth perched on the heads 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION of lower case luminaries. Dare reconfirm this earth free of the corruption of war. Can heroes be born without the fanfare of bullets? How many times can we auction off democracy whose heads are larger than God, whose hands are larger than the sea, whose eyes are larger than the stars? Inside time we pilot laughter, our mouths lassoing our poem souls, for this day, this day, this day has the precision of a pause. Old words become great echoes on Monday morning abstinence. Can you hear the children's breaths flying out of their skins? Old words conjugate in wild colors. Now hear this, now hear this, our children are walking barefoot across our souls. Their storefront laughter is collapsing in the streets. Can you hear? Can you hear the people's fears, confessing to the cadence of forgotten air? Philadelphians, Philadelphians, 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION walking, bending, raising, living inside your words, practicing the rural of neighborhoods, flowing from your thighs. Can you hear them teasing the City with a girlish glance? Oh, bluesy city. Beat, beat. Beat, beat, beat, beat, beat that base. Beat, beat, beat, beat, beat that base. Let the ghosts fly out. Play the wonder in your fingertips. The City is not dead. I am not dead. We are merely occasional fallen nightingales. No more breath smiles here. No harpsichord teeth placing words into an antique pillbox. On this January landscape, we hear humming. We hear humming of prayer on your tongues saying step inside. Step inside. Step inside, mi amor. You are wild time, rosemary, watermelon seeds, garlic, roses caught in our throats. Your hands are anointed with eyes. Your legs greet themselves at the door. Step inside. Step inside. 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION Step inside. A moon wind, our bones join at the spine. Our blue midnight breaths sailing on urban tongues. Like Lorca, yo quiero, I love, I want. Like Lorca, yo quiero, I love, I want. Like Lorca, yo quiero, I love, I want, I say. I say, I say, I say step inside. Step inside. Step inside, mi amor, as we untangle this language of death. Stand words up and say minuet our blood. Step inside. I say step inside. Step inside a moon wind. As we commandeer our children's legs and they become rivers, repelling ice water ghosts, kneeling on razor-thin knees at confession. Step inside. Step inside. Step inside, mi amor, as we become one city, alive and apart from the elasticity of the dead. Give me the spirit, Lord. I say give me the spirit, Lord. Give me the spirit, Lord. Give me the quick 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION civil courage, Lord. I say give me the quick civil courage, Lord, so I can spread it over my face and mouth. Give me the spirit tongue of a thousand suns. I say give me the spirit tongue of a thousand suns to warm our hearts, oh Lord. Give me the spirit, Lord. I say give me the spirit, Lord, to come awake in your thunder so our eyes can see behind trees. Help us to remember, oh Lord. Are we not more than hunger and music. Are we not more than greed and poverty. Are we not more than color and homelessness. Are we not more than anger and dance.
This day is walking towards us, and I say give us the spirit, Lord, to put on our eyes and forever, oh Lord, let us be in the eyelash of your memory, in the eyelash of your memory. Our ebobo (ph), our ebobo, our ebobo. Praise God. Praise God. Praise 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION God for we, the people. For we, the people. For we, the people. Thank you. )
Philadelphia poet extraodinaire, Ms. Sonia Sanchez. Now please welcome City Council President Anna C. Verna to the podium. (Applause.)
Thank you all very much, and may I say good morning. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural proceedings for the investiture of City Councilmembers, the inauguration of the Mayor, and the induction of the Judiciary and elected officials. Special guests joining us on stage today are Archbishop Charles Chaput, Reverend Dr. Albert Campbell, Reverend John Roberts, Rabbi Solomon Isaacson, former Governor Ed Rendell, former Mayor John Street, former Mayor William Green, former Mayor W. Wilson 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION Goode, the Honorable Pamela Dembe, the Honorable Matthew Carrifiello and the Honorable Thomasine Tynes. I also wish to acknowledge elected officials joining us on stage today as well as members of the Honorary Inaugural Committee. Please join me at this time in welcoming the First Lady of our City, Lisa Nutter, and the Nutter's lovely daughter, Olivia. (Applause.)
Would Councilwoman Tasco please make a presentation of flowers to Mrs. Nutter and Olivia. (Presentation of flowers to Mrs. Nutter and Olivia.) (Applause.)
This being the day fixed by the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter for the organization of Council of the City of Philadelphia, the hour has arrived, and we will now proceed 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION with the organization of Council and the investiture of Councilmembers. The first order of business will be the election of a temporary chairperson. Nominations are now in order, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Green.
Thank you, Madam President. I nominate Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Madam President. I second the nomination.
Are there any further nominations? (No response.)
Hearing none, the Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Madam President. I move the nominations be closed. 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.
All in favor of the motion will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the nominations are closed. There being no further nominations, all in favor of the election of Councilman Jones will say aye. (Aye.)
The 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION ayes have it, and Councilman Jones has been duly elected temporary Chairperson. Before I relinquish this gavel to my colleague, I'd like to take this opportunity to reflect on my years as, first, a Council staff member, then Councilwoman for the 2nd Councilmanic District, and finally as Council President. There are a few principles that I followed over the course of my career in public service, and I'd like to impart them to all of those beginning or continuing their journey in City Council. Uphold the truth that has been placed upon you by the citizens of this great city. Treat your colleagues and constituents with dignity and respect. Remember that compromise is an essential element in all successful legislative bodies. And always remember public service is a noble profession. I believe that if you make decisions with these ideals in mind, your 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION careers will be as happy and fulfilling as mine has been. I'd like to thank my Council colleagues, past and present, for sharing their wisdom and generosity of spirit with me, my staff for their dedication, and mostly the people of the 2nd Council District for having placed their trust in me. Together we have accomplished so much of which I am very, very proud. Thank you, and God bless. (Standing ovation.)
Thank you. As the first order of business, I appoint Mr. Michael Decker temporary Clerk. The next order of business is the filing of certificates of election. The Clerk will call the roll. I direct the Clerk to call the roll beginning with Councilpersons-at-large in alphabetical order, then to proceed to the District Councilpersons in order of their district, beginning with the 1st 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION District.
Councilman Jones, a quorum of the members-elect is present, and I have in my possession certificates of election from the County Board of Elections in Philadelphia, indicating their election on November 8th, 2011, for a term of four years, commencing the first Monday of January, AD 2012.
The investiture of members will now proceed. The members-elect will rise to take their oath of office, which will be administered by the Honorable Pamela Pryor Dembe, President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. JUDGE DEMBE: Please place your left hands on the Bible and repeat after me. (Office of oath administered.) JUDGE DEMBE: Congratulations, and thank you. (Applause.) 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION
The next order of business is the election of the President of City Council for the City of Philadelphia to serve four years, commencing January 2nd, 2012. Nominations are now in order. The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I proudly and with great honor nominate Darrell L. Clarke. (Applause.)
1/2/12 - INAUGURATION Mr. Chairman, I move the nominations be closed.
There being no further nomination, all those in favor of the election of the Honorable Darrell L. Clarke as President of the City Council will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. However, the temporary Clerk will call the roll. 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. Councilman Clarke having been 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION unanimously chosen by members of Council, I declare Councilman Clarke is duly elected President of this body. (Standing ovation.)
I appoint Councilman Henon, Councilman Greenlee, Councilman O'Brien, Councilwoman Brown to escort Council President Clarke to the rostrum. Joining the Council President will be his daughter, Nicole Bright, and his grandson, Kadin Jones. (Applause.)
It is my pleasure to present to you the President of City Council, the Honorable Darrell L. Clarke. (Applause.)
Thank you, Councilman Jones, for conducting the first order of business of the City Council as temporary Chair. Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)
Wow, 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION this is truly a good morning for me. This is an exciting day for me personally, as well for this City Council and City government. The inauguration of 17 members of Council, six of them new, and the selection of new officers is an important moment, filled with promise and opportunity for Philadelphia. Oh, by the way, my grandson, Kadin -- my daughter, Nicole, and I had a conversation late last night and he was in a rather rambunctious mode. He is only one years old. Should he be on the stage? Probably not. He's going to be joining us a little later. Before I speak about that promise and some of the challenges we face, I want to acknowledge the two most important people in my life, my daughter, Nicole, and that aforementioned grandson, Kadin. They mean the world to me. I want to thank you. (Applause.)
I 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION want to also acknowledge and thank two people who taught me so much since I came into City government 20 years ago. John Street. (Applause.)
I would not be standing here today if it were not for John Street. I learned many things about government from him - paying attention to detail, understanding the importance of budget and its impact on services. The list goes on and on. However, the most important thing I learned from him was not details or facts; it was the value of hard work, and I thank him for that. (Applause.)
Likewise, when I ran for Council, I developed another significant relationship. Council President Anna Verna. (Applause.)
I 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION learned not only the true importance of listening to people and understanding the views of the Councilmembers, but, more importantly, I learned the true value of fairness, and I think all of our members can attest to that. (Applause.)
If I can work as hard as John Street and be as fair as Anna Verna, I'll have a solid foundation with which to lead this Council. Mayor Street, President Verna, I just want to thank so much for your years of guidance and support and friendship. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
When I was growing up in Strawberry Mansion, I, like most Philadelphians, was raised in a row home community, with quality public schools, thriving local businesses, and strong families. But unfortunately for many Philadelphia 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION neighborhoods, that is no longer the case. The economic downturn has caused many local businesses to close, and our neighborhood districts are not what they used to be. Our public schools have made strides, but too many remain dangerous, the dropout rate is too high, and the recent strife with the Superintendent and the SRC serve no one well, least of all our children. To get where we must go, all parties involved, City Council, the Mayor, the SRC, the PFT and every, I mean every parent must work together. We must also create a strong business-friendly environment. We must send a clear message to the country and the world that Philadelphia is open for business. It is extremely important, let me emphasize extremely important, that this Council and this Mayor work productively on the issues that unite us rather on those on which we disagree. Mayor Nutter -1/2/12 - INAUGURATION (Applause.)
-we wish you well in your second term, and I'd like to say that this Council President stands ready and willing to work with you to move this great city of ours forward.
For the last several years, Council and the Mayor had to make some difficult decisions as the economy worsened and tax revenues declined, but we still had to deliver services. So we collectively agreed to several increases in taxes and fees. And I will understand if you do not applaud for that. But as our economy begins to stabilize, we need to generate creative ideas to strengthen our budget and deliver services without always resorting to putting our hands in the taxpayers' pockets. I believe we can use the assets 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION we have in new ways to help create jobs and revenues. Last year, Council commissioned a study on ways our City can think and act differently when it comes to the issues of taxes and generating revenues and reducing our costs. That study produced a report with some very good ideas. Let me touch briefly on a very few of them. One such idea is to create a series of development districts across our city. We need to get the thousands of City-owned parcels out of the City's inventory and in the hands of developers to create jobs, opportunity and revenue. Also, we must explore municipal marketing opportunities. Millions of dollars are being generated in other states and in other cities across our country. No, Mary Tracy, I'm not saying that we should put a billboard on top of Billy Penn's hat. But if we work together, we can realize revenues to help 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION pay for essential services while still preserving the character of our public spaces. We should also apply the same kinds of creative thinking to reducing the cost of government. We should continue to aggressively retrofit our municipal buildings with alternative energy sources. And, Mayor Nutter, I want to thank you for the most recent bill that you introduced and we passed to do just that. In doing so, we'll save money and we'll continue to support the environment at the same time. Additionally, proceeds from aggressive municipal asset sales program could be utilized to reduce long-term debt. Furthermore, we must continue to attract businesses from other countries -- and, Councilman Oh, I know you like hearing that -- and further stimulate the fast-growing sectors of our 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION economy - our healthcare, institutions, hospitals, colleges, and universities. As we work cooperatively and think creatively, we must also practice fiscal responsibility. We must take steps to confront a long-simmering problem, the City's unfunded pension liability. We must work together with the Mayor, the Pension Board, and the City's municipal unions to craft solutions to the serious fiscal problem before it overwhelms us. I'd like to say now to the new members of Council, I make this promise. I will work hard every day to listen to your proposals and to treat you as fairly as Council President Verna treated me when I was first elected. And to my veteran colleagues, also known as the "old heads," I say let us start this term fresh and reinvigorated, using our experience, but also opening ourselves to new ideas to move the great city of ours forward. 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION And to the citizens of Philadelphia, I ask for your help, your prayers, and your ideas as I work every day to keep the faith you have placed in me today. With that, I want to thank you so much and thank you for this blessing. I honor it, and I will do you proud. Thank you all, and God bless you. (Standing ovation.)
The Honorable Pamela Pryor Dembe, President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, will now administer the oath of office to Council President Clarke. JUDGE DEMBE: Raise your right hand and repeat after me. (Oath of office administered.) JUDGE DEMBE: Congratulations.
Time 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION to go to work. Thank you. The next order of business is the election of the Chief Clerk of the Council of the City of Philadelphia. Nominations are now in order, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
The Chair thanks the Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Oh.
Thank you. Are there any further nominations? (No response.)
None further. Hearing none, the Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Mr. President, I move the nominations be 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION closed.
Thank you. I move the nominations be closed. The Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the nominations be closed. All in favor of the motion will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion is carried. There being no further nominations, all in favor of the election of Mr. Michael Decker as Chief Clerk of Council will say aye. Those opposed -1/2/12 - INAUGURATION (Aye.)
I'm sorry. I got a little ahead of myself. Those opposed? (No response.)
The ayes have it. However, the Clerk will call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. Mr. Decker, having received a unanimous vote of the members of Council, I now declare Mr. Michael Decker duly elected Chief Clerk of the City Council of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Councilmembers Goode and Blackwell will escort Mr. Decker to the rostrum, and Judge Dembe will administer the oath of office. (Oath of office administered.) JUDGE DEMBE: Congratulations. (Applause.)
Congratulations, Mr. Decker. At this time, I will name the 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION officers of the City Council. Please be advised that at a meeting of the democratic members of Council, the Honorable Curtis Jones, Jr. was elected Majority Leader, the Honorable Blondell Reynolds Brown was elected Majority Whip, and the Honorable William Greenlee was elected Majority Deputy Whip of the City Council of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Also be advised that at a meeting of the republican members of Council, the Honorable Brian J. O'Neill was elected and the Honorable David Oh was elected Minority Whip. (Applause.)
The next order of business is the introduction of a resolution concerning the rules of government of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION you, Mr. President. I offer the following resolution.
The Chief Clerk will read the title of the resolution.
A resolution to provide rules for the government of the Council of the City of Philadelphia.
Mr. President, I move that the rules as set forth in this resolution be adopted as the temporary rules of this Council until the permanent rules are adopted.
All in favor of that motion will say aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed, nay. 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION (No response.)
The ayes have it and the motion is carried. The rules contained in this resolution have been adopted temporarily. The resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The organization of the Council of the City of Philadelphia and the investiture of the City Councilmembers are complete, in accordance with the provisions of the Home Rule Charter. The Council is honored by the presence of Reverend John Roberts. I ask you to all please to rise as I invite Reverend Roberts to lead us in prayer. By the way, that's my Reverend. (All guests rise.)
Let's bow our head. Lord, thou has been our dwelling place in all generations, before the mountains were brought forth and 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION forever thou has formed the earth and the world. Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. We ask now that you would bless us as we stand in your presence. We're blessed to come, and we're glad we're here. Thank you for waking us up this morning and giving us strength to get up. Thank you for blessing us to come safely to this place. We thank you for the great leaders of this great city. We thank you for our Mayor. We thank you for his family. We thank you even now for our President of City Council, my friend and brother, the Honorable Darrell Clarke. We pray now for his daughter, his granddaughter (sic), even his brother that is not well at this time. We ask, God, for your wisdom and for your knowledge, for your word says that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people mourn. And 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION there have been people that have been crying for a long time. But we ask that you would give wisdom and knowledge to these great leaders of this great city. Bless our brother, President Clarke, as he leads City Council. We serve God by serving one another. So we ask for your divine wisdom now. We pray for your choice blessings in this new year. So many have gone on, but we are still here, and because of this, we're grateful and in our spirits, we say thank you. Now continue to lead us. Bless this City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. We thank you for how you brought us, because we realize that promotion comes from God, and if we continue to put you first and seek you first, everything else will be added on. Bless us now and we shall be blessed. Heal us and we shall be healed. Save us and we shall be saved, as we 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION continue in the spirit of oneness and of love. I ask this in your precious name, and as always, Lord, I thank you for listening. Amen. (Amen.)
Thank you, Reverend Roberts. Will everyone please be seated. At this time, I invite the Greater Exodus Baptist Church Choir to perform "Faithful is Our God." The choir is directed by Carol Nathaniel. (Greater Exodus Church Choir performs "Faithful is our God.") (Applause.)
Thank you so much. Thank you so much. We are also honored by the presence of Reverend Dr. Albert Campbell. I ask you all to please rise as I invite Reverend Campbell to lead us in prayer. (All guests rise.) 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION
Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the City, the watchmen waketh, but in vain. Let us pray. Oh thou who art the source of all light and life, wisdom and truth, we are pleased again to pause to pay homage to you for this day, for this hour, and for this significant investiture and inaugural event that brings us together across many diverse lines. We are both glad and grateful. We pray earnestly that this gathering today omens a new beginning in our common quest for the common good in this great City of Brotherly Love. We intercede on behalf of the Mayor, the Honorable Michael A. Nutter, that he will continue to be endowed with wisdom and with courage for the facing of the complex issues of these times. May he be provided with the statesman-like tools and resources necessary for the 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION leadership that will be required. We also ask for an incredibly exciting and productive spirit of cooperation and dedication between the high offices of Mayor and those of City Council so that the best possible results for this city might be achieved. And we ask that the citizenry will join the elected leadership in working and watching and praying for peace, for the reduction of violence in our communities, for the lifting of the quality of education for all of our children, and for the raising of the quality of human relations in every sphere of our life together. In thy holy name we pray. Amen. (Amen.)
Thank you, Reverend Campbell. Will everyone please be seated. At this time, I invite Priscilla Coblentz and Claude Donaldson 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION to perform "The Prayer," composed by Carole Bayer and David Foster. (Priscilla Coblentz and Claude Donaldson perform "The Prayer.") (Applause.)
Thank you so much. We will now proceed with the induction of the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. The Chair appoints Councilman O'Brien, Councilman Kenney, Councilman Oh, and Councilman Goode to escort the Honorable Mayor Michael Nutter to the rostrum. The Chair invites Mayor Nutter's wife, Lisa, and daughter, Olivia, to join him at the rostrum. (Applause.)
The Chief Clerk will read the certificate of the election of the Honorable Michael A. Nutter as Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION
Michael A. Nutter, at an election held November 8, 2011, you were duly elected the Mayor of the City and County of Philadelphia, for a term of four years, commencing the first Monday of January, AD 2012.
The Honorable Theodore A. McKee will administer the oath of office. JUDGE McKEE: Raise your right hand, place your left hand on the Bible and repeat after me. (Oath of office administered.) (Standing ovation.)
To the members of City Council, Reverend clergy, elected officials, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I have the distinct honor to present to you His Honor, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, the Honorable Michael A. Nutter. (Standing ovation.)
To our elected officials, our members of Congress, members of the General Assembly in Harrisburg, Archbishop Chaput, Reverend Griffith, Reverend Campbell, Reverend Roberts, Rabbi Isaacson, and all members of our faith community, Judge McKee, Judge Pryor Dembe, Judge Carrifiello, and Judge Tynes and all the members of the Judiciary, Governor Rendell, Mayor Green, Mayor Goode, Mayor Street and our good friend from across the river, Mayor Dana Redd of Camden, to all the members of Philadelphia City Council, to the retiring members of Council and the new members of Council, welcome to City government. To former President Anna Verna, who I enjoyed many, many years of getting to know and working with. Let us please recognize one more time 60 years of public service to this great city. (Standing ovation.) 1/2/12 - INAUGURATION
And to our new Council President, Council President Darrell Clarke, who I've also worked with for a long period of time and gotten to know well, and I look forward to our partnership in moving this city forward and deeply appreciated your remarks this morning. Our new Council President, Councilman Clarke. (Applause.)
To Lisa, Olivia, Christian, my mother, Catalina, my sister, Renee. First and foremost, thank you to the people of Philadelphia for once again bestowing upon me this tremendous honor. I will never be able to fully express what it means to me, a kid from West Philadelphia, to stand on this stage at the Academy of Music as Mayor of my hometown and to have this wonderful opportunity -1/2/12 - INAUGURATION (Applause.)