Thank you for your patience and we thank you. Thank you for being here today and to be involved and committed to making a statement. Welcome.
My name is Maleek Allah. I'm just released from prison after 17 years, and my testimony here today is based on information and being a service to the City Council and especially under your leadership. 324 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708
A lot of time while we was in prison, we don't have the information that's out here. It's a lot of information out here that can help us. We don't have it. There seems to be a block, some type of a block that stops us from communicating with City Council, but I would like to start a dialogue and start a relationship with the Council so that I can get the information, get the information back into the prison, to the prisoners, and get the information to the youth in our community. I don't have any problem with dealing with the youth in the community 'cause that's where I come from. I was once, you know, that same young brother on the corner, robbing and stealing and shooting and what have you, until I was raised up in Islam by the Elijah Muhammad. 325 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 And so what I'm asking is to be involved in the work of the rebuilding of our community. In order to do that, I would have to be able to communicate with the City Council and get this information back into the prison. I just talked to the Commissioner of the Prisons, and he told me to contact him so that we can sit down and have a meeting, and I would come back into the prison as a representative.
We're happy to work with you. And just for members of this committee, I know him and have known him for years, as did Lucien.
And certainly, we're happy to work with you. We will coordinate information with you. And then tomorrow, another brother, Robert Smith, was here, who just came 326 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 home after more years than you served.
And so we have to communicate and keep information together so that -- because we are working on trying to have job training and jobs for ex-offenders as well who are coming out and prevent some of those issues like support payments from going in. We've been working with judges as well.
And so we have your number. Just make sure that Penny has your number or whoever in my office you would like, just leave it there with Gloria. We'll be here tomorrow, hearing other testimony if you're interested in coming back to hear people who did not testify today but who also have interests in this area. One will be the Chamber of Commerce because we want to talk about 327 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 what private industry can do to help in this arena.
So we invite you back if you have time. If not, we will stay in touch with you.
Thank you. All righty. We'll be here again starting at 9:30 tomorrow morning.
Yes, God bless. Mr. Ferrelli and then Patricia Baltimore and then Toby.
On behalf of 328 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 Patricia, she said that she would volunteer to read for me 'cause my glasses got lost.
That' s fine. Absolutely. So Miss Baltimore can give your testimony as well as her own. (Witnesses come forward.)
Thank you. Thank you both. Miss Baltimore, I'd like to apologize. If they ever give another presentation -- thank you for the tape. And if they give another testimony, you can mention that yourself. I will be happy to attend.
Okay, thank you. All righty. 329 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 I'm Patricia Baltimore and I just basically came in to sit in 'cause I try to educate myself on a lot of different things. So I don't know this gentleman's name, but what I'm trying to do is assist him in whatever he needs, but I don't agree with this or disagree with this 'cause I don't know anything about what I'm about to read.
Yes. My name is Kenneth Ferrelli, Buffalo Soldiers, a nonprofit organization. I have been very much -- I should say very much appreciative of you all having me here.
It's been 13 years I've been trying to get in here. So I have also -- I was 330 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 incarcerated years ago in reference to an ex-wife that I had caught with a cop. I was incarcerated for three years, which I had vowed to not let this happen to anyone else. I became a nonprofit organization once I came out. Excuse me. And what had happened, when I came out, I started up a nonprofit organization, but as well I had a construction company before I went in. The name of the construction company was the Buffalo Soldiers General Contractors. I decided to start up a nonprofit organization back in 2000. We had started in 1997, and in 2000, the nonprofit was established. What I do is, I help out the ex-offenders. First we go up there for about five to six months to visit ex-offenders in various facilities. We do prayers with them. We also put money in their commissary. And we pray and we 331 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 read the Bible. That's what I'm speaking of. Okay, so when they get out, what we take and do is a 30-day process where they come and live at my home, the home that I had built for them to be...
That's okay. The home my mother left me, I turned over for ex-offenders to stay in. So it's eight at a time, two ex-offenders to each room. Now, how do they get in touch with me. While I am up at the prison, they have a way of getting in touch with me by telephone. Once they get out, they call me up. And then they come to my home, and we give them clothes and food, all right? From there, we have counselors, we got teachers, teachers from Temple is also helping me, a couple of volunteer. And right after that, we 332 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 have counselors that get these guys started back for society again. Now, the process is, they stay with me for 30 days to be processed, but there's an 18-month program, and the 18-month program consists of drug rehabilitation, GED, also reading, math, and spelling, which we consider -- and also English, which we consider to be... It's like, in jail, they don't -- they press the issue about them reading and doing GEDs, but when they come out here, they don't be pressured any longer. So we come and help them out. Once we help them out, they have the option to buy a home after we -- I teach them how to build homes, from rehabbing the houses that we get from the city. So that my main purpose here today is to find out, can I get help from the city with the housing that I need for the ex-offenders to be building 333 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 the homes? It's not an easy process.
Yeah. I would like her to read something prior to what I'm talking about.
I have to mention, before she reads, that I have tried numerous of times to get in touch with Verna, President Councilwoman Verna in reference to eight houses that I have for the elderly. And the ex-offenders want to build these homes. They get $10 an hour. So I have been turned down each time, and this has been over a period of five years.
Well, perhaps if it's properties that are located in the president's -- in President Verna's area, why don't you talk to Mary Ann in her office?
I did, and she refused to see me. She has never 334 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 responded to any of my letters. There's been about seven or eight letters as well as this portfolio, which she was going to read to you at this time. We going to turn two houses, 6024 and 6026, we was going to rehab them for a community watch for the kids for when they get at night --
The properties, who owns them? Are they in City ownership?
Okay. All righty. Do they have a copy of this proposal?
Okay. I wanted to say that at the top of this -- 335 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 I can't see, so where do you want me to start?
Right here. You have to excuse me. I got these papers from Judge May's office; I was in his chamber and that's why I was late today.
It's all right. Certainly we can make your proposal a part of the record.
Yes, ma'am. Hold on one second. Okay, this is just a grant writing of the proposal.
(Reading.) Buffalo Soldiers sees the progress industry grant proposal, a Philadelphia Community Development Program to combat violence and make an investment in people.
Oh, excuse me. I am also with Men United and Mothers In Charge. Excuse me. Yes.
) 336 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 Okay. Okay. This is the executive summary. The Buffalo Soldiers sees (indiscernible) a nonprofit organization that caters to released prison inmates and is a provider of services that addresses the needs of these individuals. The primary service will focus on reduction and prevention of crimes by ex-offenders. The organization will offer immediate intervention assistance by offering residents accommodations for those in need and from prison to training to work assistance. The organization is making this proposal for startup seed funding for a program development -- I never could say this word. Okay, for abandoned houses and an ongoing annual operations of... Is this a million? This support represents a true investment in people. The center will be located on 6024 to 6026 Greenway 337 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 Avenue. Buffalo Soldiers headquarters is located at 6042 Greenway Avenue in South Philadelphia -- Southwest Philadelphia. The Buffalo Soldiers (indiscernible) office is pleased to submit this grant proposal with the support of local and regional political advocates who support its primary clients -- ex-offender, as well as secondary clients based ex-offenders' family members. The Buffalo Soldiers has a proven track record of delivering value-added services that make significant differences in the lives of people in the first culture. The program is empowerment to reestablish community order and restore human dignity for our residents. The intent is to provide superior human services and make significant contributions into -- and reduce the 338 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 violent crimes in the City of Philadelphia. The following will outline the problem impact, a proposed solution, and a description of the community. A. The problem. 79,000 crimes were committed by ex-offenders over a two-year period in the City of Philadelphia, reports the Buffalo Soldiers. Of these crimes, an estimate 30 percent were committed in Southwest Philadelphia communities. The Buffalo Soldiers sees the progress organization firmly believes that due to large numbers of released inmates that constantly enters local communities has a direct link to violent crimes that are committed on local community residents throughout the City of Philadelphia. And in particular in the community, 92 murders were committed in this small local community area alone. Local block captains and other 339 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 community watch organizes and concerned citizens have identified this situation as a key problem that contributes to the state of affairs in the community. However, the single situation is not the only issue that contributes to the overall crime problem. It is (indiscernible) to say that crimes are becoming more violent in the community and are carried out in a bold matter and disregarded for collateral-related damage. Our young youth are caught up in the violence as bystanders and ultimately innocent victims. The need of perpetrators and would-be perpetrators that commit violent crimes must be addressed. The Buffalo Soldiers and its supporters' purposes in this document is direct problem intervention solutions that are designed to change the state of affairs in the community. The solution addresses the perpetrator's mind and 340 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 soul and cultural awareness, as this relates to the social impact -- the societal impact of his or her action. The organization proposes to offer professional intervention services through a combination of methods to include inmate correctional exit intake counseling, housing, jobs, anger management, counselors, public stigma rejection associated with incarceration, education, social awareness, and current economical realities and family dynamics. C. Community. The impact community is located in the southwest section of Philadelphia.
The community is recognized as an economically depressed area that is plagued with unending violence and crime. The local residents usually perpetrate the crimes against the local neighborhood population -- neighbor-on-neighbor crime. The problem will support the 341 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 local community constituents that are identified as at-risk individuals. The group is comprised of all age groupings. Would you like to take over?
) Okay. The program will support local community constituents that are identified as at-risk individuals. This group is compromised of all age groups. The local community demographics is 50,350 residents, 13,985 families, and 7,911 non-family households. Age groups: Ages 15 to 25 equals 1 percent. Ages 25 to 34 equals 7 percent. Ages 35 to 44 equals 15 percent. Ages 45 to 55 equals 18 percent. Ages 55 to 64 equals 14 percent. Ages 65 and over equals 45 percent. D. The location. Buffalo Soldiers Support Center will be located 342 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 in Southwest Philadelphia, in the heart of this community, where services will be provided. Its center that it will operate out of will be 4,000 square feet. The space will be divided up into the guests' living at 600 square quarter [sic]. The main office (indiscernible) will be located at 600 square feet and 800 square feet for living arrangements. The Community Outreach New Millennium Center is uniquely qualified to deliver on its mission. 1. The 501(c)(3) status- affiliated, community-based nonprofit organization and the funds managed by Temple University leadership. The Buffalo Soldiers Seeds of Progress has a proven track record in providing human services. The organization's founder, Mr. Kenneth Ferralli, has lived in this community his whole life, and he carries deep concern for his neighbors. Therefore, the organization is 343 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 pleased to offer the proposal on behalf of this community population with sincere and best hopes for the future. Experience and credentials. The Buffalo Soldiers Seeds of Progress has a proven track record in providing human services at the local community level. Professional, technical assistance. The Buffalo Soldiers Seeds of Progress has experienced administrative, managerial and technical-support consultants level. Professional technical assistance. The Buffalo Soldiers Seeds of Progress has expert administration -- administrative, manageable, and technical-support consultant services. Support channels. Political and local stakeholders and concerned citizens assess the mandate for this activity. Community Outreach New Millennium Center. Kenneth Ferralli, 344 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 Founder and President of Operations. TBD manager center operations. TBD administrative center service. And TBD coordinator outreach services. President of Operations, Kenneth Ferralli. He brings a wealth of personal experience and community service background experience through the Outreach New Millennium Center Organization. He has served in this community for most of his life. Kenneth owns an independent construction company, and he will offer job-training and jobs to the center's clients to help provide income. Vice president of operations -- waiting board approval. Manager, center operations -- waiting board approval. Administrative executive center services -- waiting board approval. Executive coordinator community outreach services 345 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 -- waiting board approval. Program activities. The objectives and goals. The goal is to provide a community service that benefits ex-prisoners to assist in his reacclimation to his community and help him to achieve a sustainable crime-free productive life. A successful outcome will benefit the whole community, and this is the program's activities: The program will provide services on a seven-day-a week, 24-hour days, and 365 days a year. A total of eight men will occupy the facility for an initial period of 30 days. Residents will be referred to (indiscernible) respectively. Room and board will be provided. Accommodations will offer two guests per room setup. Clothing assistance will be offered. Meals and/or food allowance will be provided. Meal preparation and serving arrangement 346 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 will be on a scheduled basis.
Center guests will be assigned premise's upkeep responsibilities. The program will provide anger management training as a requirement. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation assistance will be offered on an outservice basis, and a professional services company will provide permanent security. The center will encourage input from the company on an ongoing basis. An initial intake interview will be conducted as follows. A. Identify needs and/or circumstances. B. Review the center's objectives and goals. C. Review the center's expectations for guests. Rules will be strictly enforced. D. Obtain clothing and other garment measurements and specific dress requirements. E. Determine guests' 347 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 adaptability for group living arrangement. Okay. Identify guest education background, employable skills, and work ethics. Identify and offer spiritual preference activity. Document (indiscernible) family's contact (indiscernible) and family visitation guides. Understand guests' family circumstances. Explain health and drug tests is a requirement for participation. Review program exit strategy. The social impact that will be realized is significant. The benefits are needed in particular as crime rates continue to climb in this community. Ex-offenders crime rate. Reduce negative stigma of ex-offenders. Provide (indiscernible) interaction with newly released individuals. Increase local community awareness of challenges that ex-offenders face when entering the 348 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 community. Provide meaningful communication channels for problems, resolutions for ex-offenders, and promote understanding between inmate clients and family members and the public at-large. Provide meaningful dialogue of a much larger problem, cause and effect. Provide ex-offenders opportunity to mentor those that follow them to a successful transition. The evaluation. The goal of the program is practical in its approach, understanding that success is a number-based evaluation criteria. Of the eight center's guest that matriculate through the program on a 30-day rotating cycle, the center's expectation is that six of the eight guests will not recommit crimes and will become a successful member of this community. Other funding. The 349 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 organization's founder has invested more than $50,000 of personal funds as business startup capital. As well, Buffalo Soldiers Seeds of Progress seeks investors who wish to provide cash in exchange for direct personal positions in the corporation. The returns will be measured in personal satisfaction in making a difference in the lives of people. This cash will be used to enable rapid expansion in the community service market and provide working capital.
Toby, you're next. Is there anyone else to testify after Toby? (No response.)
This would have been the cost rates of everything that 350 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 it would have cost. You can get that later. This is a summary.
And as I said, we can make this, your total testimony, a part of the record.
So maybe if you can include and then Miss Baltimore can make her own testimony. Then we'll have Toby.
(Reading.) Okay. This is the operational strategy operation. Community Outreach New Millennium Center will be partnering with local organizations and businesses for human services and goods that will be needed to provide a large -- to provide the target support to our clients. Management will develop a comprehensive screening process to ensure that the highest quality of services will be provided to our 351 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 clients. A list of services that Buffalo Soldiers Seeds of Progress has identified as their key services can be found in the program activities section. Buffalo Soldiers Seeds of Progress will be directly responsible for screening potential clients, suppliers, service vendors, operation of the call center, and coordination of interaction with law firm agencies, job placement agencies, social services agencies, and client intake process. Buffalo Soldiers' founder owns a construction company, and he plans to offer employment to outreach center's clients to give them a new start. Transportation will be provided to pick up clients upon their release from correctional facilities. Clients will contact the outreach program for pickup of several days prior to the confirmed release date. The process begins when the 352 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 phone call is made. The center will provide shelter and describe services for a period of 30 days. Clothing and personal care products will be provided initially until client become self-sufficient. The path to self-sufficiency will begin with successful job placement and assistance to help establish personal banking account will qualify as clients. Rehabilitation support will include required therapy in sessions that include job training, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, training and education, and family-related issues. Clients will be monitored to the program policies and goals. Staff personnel will document and validate (indiscernible) components to the service model. Operations functions will include kitchen, bathroom, dining room, recreation room area, professional study area, prayer room, sleeping quarters, 353 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 and administration of support areas. Service will be provided hours a day. 4 The center will sees qualified who will 5 assist in the program. Communication 6 systems software (indiscernible) will 7 track and log calls made in and out of 8 the facility, and the records will be 9 confidential and protected. 10
I thank you all 11 for listening to us. 12 She did a very good job 'cause 13 the -- I had seven people here before I 14 got here. They all left, including Rob 15 Stone. He's also under my tutelage as 16 well, and me and him have been working 17 together at the 60th and Greenway area, 18 and he's on Kingsessing, which we're 19 having a hard time with the murders, as 20 you well know. 21 We are finding ourselves 22 backed against the wall because of 23 the -- Miss Anne Verna is like -- I'm 24 really -- I don't know what really to say, because we had a thousand trees to 354 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 grow in that area just to improve the neighborhood, and she turned that down as well.
I suggest that you really stop in the President's office again. Planting trees is one thing; getting properties is another. I suggest that you stop by again, and let me them know of your concerns. Also, with regard to the property, I'm told by my staff that they already had public hearings on that.
The 19th. And I felt if I came here, I could have did something to prevent that from tearing it down. It's just like a tooth. If you pull a tooth, they all start falling eventually out.
This 355 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 is a public arena, and in a public hearing, anybody can come.
Yes. A public hearing is a public hearing. People make testimony, just as we're inviting anyone else who's here who would like to testify to testify. In a public hearing, that same thing happens. So, apparently, that public hearing was held already.
And some decisions were about that property, so perhaps you can begin again and look for some properties and work with their office on another location. Certainly, we do not feel that this is the proper place to deal with the president as the President of Council. We can refer you to her office. We can give her a copy of your testimony. 356 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 But in the final analysis, when it comes to property -- planting trees is one thing that's a whole 'nother area that maybe you haven't spoken with her office about that. But when it comes to property disposition, you have to work with her, just as people in my district work with me. We can't make those decisions for her. That is the President of Council, and she's elected to represent that area. And I would suggest, you know, she has very informative knowledgable people who work with her, and maybe if you try again and try some other addresses since decisions were already made about these, maybe you can begin again, and perhaps you could have some success in the future. That's what I suggest. Because if the hearing already happened, it's already scheduled to be voted on for a market or some other 357 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 entity, that's kind of going to probably knock it out of the book for you at that location.
It's just strange -- yes, ma'am, I understand that I understand that, but it's kind of strange of all them properties that's on that list, me and Rob Stone acquired for. And every time we did, it was no, no, no. Now -- and that was mainly the center that was on my block that I'm the block captain of.
Okay. Mr. Ferralli, we cannot solve the problems with you and any other District Councilperson here. That has to be worked out with that office. Certainly Miss Mahoney is here to the left.
She does an excellent job for the President in working with --
She's the one that I sent the paperwork to and she 358 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 never responded to it.
Well, she came in here. She came in here from the President's office. Maybe you can step to the side ask talk to her.
But, again, as I said, if they already had public hearings last week on those properties --
-- my suggestion that you find some other properties and try to work with Mary Ann and --
But those properties have already been disposed of.
Well, I've tried. 359 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708
But we cannot use this venue as a way to talk about another District Councilperson.
Just as they I make decisions -- I make decisions for my district, as they do theirs. Miss Mahoney is here and is happy to work with you, and I suggest that you talk with her to the side of the City Council Chambers.
Yes, ma'am. I thank you all very much for hearing me and inviting me here.
Certainly, certainly. Toby? (Witness comes forward.)
Thank you very much. Thank you for your patience and for being here. 360 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708
Thank you. My name is Toby Rich. I write. I'm at times called "the Mayor of Girard Avenue." I want to thank you, Miss Blackwell, for your patience, and really, I looked at this whole situation. And when I heard about someone testifying about violence, you know, there again, I see you, and I know this may bother you, but, you know, this is why I support and would like to see you run for mayor, and I know you don't want to hear that, but I just had to say that and get that off my chest.
There's a situation I ran into this morning, and I noticed that there were a group of people in the subway that were homeless and weren't going to the shelter. And, you know, before The Daily News, the Inquirer, and the Fox 361 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 get a hold of this story and they report and say that people in City Council don't care and people in City Hall don't know and the Mayor doesn't know what he's doing, I wanted to say this -- and I know homelessness is your baby.
And I looked at it, and there's a fellow that comes in City Hall every morning -- or once in a, while and he's from the gas company itself, and I spoke with him, and I spoke to one of the people that was in the shelter, and I found out that the shelter's gas is cut off. Now, I don't want to mention the shelter's name because I want to investigate further, and I don't want to seem improper with that. And the person that brought me the information, uh, they're a little -- not as credible. I mean, they may not want to stay in the shelter. They have situations like that. 362 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 However, this problem with people not staying in there could very well be that they feel, Well, look, why should I stay in a house or a place with no heat when I got to follow the rules. And why shouldn't I go and live on the street where I can do what I want to. So there you have people that would be normally in the shelter system running away from the system because they don't feel they could do what they want to do. I don't want to take up too much time, but I do want to get my point across. You know, I heard the gentleman, the doctor, speak about the new idea of helping of victims and people with crime, and I thought about that. When I was 14, somebody came up with the bright idea that they could give me shock treatment to shock me out of wanting to shoot dope. Well, I could 363 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 tell you, it didn't work, but what did work is that this treatment triggered my epilepsy. I'm an epileptic, and it had me have uncontrollable seizures at times.
Did you have epilepsy problems before the treatment?
And I don't want to say that the treatment caused it, no. I found out at the age of eight, at my mother's funeral, when I had my seizure. What it brought to mind was the very many different things that sometimes wonderful people in the world of medicine and science figure that they could figure out a way to stop crime and work with one's brain. I've seen it done also in Holmesburg, when they had victims of -- giving them medications and different 364 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 rubs and things of that nature, and some of the guys turned around and got cancer. And, you know, you never know what happens with these wonderful people in medicine, and I never want to knock them because, who knows, they may come up with some brilliant idea that may very well solve crime. But I really feel that one of the ways of solving crime is caring people like yourself, like the Mayor, and many other people in City Council that took to me and helped me, even knowing that I have an addiction problem. I was in and out of jail, but people worked with me. And that's what helped me learn how to help myself, along with learning how to finally feel I could have a faith in God. I have two beloved nephews that I worry about today. Rather than wanting to make money, their idea to get 365 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 respect is to kill someone. They feel if they have a body, that they will have this unrenowned respect on the street. I'm trying to deal with that, and I spoke to the Mayor about that, and I spoke to the Police Commissioner, and they offered me some suggestions. You know, they said there's some things that you want to do and some program you might want to get them involved in. Well, see, I know my nephews, and I don't want to put them in anything that they're not going to do right. So I'm trying to get them to work this thing out. I've got to find a niche to work this problem out. I mention that because, you see, I'm not alone. Many of us have nephews and nieces and brothers and sisters that are going through this very evil thing of crime in our society today. And everybody's trying to find an answer. You know, it's amazing that 366 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 this doctor wanted to come up with this idea of playing with the brain. 'Cause, you know, there were some things that was done to me that is now against the law. They can't do what they did to me. I mean (indiscernible) House is my alma mater, but there are even things that happened to me in (indiscernible) House that I found out they don't do anymore. So when you practice with people and use them as guinea pigs, so to speak, you really have to watch yourself. But what I did find did help me is loving, caring, and concerned people -- like yourself, ma'am. And, you know, I look at what -- just how I'll discuss this again. The Mayor helped me one time, and this was during his reelection time, and he really wasn't that popular, and neither was I. And he don't cuss much, but he said to me, Toby, I wish you would get 367 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 your S-H-I-T together. You know, you'll always be the Mayor of Girard Avenue to me but, you know, come on, man. And, you know, that stuck, that hit home. He didn't have to say that. And, like, he really didn't have to tolerate me at that point. I was extra baggage, and he didn't need that. I meant to say that, you know, when you have people that are willing to take a chance, and when you have people in addiction, it's hard to take a chance on them. One day, they may do fantastic, and the next day, they're going to use. So you are really taking a shot in the dark. But if that person, if he or she realizes that this may be the last shot, this may be it -- and there was a time and a point in my life that I realized it. I tried to take my own life, and when it didn't work, I turned around and looked, and I said, "Damn, I'm not dead. " The 368 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res.
060708 plan didn't go right. And I never realized how empty I felt, but when I did come around -- you never mentioned it, but you let me mention it. Some of you even told me, Well, we didn't even know, Toby. Well, I was at the art house on Girard Avenue, and I know how people talk. And, you know, I mean, they talked about when they saw me high, so I know damn well -- excuse me. I know how they talked about when something went wrong with me. You know, I don't have no problem with that. But I saw here also two people -- a guy from Israel and a Palestinian, and they came here to talk about peace. The Israeli was a pilot, the Palestinian was a part of the PLO, and these guys was talking about how aside from the fact that they will rumble and kill one another, they are trying to historically together work for peace. 369 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 And I told them, I said, You know what, man? You remind me of guys that I came up with during the gang war days. I mean, you know, think of them as you may, but when Sam Christian and them was trying to put different things together, one of the things they had in mind was to stop us from killing one another unnecessarily in the gang war thing. So, I mean, Black Incorporated and all of those things came about. And it was historic. And here, you have this Israeli and this Palestinian working together. And they mother and father might not like them being together, but here they are in America, a place that has problems of they own. You know, we have people that don't like Americans because of the color of your skin, the way you wear your hair, and this and that, you come 370 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 from here, but they could come here and find the audience to find peace in their own way. And we are the margin for peace. And if we put together an amount of jobs to stop people from wanting to walk around with nothing, if we put together a system to help the homeless from not being on the street and maybe make it safer for them in the shelter environment, and if City Council, in its infinite wisdom, could work together -- I mean, I'm going to say this and then leave it alone. I was going to the bathroom, and I've used this bathroom a lot. The guard at the door, the lady, she told me I can't use it, and I said, "Well, I've been using it. " Well, okay. Maybe it was 'cause of the way I wear my hat, right? But you pay for this and another hat, and I'm very proud to wear this hat, 371 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 whether it be cocked to the front or the side or whatever. This reminds me of how you helped me. I won't forget that.
I hope nobody takes that the wrong way, but this is the stuff that you do to help people that need help from the door, without looking for anybody to pat you on the back, without looking for a write-up in the news. And this is what -- if you really want to help people, that's what you need. If America really wants to help to people in this country, they got to show that they really want to do it from their heart -- not because it's convenient or it looks right or it's the nice thing to do. How about, it might 372 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 just be the right thing to do.
Thank you very much. The Chair notes that Joey Temple is in our chambers. And let me thank you. Let me respond by saying three things: Number one, I'm very happy to help with the shelter if you give me that information. Number two, we do work with those prisoners. You know, they're getting up there from 1965, when there was medical experimentation on these prisoners. There was a book written called "Acres of Skin," and we work with those prisoners today.
And number three, I only hope that one day, I hope to meet my savior face-to-face. And he says what you do for him in 373 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 private, he will reward you openly. I know with any addiction and any program you enter, I know the first rules say you have to accept that there is a power higher than one's self. All I know is, he's there, and he will never leave us, and that we have to go there we lean there 'cause it's the only thing ultimately that we can count on always.
So we're with you and appreciate your commitment and your coming here today to testify and tell us all those things. I didn't know all of those things about you myself. It is always a blessing. It is a blessed privilege to serve. That's what it's about for me, and I thank you very much. And let me say too now at this point in our hearing that we're having hearings again tomorrow at 9, 30 and we 374 10/24/06 - Finance Committee - Res. 060708 will take probably as long. We're going to begin the tape for anyone in chambers who would like to see this tape from Pastor Keith W. Reed, and we talked about it this morning. It's an answer to a call for action. Pastor Reed talks about a call to action. We had the actors here in our chambers this morning. If you're interested, please come down now, after which our hearing will be recessed until 9:30 tomorrow morning. Thank you all very much. (Hearing ends at 3:30 p.m.) * * * 375 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings of the City Council of Philadelphia Committee on Finance are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me on Tuesday, October 24, 2006, and that this is a true and correct statement of same. __________________________________ JOSEPHINE CARDILLO Registered Professional Reporter (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.)