It has been moved and seconded that the resolution be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.) 12/9/10 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 100850.
A resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings on the potential health risks from cell phone radiation and the actions the City of Philadelphia can take to better educate all cell phone users, particularly children and teens on ways to reduce radiation exposure by using headsets, speakerphones and texting.
Thank you, Madam President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.) 12/9/10 - STATED - 2ND READING
It has been moved and seconded that Resolution No. 100850 be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. We will now consider Resolution 100851.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Eighteenth, Thirty-Second and Forty-Seventh Wards of the City of 12/9/10 - STATED - 2ND READING Philadelphia.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Resolution 100088-A.
A resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to authorize Council to provide that fines imposed for violation of any ordinance intimidation must be paid into a special fund to be used only for assistance to victims and witnesses.
Oh, I'm sorry. Councilman Jones, did you want to hold that?
That concludes the resolutions and the Calendar. That concludes our Calendar for today. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Madam President. I'll be brief. I wouldn't normally talk about private companies' promotions, but given these circumstances, I believe an exception is merited. Through December 31st, the Walmart Foundation is encouraging people to visit www.walmart.com/fightinghunger to help decide which city should receive $1.5 million in grants to fight hunger. The participants can choose from a list of 100 communities where hunger rates are the highest. The city with the most support will receive $1 million in grants, and the five runner-ups will receive $100,000 each. This money would go to organizations that fight hunger, such as Philabundance. Philadelphia is among the communities on this list and I want to encourage everyone to take the opportunity to vote and spread the word. Right now Philadelphia is ranked 30th with only about 300 votes. Communities hunger rates are beating us. So this is one time where we have to push the voter turnout again, I guess. All it takes is a simple click to help Philadelphia advance in the rankings and potentially make a huge impact on hunger issues in our community. Again, the website is www.walmart.com/fightinghunger, one word. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank the Co-Chairs of the Commerce and Economic Development Committee and Public Health for having hearings on Resolution 090608, which was to deal with the retail clinics in Philadelphia or the lack thereof, as we discovered in our hearing process. One of the discoveries was made by my colleague Councilwoman Tasco, and into this question, ask of the particular members of CVS, Rite Aid and other drugstore establishments that what would be the impact of the possible dissolution of the alcohol system in Philadelphia, and in so doing, the biggest winners, losers, winners was going to be CVS's that would be able to, like in other cities, do alcohol distribution out of there. Now, when we started to look at the economic model of what the impacts of a retail clinic where people could get common examinations for things like the common cold or other over-the-counter kind of remedies that deal with health concerns, the prospect of selling retail alcohol is a better business model than the health of the average Joe or Jane. Let me say this, and we warned them and we continue to warn them: If you can find a business model that says it's okay for you to sell alcohol to Philadelphians and can't find a model deserve in the inner city better health, better access to that, then woe unto them if they try to open that in the Fourth Councilmanic District. You will never have a business model that makes sense to this Councilperson that says alcohol over healthcare is better for Philadelphians. So we're going to send that out. We want to send the carrot first to encourage them to open more retail clinics in the inner city, but we will not, by any means of scrutiny, allow them to do alcoholic beverage sales in the inner city without those health clinics. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. Tonight at 5:30 in these very Chambers the Youth Commission will hold its monthly meeting. This have a presentation from Commissioner John Irizarry of the School Reform Commission on the black and Latino male dropout crisis. In addition, the Commission will hear testimony from men who were once dropouts and who are now back in school, and they will talk about their experiences. We invite all to attend this hearing. Again, that is at 5:30 today in these Chambers. And, number two, I know Council has its party on Thursday after Council, and we always have ours Friday, the 17th, for those of you who don't leave after the President's party, from noon to 3:00 right in our offices and in the corridor. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you, Madam President. This morning I join the many citizens concerned about the media-driven debate over Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's actions in support of minority business, which some other public agencies routinely and actively ignore. I am reminded of the biblical saying, quote, "A prophet without honor in her own land." It's always important to first consider the facts. In a city with a 57 percent minority community, we have a School District budget of $3 billion plus and an 80 percent minority student body. I repeat, 80 percent. This leader is being attacked for ordering inclusion of a minority firm, which gave the firm a total of $12,000 on a $7.5 million contract, and this apparently is enough for us to fret, completely ignore the fact that as head of a large public agency, Dr. Ackerman is not only responsible but she's obligated to do everything she can to ensure minority and female-owned businesses, to ensure that they have access to opportunities so that they can participate in the economic pie. The lack of attention that was given to her being named "Superintendent of the Year" also makes us quite angry, because when we look to see the attention that was given to that, stacked against the much attention that was given to this opportunity for MBEs/WBEs, it continues to be deeply troubling. We'd be remiss not to acknowledge that this is a professional who works nine days a week, 72 hours a day, focused on moving the academic needle for the students in our Philadelphia public schools. Yet, there remain many of us who feel any share of any public contract that goes to a firm, contractor, consultant must be protested as, quote, "unfair," despite the historic persistent and still chronic underrepresentation of minority firms and tax-funded enterprises. What is more troubling for me is that there are those who turn a blind eye to the importance of role models to minority children and what it means to see people who look like them performing work in their schools and on their playgrounds. For when role models are creating jobs and providing positive images for our children in many neighborhoods who lack them, they are given back in ways that inspires emulation as well as affirms what is indeed possible. So it is striking to me that as a strong advocate with impeccable credentials for education and inclusion, Dr. Arlene Ackerman is somehow ignored for her milestone academic achievements and vilified for her attempts to bring balance, fairness and access to opportunity in the business practices of a multi-billion-dollar institution with, again I quote, 80 percent minority student body. Moving forward, I will continue to work with those and join with those who speak up and speak out for Dr. Arlene Ackerman and other women in leadership in this town, like Sharmain Matlock-Turner at the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition and Ahmeenah Young at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and Jill Michal at the United Way and others, who embrace both the responsibility and the obligation to not only strive for but insist on fairness both inside and outside of our public classrooms. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, like to add and say I support the comments made by my colleague Councilwoman Brown. You know, we've been dealing with this issue of inclusion and diversity and the purchasing by not only the School District and public entities but also in the private industry, and through the years, we've noticed that even when the head of a business, a majority business, as well as the heads of our public institutions commit to a diversity plan, it never -- the message is somehow lost as it goes down to those departments that have to make the decisions as to who get the contracts and that they follow the intent of the institution to bring about a diverse vendor pool. And so the messages have to be forced and enhanced and continued to be told to those people who sit at the table, who develop the process, who plan out the bidding, the plans for bidding, as well as all that they do in purchasing is and that there are diversity plans that they should be followed. In most instances, they get ignored and there are excuses found for not to be inclusive. And so the message that Dr. Ackerman sent is that we do have a diversity plan. We have a $3 billion budget, and not only do the students reflect the District, it's the City of Philadelphia. This is a city of many, of a diverse city, and certainly the minority community is a large representation, and the purchasing should reflect what the City looks like. We lose people who try to do business in the City. They can't get contracts because of the discrimination against them, and they're never given an opportunity to participate. So I applaud her. I find it very interesting that some media contend to continue to avoid printing the facts. They give you just a little bit, but they full fact, and that is totally unfair. And I applaud her and ask her to continue to do what she's doing to make sure that diversity is part of what happens over at the School District. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, December 16th, 10:00 a.m., 2010. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, December 16th at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Thank you. (Stated Meeting adjourned at 12:25 p.m.) 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 December 9, 2010, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-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.)