COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, March 8, 2012 10:10 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN BILL GREEN COUNCILMAN WILLIAM K. GREENLEE COUNCILMAN BOBBY HENON COUNCILMAN KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILMAN JAMES KENNEY COUNCILMAN DENNIS O'BRIEN COUNCILMAN DAVID OH COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILWOMAN MARIA D. QUINONES-SANCHEZ COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO MICHAEL A. DECKER, CHIEF CLERK DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
That's what I'm talking about. There you go. The hour has come. We've established a quorum. So I'd ask all the guests and visitors to please retire behind the rail so we can get started. Thank you so much. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Pastor Bertha Johnson of the Jersey D Heard African Methodist Episcopal AME Church, and she is here today as the guest of Councilman Jones. I would ask all members and guests to please rise. (Members and guests rise.)
As we come DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Council meeting, I ask that each one of us look to the hills from whence cometh our help this day. Father God, in the name of Jesus, we humbly come before you, Lord, knowing that you are the creator and the sustainer of life itself and in you, God, all things are possible. So we ask, oh God, that you touch each and every individual under the sound of my voice; that, Lord, everything will be done decently and in order and, God, you would be glorified. We ask, oh God, that everything needs to be worked out, God, can be worked out through you. And we ask, oh Father, that you touch anyone who may be sick among us; that, God, healing will fall fresh; and, God, that you will touch each one; that as they speak, God, they speak with words of encouragement, words of wisdom, words of power. And, Father, you are the head of all of our lives, Lord, and we say DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com you, because a divided house cannot stand. So right now, God, we ask that you speak peace, that you speak love, that you speak joy. And, God, we will forever be careful to give you all the praises, all the honor and all the glory. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. (Amen.)
Thank you, Pastor, for those inspiring words. Council will stand at ease. (Council at ease.)
Thank you, Pastor. The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, March 1st, 2012. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com of Thursday, March 1st, 2012 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. All in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The Journal is approved. The next order of business is the request for leaves of absence. The Chair now recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Mr. President, on behalf of the republicans, there are no requests for leave of absence.
Thank you, sir. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Jones. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the majority, there are no requests for leaves of absence today.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business and I would like to thank everyone here. I understand we have a number of dignitaries and guests from the Administration, commissioners, chairmen and chairwomen of boards and commissions. I want to thank you. And I would like to thank our municipal workers for being here today and the leadership here. (Applause.)
This is one of the wonderful things about America, everybody gets an opportunity to say, and ultimately we hope we all come together and come to a consensus as we start this process. I would now like to ask for the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com communications from the Mayor and the messages. I would ask the Chief Clerk to please read the messages from the Mayor.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I am transmitting herewith for the consideration of your honorable body a resolution providing for the approval of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of a Revised Five Year Financial Plan for the City of Philadelphia covering Fiscal Years 2013 through 2017; and Also an ordinance to adopt a Capital Program for the six Fiscal Years 2013 through 2018 inclusive; and An ordinance to adopt a Fiscal 2013 Capital Budget; and An ordinance adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2013; and An ordinance amending Chapter DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 19-1500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Wage and Net Profits Tax," by repealing Section 19-1508, entitled "Refunds and Forgiveness for Property Income"; and An ordinance amending Section 19-1806, entitled "Authorization of Realty Use and Occupancy Tax," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on the use or occupancy of real estate within the School District of Philadelphia; and An ordinance authorizing real estate taxes for the City of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia for Fiscal Year 2013 and thereafter, by amending Chapter 19-1300 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Real Estate Taxes," to provide for a tax and tax rate on real property, for exclusions, and for an established pre-determined ratio; and by amending Chapter 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Authorization," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on real estate within the City of Philadelphia; and An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 from the General Fund and from the Grants Revenue Fund to the General Fund, certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions; and Also an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal year 2012 from the Grants Revenue Fund to the Hotel Room Rental Tax Fund; and An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 within the Grants Revenue Fund; and An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 within the Aviation Fund; and An ordinance constituting the Twelfth Supplemental Ordinance to the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Airport Revenue Refunding Bond Ordinance; and An ordinance authorizing the plotting upon City Plan No. 321 of a right-of-way for sewer and drainage purposes and water main purposes within the lines of Delaware Avenue from Pennypack Street to a point approximately four-hundred fifty-six feet southwestwardly therefrom; and An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 177 by striking from the City Plan Tulpehocken Street from Ardleigh to Crittenden Street; and An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 269 by striking from the City Plan and vacating the southwesterly footway area of East Service Drive from a point approximately eighteen feet northwest of Health Sciences Drive to a point approximately two-hundred twenty-seven feet further northwestwardly DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com therefrom, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you, Mr. Decker. Those messages will be printed in the Journal. Do you have any other communications or messages?
Thank you, Mr. Decker. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions today.
Thank you, sir. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com you, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions today.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.
I have one bill -- or excuse me, Mr. President. I have one bill and I have one resolution co-sponsored by Councilwoman Sanchez, Councilman Jones and Councilman Green.
Thank you, Councilman. The Clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance authorizing the plotting upon City Plan DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com No. 321 of a right-of-way for sewer and drainage purposes and water main purposes within the lines of Delaware Avenue from Pennypack Street to a point approximately four-hundred fifty-six feet southwestwardly therefrom.
That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a resolution authorizing the City Council's Joint Committees on Licenses and Inspections and Public Safety to hold hearings on the issue of negligent landlords, problem rental properties and their effects on the surrounding community and in furtherance of such investigation, authorizing the issuance of subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses.
That resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar today. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Tasco. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
A resolution authorizing the Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings regarding impact of the Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program on Philadelphia.
That resolution will be placed on Final Passage Calendar today.
And a resolution amending Resolution No. 110453, approving the Annual Program Statement and Budget for the expenditure of the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative Bond Proceeds for Fiscal Year 2012.
That resolution will also be placed on Final Passage for today. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Johnson. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you, Mr. President. I have one privileged resolution.
A privileged resolution honoring, recognizing and commending Mighty Writers for its efforts to educate people to think and write with clarity in order to boost self-esteem and create a generation of young people who are successful in school, their careers and ultimately their lives.
That will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair now recognizes DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Councilman Green.
Thank you, Mr. President. One resolution co-introduced by Councilman Henon.
A resolution authorizing the Committee of the Whole Council to hold hearings regarding the impact of the proposed Fiscal Year 2012 through '13 state budget on all City of Philadelphia government services and infrastructure, and services provided by governmental and quasi-governmental entities including, but not limited to, the Philadelphia School District, state institutions of higher education.
That resolution will be placed today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair now recognizes Councilman O'Brien.
Good morning, Mr. President. I have no bills DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com or resolutions today.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Goode.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer four bills on behalf of the Administration and two resolutions. The second resolution is on behalf of the hard-working men and women of AFSCME District Council 33 and 47. (Applause.)
Thank you, Councilman. (Audience members yelling.)
Thank you, Councilman. Mr. Decker, please read the title of the first bill.
An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 from the General Fund, certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 within the Grants Revenue Fund.
That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 from the Grants Revenue Fund.
That bill will also be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 within the Aviation Fund.
And a resolution DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com appointing a five-person committee, entitled the "Economic Opportunity Review Committee" pursuant to Section 17-1607 of The Philadelphia Code.
That resolution will be placed on Final Passage Calendar for next week.
And a resolution calling on the Nutter Administration to negotiate a Fair Contract with AFSCME Municipal Workers Unions. (Applause.)
That resolution will also be placed on Final Passage Calendar for next week. (Applause.)
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer two resolutions this morning. I'd like to speak on one of the resolutions.
Thank you, Councilwoman. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
A resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings to investigate how the City of Philadelphia can increase affordable housing for seniors to handle the rising senior population.
That resolution -- Councilwoman, would you like to speak now -
All right. Thank you. That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar.
And a resolution authorizing Council's Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com hearings examining the level of female participation on executive boards in companies that do business in the City of Philadelphia.
Thank you, Mr. President. With the backdrop of March, the month where we annually celebrate Women's History Month, I introduced a resolution to examine the number of women sitting on executive boards of directors in Philadelphia or the lack thereof. Pat Coulter, President of the Urban League of Philadelphia, recently authored a piece revealing that women comprise an abysmal 10 percent of executive board seats in Philadelphia. Nationally the number is 16 percent. And in Congress, women hold an abysmal 17 DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com percent. Overall, we know that women in the United States still earn an unacceptable 77 cents of every dollar that men earn. With this resolution, we will hold hearings and ask corporate leaders, many of whom sit on the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, to come and testify and answer the question, Do you have women at the table? In politics the saying goes, If you're not at the table, then you're on the menu. The issue of lack of women at the table is the root of a greater problem that is plaguing our national public dialogue. When women are not at the table, public debate that amounts to an all-out assault on women's rights takes center stage when it does not even belong in the theatre. When women are not at the table, we debate about whether women have the right to affordable contraception. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com When women are not at the table, we debate whether bosses should dictate the individual procedures and medicines they are willing to cover. When women are not at the table, we debate whether women should be forced to jump through hoops and get mandatory invasive procedures before they can make a decision about their own body and health. When women are not at the table, we end up with prominent figures calling women revolting names in the public square. I will not elevate some who view him as an entertainer, others view him as a comic by giving him undue attention. However, as the mother of a teenage daughter, I would be remiss not to at the very least express my disgust at the rude, crude and disrespectful commentary we heard recently from Mr. Limbaugh. As President -DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com (Applause.)
As President Barack Obama stated, his comments are not even suitable or respectful for any public discourse. Lastly, when women are not at the table, we do not have a say in who gets invited to the table. I share here, Mr. President, a picture from 2012 where the House of Representatives Oversight Committee had a hearing on insurance coverage for contraception. If you look closely, you'll see that they're all men at the table. For those that think this photo is not relevant or does not represent a larger problem, we would be reminded of a blast from the past that is similar. In 1991, the Senate Judiciary Committee, an all-male committee, sat in judgment of whether Anita Hill, an attorney and professor, was lying about being sexually harassed. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Unfortunately, these images play out in boardrooms every day in companies everywhere across America. It's not acceptable and, therefore, all are invited to have your say at the table. I invite all of my colleagues to sit at the table as we reignite a new dialogue about what we should do and could do so that we're not looking at these same images 20 years from now. Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)
Thank you so much, Councilwoman. That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer eight bills, seven on behalf of the Administration, one on your behalf; two resolutions, one on behalf of the Administration and one on your behalf. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
And an ordinance adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2013.
That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance to adopt a Capital Program for the six Fiscal Years 2013 through '18 inclusive.
And an ordinance constituting the Twelfth Supplemental Ordinance to the Amended and Restated General Airport Revenue Bond Ordinance.
That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
And an ordinance authorizing real estate taxes for the City of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia for Fiscal Year 2013 and thereafter.
And an ordinance amending Chapter 19-1500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Wage and Net Profits Tax," by repealing Section 19-1508, entitled "Refunds and Forgiveness for Property Income."
And an ordinance amending Section 19-1806, entitled "Authorization of Realty Use and Occupancy Tax," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on the use or occupancy of real estate within the School District of Philadelphia.
That DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com bill will be referred to committee.
And an ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of the proposal set forth in a Resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to allow for the establishment of an independent rate-making body for fixing and regulating water and sewer rates and charges.
And a resolution providing for the approval by the Council of the City of Philadelphia of a Revised Five Year Financial Plan for the City of Philadelphia covering Fiscal Years 2013 through 2017.
That resolution will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a resolution DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com proposing an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to allow for the establishment of an independent rate-making body for fixing and regulating water and sewer rates and charges.
That resolution will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair now recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Mr. President. On your behalf, I offer one privileged resolution, which I would ask to be heard at the end of today's Calendar. It's also co-sponsored by Councilman Jones and signed by all Councilmembers.
A resolution -- a privileged resolution celebrating March 8th 2012 as "World Kidney Day" in the City of Philadelphia. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you. That resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Squilla.
A resolution reappointing Pat Lavelle to the Board of Directors for the Old City Special Services District.
That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar.
And a resolution reappointing Michael Mattioni to the Board of Directors of the Old City Special Services District.
That resolution will also be passed on next week's Final Passage Calendar. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have one privileged resolution and one bill on behalf of the Administration.
An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 177 by striking from the City plan and Tulpehocken Street from Ardleigh Street to Crittenden Street.
That bill will be placed on the appropriate committee.
And a resolution condemning the actions of the Pennsylvania State Senate in authorizing the passage of House Bill No. 934, requiring citizens to produce and display specific designated photo identification before being able to exercise a DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com fundamental and Constitutional right to vote in state and federal elections.
That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Oh.
Mr. President, I offer two resolutions, one privileged co-introduced by Councilman Kenney and the other resolution co-introduced by Councilman Jones.
A privileged resolution recognizing Anne O'Callaghan on her retirement as the Founder and Executive Director of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians.
That resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a resolution authorizing Council's Committee on Public DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com hold hearings on the impact of prioritizing prison space in secure facilities for violent offenders and offenders with illegal guns as a means of decreasing serious crimes while examining the efficiency and effectiveness of alternative means of housing non-violent and low-risk offenders.
That resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Decker. The next order of business is the reports from committee. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Bass for a report from the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs reports one bill with a favorable recommendation. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you, Councilwoman. Mr. Decker, please read the report.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, to which was referred Bill No. 120018, entitled "An ordinance naming and designating the 'Robin Hood Dell East' located at Ridge Avenue and Huntingdon Drive as the 'Georgie Woods Entertainment Center,'" respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Mr. President, I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the first reading this day of Bill No. 120018. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 1ST READING (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 120018. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. This bill will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. Next we will consider the Calendar. The next order of business is that Calendar consideration. I note that all the bills just reported from committee with suspension of rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. This bill will be placed on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for the next session. The Chief Clerk will please DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12-STATED-1ST READING/BILLS ON 2ND READING read any other bills on the First Reading Calendar.
Bill No. 120004, entitled "An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Torresdale Avenue, Megargee Street, Cottage Street, Placid Street, Frankford After, and Tolbut Street.
The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Jones for the purpose of bringing up bills and resolutions on the Second and Final Passage Calendar.
Thank you, Mr. President. The following resolutions and bills are being called up for Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar today: Bills No. 120148, 120149, 120150, 120153, DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 120154, 120155, 120156, 120159, 120160, 120021, 120023 and 120024. All other resolutions and bills are being held.
Thank you, Councilman. Before considering these resolutions and bills, we will consider public comment. It will happen as follows. I know a lot of you may be here today for the first time. We have a little different system. Your public comment must concern matters on the Final Passage Calendar. Please note that this does not include the budget ordinances from today. They have just been introduced and they are not on the Calendar. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you have not signed up, please do so by giving your name to the Sergeant-of-Arms to the table to the left, the table on the outside of the rail. Now, we understand we have a DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com number of members on the fifth floor. What I would ask you, if there's anyone to testify on any bill or resolution that's on the Calendar for today, you may want to start making your way down today early on, because it is quite a long walk. One of the systems that have been changed, I would like to say that we have changed it somewhat to allow you to let you know that your three minutes are up. We have designated three minutes for public comment. We have installed a system that will let you know when those three minutes are up. You will see on the podium a device. Thirty seconds prior to the end of your three minutes there will be a yellow light. When the three minutes are up, there will be a red light. And I used this term last week. I was told I should change it, but at the end of three minutes, your conversation will be terminated, because the gentleman will cut the mike off. And the purpose DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com for doing this is that we want to allow everybody an opportunity. In the prior proceedings, people will go on and on and it didn't really afford people to have an opportunity to speak, so we would like to be fair. So with that, I would ask, Mr. Decker, please read the name of the first individual on the list.
Rebecca Foley, commenting on 120154. (Witness approached podium. )
Hi. My name is Rebecca Foley. I'm the Director of Public Policy with Women's Way. I'm here today to speak in support of Resolution 120154, Councilwoman Tasco's resolution opposing Pennsylvania's mandatory ultrasound legislation. In the last several weeks, there has been a great deal of national news coverage about Virginia's ultrasound DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com bill, but right here in Pennsylvania, there's actually a bill pending that is even more harmful, demeaning and cruel to women. House Bill 1077, the so-called Women's Right to Know Act, requires that all women seeking an abortion be subjected to a mandatory ultrasound at least 24 hours in advance. It requires the ultrasound screen be aimed towards a women's face so she is forced to move away -- look away. It also requires that women accept two printouts of the ultrasound image and that she deliver the printout to her physician in order to have the procedure. This bill is clearly designed to shame women into altering their decision. It is motivated by a belief that women are incapable of making their own decisions regarding their health and well-being. And it also interferes with a doctor's ability to provide sound medical care by requiring an ultrasound be performed that may not be medically DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com necessary. A woman should be able to trust that the information she receives from her physician is relevant and appropriate to her situation, not something that the Legislature has forced her doctor to say. In fact, many medical groups, including the Pennsylvania Medical Society, have come out in strong opposition to this legislation, saying that it seeks to intrude into decisions that are best made through private consultations between a doctor and a patient. This bill has no basis in medicine and is a broad overreach of the Pennsylvania State Legislature, and many legislators are beginning to realize this fact. Just in the last month, 17 co-sponsors have actually pulled their name off this legislation. Women's Way and numerous other women's organizations based here in Philadelphia and across the state, many who are here today, such as Planned DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Parenthood, NOW, the Women's Medical Fund, the League of Women Voters, are strongly opposed to this demeaning and dangerous bill. We feel as though Pennsylvania lawmakers should be focused on improving the economy and creating jobs rather than putting in place yet another unnecessary and judgmental barrier for women accessing a safe legal medical procedure. On behalf of all Pennsylvania women, I ask that you pass this resolution urging the General Assembly to oppose House Bill 1077. Thanks so much for your time and consideration today. (Applause.)
Thank you for your comment. Is there anyone else who has signed up who would like to give public comment today? (No response.)
DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING There being none, thank you very much. We will now consider the resolutions and bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars. The Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 120148.
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 Third and Fifty-First Wards of the City of Philadelphia.
Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. All in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120148 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution No. 120149.
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 Fifty-First Ward of the City of Philadelphia. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
The Chair again recognizes Councilmember Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120149 has been adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution No. 120150.
A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING portion of the Center City Redevelopment Area, designated as Parcel No. 46 and also sometimes identified by house number and street address as 2017 through 23 Chestnut Street.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120150 has been adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution 120153.
A resolution DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING urging Governor Corbett and Attorney General Kelly to use proceeds from the federal mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure abuse settlement to re-launch and restore dedicated state funding to the Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Mr. President. On February the 7th, Governor Corbett presented his proposed 2012-2013 budget to the General Assembly. In his budget address, the Governor proposed no funding for the Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, also known as HEMAP. The proposed 2012-2013 budget mirrored this year's budget when no funding was provided for HEMAP. Considering that this wildly successful program has been used as a DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING national model to fight foreclosure and keep homeowners in their homes, the end of HEMAP is a true tragedy for our constituents and the entire Commonwealth. In fact, HEMAP has saved more than 42,000 families from foreclosures. In total, there have been $442 million in HEMAP loans, and more than 20,000 of these loans have been repaid in full, leading to a return of principal and interest of more than $246 million back to the Commonwealth. Without HEMAP, Pennsylvania experienced a sharp jump in foreclosures filing, and this rise is almost 24 percent higher than last year, and this increase in foreclosures coincides with the end of HEMAP. Considering this negative outcome today, I am introducing a resolution to -- today I'm introducing a resolution to hold hearings to examine the impact of the loss of HEMAP on Philadelphia. Due to the fact that the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING financial impact per foreclosure is over $75,000 to the City, lenders and homeowners and Philadelphians have filed over 1,200 HEMAP applications between 2008 and 2010, it is important to determine what the loss of this program means to Philadelphia and our citizens. Further, it is important that we as a legislative body advocate to the Governor that HEMAP be relaunched and that dedicated state funding be restored to this program. From this perspective, I urge you to support this resolution calling on the Governor and the Attorney General to use proceeds from the federal mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure abuse settlement to restore HEMAP. Through this settlement, Pennsylvania is due to receive $266 million, of which $69 million will be allocated to the Attorney General's Office. Considering that the $69 million is unrestricted, many parties, from housing advocates to State DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Representative John Taylor and my State Representative Cherelle Parker, who is with us today, have stated that these funds should be used to restart HEMAP. Due to the fact that HEMAP has enjoyed broad bipartisan support and has assisted constituents from throughout the entire Commonwealth, the relaunch of HEMAP is a more than appropriate use of these settlement dollars. Thank you very much. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120153 is DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING adopted. Councilwoman Tasco. (Applause.)
I'm sorry. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution 120154.
A resolution urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to oppose House Bill 1077.
Thank you, Mr. President. I will join Women's Way in opposing this legislation that is proposed in Harrisburg. In medicine, one of the most important relationships is the one between a doctor and a patient. In order for a physician to be successful in providing the best care for their patient, this relationship must foster a bond of trust so that the patient believes that all decisions are made only to promote their health interest and DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING benefit. However, Pennsylvania House Bill 1077 threatens to break this bond of trust and creates an unnecessary government intrusion into a physician's office and the doctor-patient relationship. If passed, this bill will require all doctors to perform an ultrasound and to make an accurate determination of the gestational age of a fetus before an abortion can be performed. The decision on whether an ultrasound should be performed is one that should be made by a patient after consultation with her physician and not by the government. Additionally, this unnecessary medical procedure would also be an added expense to the patient, because it would not be covered by their health insurance. Further, this legislation may require physicians across the Commonwealth to perform the highly controversial transvaginal probe on their DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING patients in order to be in compliance with state law and not face administrative, criminal and civil penalties. Due to these concerns, numerous physicians, as stated before, including the Pennsylvania Medical Association and the Pennsylvania section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, oppose House Bill 1077 because it would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship. House Bill 1077 is an unnecessary government intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship and the rights of women and their healthcare, and various abortion opponents have raised concerns about this legislation. Republican House Majority Leader Mike Turzai has stated that this bill will not be voted on until the medical community's concerns are addressed, and in discussing similar legislation, the Virginia Governor, who DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING just passed a bill in Virginia, stated that no one would be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state without their consent. But that is not what was written in the law that was passed. So we ask our legislators in Harrisburg to please not vote on this bill. Thank you very much.
Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Mr. President. Just briefly, and I concur with my colleague Councilwoman Tasco's remarks, but it's strange because the other day I was watching the national news and I had this eerie feeling that I was living in 1952. It seems like we're going back to the future on all these issues. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING But from a political perspective, I would like to thank the National Republican Party and the State Legislature, which is run by the republicans in Harrisburg, for unleashing probably the most powerful force in our nation's history, and that's angry American women. I would like to thank them for that. (Applause.)
Because I don't want to be in the way of that ever. So I'll be happy to vote for this resolution and any others. Thank you. (Applause.)
I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120154 is adopted. Before I proceed with the next resolution, I'd like to -- I'm sorry.
Thank you. The ayes are 16; the nays are one. Before I proceed with the next resolution, I would like to recognize State Representative, Chair of the Philly delegation, Cherelle Parker, who is here with us today. Thank you for being here. We look forward to seeing you next week. (Applause.)
A minute ago I saw the former Council DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING President and the former Mayor and at one point actually my former employer, John Street, was sitting over there. So I would just like to recognize him. I guess we can get a message to him that he's being recognized. (Mayor Street entered Chambers.)
I'd like to ask Mr. Decker to please read Resolution 120155.
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 Thirty-Seventh Ward of the City of DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Philadelphia.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120155 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution No. 120156.
A resolution supporting House Bill 1828 which seeks to add domestic partners to the list of DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING relatives who are currently exempt from paying state Inheritance Taxes.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120156 is adopted. Before I proceed, I would like to also recognize State Representative Tony Payton. Where are you, sir? Thank you for being here with us today. (Applause.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution No. 120159.
A resolution authorizing Council's Committee on Education to hold hearings on establishing an official organizing body for representatives from various primary and secondary educational institutions in Philadelphia coordinated by the Mayor's Office of Education for the purpose of creating and maintaining criterion of communication, strategic planning and enrollment procedures to improve educational opportunities in Philadelphia.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Oh.
Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
It's been moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120159 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 160.
A resolution authorizing Council's Committees on Public Safety and Public Property and Public Works to investigate and hold hearings on the current state of the effectiveness of facilities and equipment used by the Philadelphia Police Department and Philadelphia Fire Department along with the design, location, funding and timetable for new facilities and equipment.
The DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Chair recognizes Councilmember Oh again.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
I'd like to be recognized on the resolution when it's appropriate.
Thank you, Mr. President. com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING District Attorney is here -- the Legislature passed House Bills 4, 5, 6 and 7. The combination of those reforms helped protect society by encouraging prisoners to take necessary steps for rehabilitation while in prison, but also had greater -- which provided greater opportunities for success in the outside world. What we successfully did is mandate that a person who is sentenced to two years or more but less than five years shall serve that time in the state correctional facility. The maximum term of imprisonment is calculated, and we provided that all those sentences would be aggregated. It required that the court provide for video conferencing and rationale that if it was not feasible or constitutional, allowing even a temporary transfer from the state correctional facilities. com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING requiring detainment or commitment in prison be housed in state prisons unless the county agrees to pay custody of the prisoner. It also provided that the Department of Correction had to reimburse the counties for their prisoners that were held in county jail. It also provided for the transfer of prisoners, which will reduce -- it reduced the wasteful practice, where 67 counties transported prisoners currently held in the Department of Corrections to court proceedings. Sixty-seven counties, ladies and gentlemen, virtually just got their sheriffs to pick up these prisoners and bring them to the counties. With the enactment of this legislation, transports were -encouraged the use of video conferencing where appropriate and they also provided for significant improved safety. com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING increased public safety, but we also established probation and parole guidelines. Before these laws were enacted, there were no written rules for probation and parole. We required that there will be temporary guidelines set up by the Sentencing Commission until permanent regulations were passed. It also provided for allowing terminally ill prisoners to be housed in hospice facilities. What this provided for was the use of those hard beds for the more violent offenders. It provided for better use of intermediate punishment. We have to recognize that 85 percent of those non-violent offenders in state correctional facilities are recidivist drug users. It also provided for recidivism risk reduction sentencing. In essence, ladies and gentlemen, the prison package in Harrisburg focused on putting the most violent offenders in state correctional facilities. com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING immediate transfer of over 500 prisoners from the county to the state. And it also provided for a cultural change in our court system in Philadelphia where it was more -- it recognized that it was more appropriate to send prisoners to state correctional facilities where they would get residential drug and alcohol treatment, but it also allowed us to send the more violent offenders to a prison where they belong. Following the enactment of this legislation, the prison population in Philadelphia dropped by over 2,000. It has since gone up to approximately 8,300. com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING existing statutes. I thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. Any others? (No response.)
I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 120160 has been adopted. I now would like to ask Mr. Decker to please read the title of No. 120021. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
An ordinance repealing Bill No. 070955-AA (approved December 21, 2007), entitled "An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Burholme Avenue, Napfle Avenue, Burholme Avenue, Hartel Avenue, Hasbrook Avenue, Central Avenue, Cottman Avenue, Fillmore Avenue and Shelmire Avenue (Extended)."
Councilman Green. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. 120021 passes. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 120023.
An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Chestnut Street, 2nd Street, Walnut Street and 3rd Street.
DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Aye. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING zero. Bill No. 120023 passes. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 120024.
An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Snyder Avenue, the Delaware River, Pattison Avenue and the Delaware Expressway.
Aye. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. Bill No. 120024 passes. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions?
A resolution honoring, recognizing and commending Mighty Writers for its efforts to educate people to think and write with clarity in order to boost self-esteem and create a generation of young people who are successful in school, their careers and ultimately their lives, introduced by DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Councilman Johnson.
It's been properly moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
And a resolution celebrating March 8th 2012 as "World Kidney Day" in the City of Philadelphia, introduced by Councilman O'Neill for Councilman President Clarke.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilmember O'Neill. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING
Mr. President, I move the adoption of the resolution and ask to speak briefly on it.
Thank you. This is National Renal Day, but it was brought to our attention, yours and mine, by the Temple Hospital Kidney Transplant Program, and I just learned this morning that our co-sponsor, Majority Leader Jones, is a kidney donor, and I'd like to congratulate and thank him for that. (Applause.)
Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com 3/8/12 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
And a resolution recognizing Anne O'Callaghan on her retirement as the Founder and Executive Director of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, introduced by Councilman Oh.
I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been properly moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. Decker. I will note that the time has come for us to consider the presentation of the Mayor's annual budget. The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter states that the Mayor shall submit to Council, no later than 90 days before the end of the fiscal year, his Operating Budget Message and Proposed Operating Budget Ordinance for the ensuing fiscal year. At the same time, the Mayor shall submit to Council the Recommended Capital Program and Capital Budget as received from the City Planning Commission, to the extent approved by the Mayor. I now appoint the following committee to escort the Mayor into the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Chambers: Councilman Jones, Councilwoman Brown, Councilman Greenlee, Councilman O'Neill and Councilman Oh. (Pause.)
While we have a lull in the action, I would just like to say one thing. I would ask that we all respect our house, because this is our house. (Audience members yelling.)
I just want to say -- let me finish, please. This is our house, but it's the people's building, and we understand that people have differences, and we're fine with that. This is your place to express your difference, but we ask that it be expressed in a respectful way. That's all we're simply asking. So I please ask you, as a new Councilperson -- and I'm going to lean on that as long as it wears -- I'm going to ask that we be respectful. Thank you. Thank you so much. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you. (Applause and boos.) (Audience members chanting "Keep your word.")
Please. Please. Can we kick in the respect thing, please. Thank you so much. Thank you guys so much. Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter. (Applause and booing.)
Thank you, Mr. President, and good morning, everyone. (Audience members yelling.)
Hold on, Mr. Mayor. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Please, guys. We're going to ask for a little respect, please. That's all I'm asking. We understand your position. (Audience members yelling.)
Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)
Good morning, Council President, the Council leadership and the team that I just spent a few moments with. Thank you, members, all the members of Philadelphia City Council, members of my Administration. I know that the Professor and Mayor John Street is here with a class from Temple University. Can we please recognize these great students who are here with us today. (Applause.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
There are a number of members of the General Assembly I understand who are with us as well. Our great leader of the Pennsylvania House Delegation, State Representative Cherelle Parker. (Applause.)
And State Representative Tony Payton. (Applause.)
I saw our Sheriff as I was coming in, Sheriff Jewell Williams. (Applause.)
Our City Commissioner is here, Commissioner Chairwoman Singer. (Applause.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
And President of the Court of Common Pleas, Judge Pamela Dembe. (Applause.)
I am hopeful that I did not miss any other -Commissioner Al Schmidt is here as well. (Applause.)
And I now see next to Judge Dembe, President of the Municipal Court, Judge Neifield. (Applause.)
To our distinguished guests and also to all of our public employees and certainly those who are represented by unions, I know DC 33 and their great President, Pete Matthews, is here. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com (Applause.)
If I've missed any other elected officials or any of our union leaders who I've not seen as I've come in -(Audience members yelling.)
All of our union members and all the union leaders, I welcome you for this particular address. To all of our distinguished guests and my fellow Philadelphians, it is once again a great honor to stand in this hollowed Chamber. It is here that the work of the people gets done. And if you will allow me, I'd like to first extend a very, very special welcome today to the first recipient of the Richardson Dilworth Award for Distinguished Public Service, Deputy Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams. (Applause.)
Carlton is a leader in his community and has dedicated his career to public service and to DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com better and a cleaner place. Today, I'm excited also to welcome six new members to this City Council Chamber. Each is already making his or her own mark on this great body, improving the lives of the people that they represent. Friends, I look forward to working with you and, of course, with all members of City Council on behalf of our great city. I commit the attention and resources of my Administration to achieve our common vision and goals for the future of Philadelphia. Welcome to public service. And to our City Council President Darrell Clarke, the new President of this great City Council, you and I have known and worked well with each other for many, many years in many different capacities. You have championed the cause of the residents of the 5th Council District for over 30 years, and no one has fought more DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com for them than you. Now, in your new role as Council President, you, of course, have the opportunity to bring that same level of dedication to the entire city, to every citizen of Philadelphia. I am honored to work with you, Mr. President, in partnership as we fight to improve our neighborhoods, bring jobs to our city and continue to move Philadelphia forward in the right direction. This is a partnership that has worked, that can work and that will work on behalf of all of our citizens. Please recognize our great Council President Darrell Clarke. (Applause.)
It is my duty and intention today to present to this body a budget and a Five Year Plan that continues to rebuild and remake Philadelphia for the 21st century. com future, that puts money back in the pockets of all Philadelphians and makes it easier and less expensive for businesses to create jobs in our city. And a plan that makes critical investments in our neighborhoods throughout our city, and continues to innovate and rethink how city government operates in order to improve the lives of all Philadelphians. Today, I propose a budget which, first and foremost, addresses a mounting public safety challenge by providing funds to hire hundreds of new police officers and to invest in a community-based violence reduction program designed to bring long-term, sustainable peace to some of our most violent neighborhoods. com and business-friendly measures passed by City Council that is more aggressive and will return more money to workers and businesses in Philadelphia than we had originally envisioned in our Five Year Plan that we introduced just last year. We will also make increased investments in communities across Philadelphia, renovating police stations, firehouses, recreation centers and neighborhood libraries, while also improving the surrounding neighborhoods and the quality of life of Philadelphians who use or live near those facilities. For the first time, we will create a Traffic Operations Center citywide designed to help people get around the City faster and with less aggravation. com we will continue the renewal of Center City with a $20 million renovation of Love Park, creating an accessible green space that will connect the new Dilworth Plaza, the people's plaza, with a transformed, revitalized Ben Franklin Parkway, a magnificent public space certain to be recognized as one of the world's great cultural boulevards. We will do all of this - more police on our streets, tax cuts, investments in our neighborhoods because we're also continuing to innovate and rethink and remodel how city government should operate in the 21st century. com behind. Now, you know that over the last few years, we have endured some of the toughest times in our city's recent history, and I stand before you today as a proud member of a battle-tested team, a team that includes so many of you right here in this Chamber. We made difficult choices together, cut back on services and asked Philadelphians to pay a little more in order to preserve core services and protect the most vulnerable citizens of our city. We worked together - my Administration, City Council, our Harrisburg and Washington elected and appointed officials, the business and social service communities and the great citizens of this city - to guide Philadelphia through the recession and emerge as a stronger city on the other side. com creating jobs and our finances have begun to stabilize and our tax receipts are growing modestly, I cannot say to you honestly that our troubles have passed. There are at least three major financial challenges that we face and must deal with as we move forward as a city. The first is that our School District of Philadelphia is still in the midst of a financial crisis with a budget gap of $26 million still to close this fiscal year and an anticipated deficit anywhere between $150 million and $400 million in the next fiscal year. The good news is that there is now a team of people working at the District to structurally rebalance their finances, solving a deficit years in the making and continuing the education reform process that is already beginning to show results in some of our previously lowest performing schools.
com to reforming, restructuring and, where necessary, replacing schools that are not serving our students well, because I believe -and I know that many members of this body will agree with me -- that every young person in Philadelphia has the right to a high-quality education and that we have a duty to provide it to them. )
Secondly, in Harrisburg, Governor Corbett has proposed a budget that once again cuts funding for secondary and higher education at a time when governors across the country, including right across the Delaware River, are investing more in education and becoming more competitive. Furthermore, this proposed state budget includes severe cuts to social service programs that would have a calamitous, devastating impact on the most vulnerable people in Pennsylvania. The Governor's budget, if DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com General Assembly, would reduce our ability to shelter many of Philadelphia's homeless people, provide care for those with HIV and AIDS, rehabilitate those with drug and alcohol problems or treat people with severe mental and behavioral disabilities in their homes rather than in institutions. It fundamentally redefines what government or, for that matter, civil society is all about. The Governor's budget may save money, but at what cost to people? It may be balanced, but is it fair? It will in fact throw into turmoil and disarray families, towns, cities and counties all across this great Commonwealth. Along with social service providers, representatives of these most vulnerable populations and elected officials from across the Commonwealth, my Administration has begun to make the case to Harrisburg to look again at this budget and to hear from those who will be DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com great respect for Governor Corbett, and we have formed a strong partnership during his time in office, working to bring jobs and economic opportunity to this region. But on this issue, we as a city must speak up and make our voices heard, and I ask members of this body and all who are listening and all throughout Philadelphia and the region to take up this vital cause and join with us. We must oppose these devastating budget cuts here in Philadelphia from the state. (Applause.)
The third major challenge we face is the growing cost of our employee benefit system and the increasing strain that these costs place on our budget and our ability to provide high-quality public services. We are an organization that is driven by its employees. Our police officers, firefighters, paramedics, DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com workers, social workers, librarians and all of our great public employees provide the services that keep this city safe and provide the amenities that make this a city where people want to live, work and raise their families. It is also true, though, that the salaries and benefits of our employees account for 68 percent of the City budget. And some of those employee costs have been growing at an unaffordable rate. Unless we take action to slow the growth of these costs, particularly pensions and healthcare costs, these two items will continue to devour our City budget. As these costs grow, they leave less and less funding for services that our citizens want and need. And that simply isn't sustainable. (Audience members yelling.)
These cost drivers present the most substantial challenge to our city's financial future. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com ten years, pension costs increased from about $200 million to more than $500 million a year. Notwithstanding -(Audience members yelling.)
Come on, guys, please. Please. Let the Mayor speak, please.
Notwithstanding a dramatic increase in General Fund dollars going into our pension fund, it is still only 50 percent funded. We have made some progress. Arbitration awards have provided us with our first hybrid plans. They include a defined contribution portion that shares the risk between the City and our employees. We have moved to a self-insurance program for our healthcare costs for a substantial number of our employees. But we must do more. As I have said repeatedly, we must achieve work rule changes and reform healthcare and pensions for our DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com (Booing.)
Let me explain what pension reform means to us. It means going to a hybrid plan for new employees and having existing employees contribute more to their current plan, just like many other public and non-public employees. This is crucial for our long-term fiscal health. Now, let me be clear. I want to be very clear so there is no confusion or misinformation. I want a contract with our public employees. (Audience members yelling.)
I want our workers, the folks who are out there on DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com lines, to have a contract, a multi-year contract. (Audience members yelling.)
And I want to work with our union leadership to figure out how we can give our workers much-deserved pay raises. But I cannot sign a contract that does not deal with the long-term employee benefit challenges that threaten this city's future. We're in the position we're in now because the can has been kicked down the road too many times. Well, I'm not going to kick it down that road any farther. I want a contract -(Audience members chanting "keep your word.")
I want a contract that is fair to our workers and fair to the taxpayers of this city who have to pay for it. (Audience members yelling.)
So bring me a DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com addresses these long-term financial threats and I'll take this pen and sign that contract. (Booing and yelling.)
Come on, please. Please. Please. Come on, guys, please. Can we let the Mayor speak. We know you disagree, but you all will have appropriate time -(Audience members yelling.)
Hold on. All right. I have been a strong supporter of the municipal unions, right? The only thing that I asked you all early, to please respect the house, the people's house. Let us have this conversation. (Audience members yelling.)
All right. I hear all of that, but I'm telling you guys, with all due respect, I've been working, I've been talking to people in the unions and I'm trying to DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com all, but, you know, I need you all to be respectful in the house. Let's get through this and then we'll go back and continue to have this conversation in the appropriate way, but I'm really asking you all to be respectful. (Applause.)
Now, as we work to tackle these financial challenges, we must also be focused on building stronger communities in a more sustainable Philadelphia. To achieve this, our first priority must be tackling the crime that spiked at the beginning of this year in some of our communities and which makes all of us, no matter where we live, feel less safe. During my first four years in office, under the leadership of Police Commissioner Ramsey, the Philadelphia Police Department and Deputy Mayor for DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Gillison, the homicide rate in this city fell by 19 percent and violent crime fell to the lowest level since 1989. We combined a zero-tolerance attitude toward those who would terrorize our neighborhoods with a community policing approach that built trust and a sense of partnership between citizens and the men and women whose job it is to protect us. We set new standards, a new level of expectation, a belief shared by Commissioner Ramsey and myself that no amount of progress is ever good enough when it comes to making our city safer, and an absolute determination and unwavering defiance in the face of those who would cause our fellow Philadelphians harm. That defiance has only grown stronger. That determination is just as absolute, and we remain as focused as we've ever been on ending the violence in our city. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com budget, we included funding for 120 new police officers, and all 120 will be deployed on foot patrol in the most violent districts in our city. On January 26th, we announced, in partnership with District Attorney Seth Williams and our state and federal law enforcement partners, a wide range of measures to deal with a violent, deadly start to 2012. We announced that we would add another class of up to 100 cadets this spring; We would seek automatic jail time for those caught with illegal guns in Philadelphia; We would work to identify the most violent criminals and take them off our streets, and we took another step this week by publishing a list of Philadelphia's 100 most wanted criminals; We announced that we would establish a text tip number so that DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com us with information anonymously, with us having no way to trace the origin of the tip, and we would give up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in a homicide, as well as $500 for information that gets us an illegal gun off the streets; And, finally, that all levels of government would work in close partnership and collaboration through our GunStat program to share information, work together on cases and make our city a safer place. We are beginning to see results from these new initiatives and we are making progress. But we are not satisfied. And so before we do anything else as a city government, we will continue to make the necessary investments to keep our citizens safe. And we'll also continue to try new and innovative approaches to crime reduction that have also worked in other DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com example, in April, I will convene a community dialogue at St. Joseph's University to engage community leaders in designing a new community-based anti-violence effort to create sustainable, safe environments. And this is not just a talk or a conversation. We're going to invest $1 million in this new effort. And, yes, we're also going to put more boots on the ground. And so today I am announcing that we will hire nearly 400 new police officers by the end of the next fiscal year. (Applause.)
Our goal is to achieve and maintain a sworn strength of 6,500 police officers on our police force. com five years. All of these new officers, all of them, all of them, will be deployed on foot patrol to the most violent police districts and will target the most dangerous blocks in our city. Furthermore, I have directed Police Commissioner Ramsey to continue to work with FOP President John McNesby to reduce the number of inactive officers and consolidate some special units so that we have the maximum number of men and women out patrolling in our neighborhoods. These officers will focus on the relatively small number of criminals creating most of the havoc on our streets. We know who you are, and we've had enough. We're coming after you. You think you can terrorize and kill people in this city. Think again. I made a promise to the people of Philadelphia that ours would be a safer city, and that's a promise I'm going to keep. com commitment. You see, this city is on the rise. " And we're not going to let a small minority of criminals ruin that for the vast majority of Philadelphians who are just out there looking to take care of their families, go to work or school and enjoy their lives. The responsible course of action that we took to manage our way through this recession - shared sacrifice, everyone giving a little - is actually working. Our finances have begun to stabilize. Tax receipts are beginning to grow modestly again. Our unemployment rate is slowly coming down. And businesses, large and small, are investing and creating jobs in Philadelphia. com on a new $100 million John Buck Company retail and residential development on Chestnut Street around 21st, a project that will create more than 800 construction jobs right away. The week before I was out on Drexel's campus in the 3rd District to break ground on their $100 million mixed-use Chestnut Street project, which will continue the total transformation of that section of West Philadelphia. We must keep this recovery going. Over the coming months we will announce a series of measures designed to make it easier to do business and, therefore, create jobs in Philadelphia. We will continue to shrink the number of business licenses, put the entire licensing and permitting process online, and continue to drive down wait times and processing times for L&I services. com gains, working through our Office of Economic Opportunity and through the new Project Labor Agreement process, to ensure that all of our residents participate in this recovery. The government will lead by example in this effort as we continue to exceed our ambitious goals for minority, female and disabled business owner participation in doing business with our city. All of us, my Administration and City Council, are focused and working together to create a more business-friendly environment and attract more jobs to Philadelphia. com on small and start-up companies operating in Philadelphia. These measures equal an $80 million reduction in taxes for businesses in Philadelphia over the lifetime of our Five Year Plan. And today I also reaffirm that we will restart in FY14 the wage tax reductions that the Great Recession forced us to suspend, an $82 million tax cuts for workers and families in Philadelphia over the next five years. This $162 million combination of wage and business tax cuts is actually $39 million larger than the package that we proposed in last year's Five Year Plan, a testament to our dedication to improve the City's economy for workers and employers. This year we will also finally give homeowners in Philadelphia an equitable, transparent, fair property tax assessment system.
com been paying more than they should, while others have paid less than they should. We took on the challenge of once and for all fixing this system with a citywide reassessment of every parcel in Philadelphia. And so with the Actual Value Initiative complete this fall, the next property tax bills to go out will be based on the fair, true, accurate value of homes and properties in Philadelphia. Some Philadelphians will actually see their tax bills cut by this reform. Others, whose homes or businesses have been undervalued for years, will probably have to pay more. In order to help these people and ensure that our most vulnerable homeowners are protected, we have asked the General Assembly in Harrisburg to authorize homestead relief for Philadelphia, something that is already available to other jurisdictions in Pennsylvania. com properties, the taxpayer would be entitled to a $15,000 homestead reduction from the assessed value of his or her property, thereby providing the greatest relief to lower-valued homes. We will also work with City Council to put in place smoothing measures to phase in these new values over time to minimize any impact felt by property owners. And many low-income senior citizens will be eligible for the tax freeze program so that they will see no increases in their real estate tax bills. Now, let me be the first to say it. This isn't the easiest, most popular reform that we could have taken on. If it was, somebody would have done it by now. But we must have a fair system, an honest system, a transparent system. And so we're going to take it on. com have. But this reform needs to be made and it needs to be made now. )
And I do want to thank our City Council for giving us the opportunity to make these reforms by creating the Office of Property Assessment and by committing to move forward with the Actual Value Initiative. Now, as we put more police officers on our streets and tackle many of the major challenges that we face, such as a broken property tax system, the budget that I propose today also makes much-needed capital investments in communities throughout our city. Let me be the first to acknowledge that our capital projects often take much too long to complete. This has been raised by me when I was a member of this body and now as Mayor and certainly many, many members of the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com now, and I want to say that we're going to fix this problem. I am creating a working group within City government to work with City Council to create a better, faster, more efficient process so that needed projects are completed in a faster timeframe at the lowest possible cost. The investments in City facilities contained within this year's budget, combined with the alley light repair program and commercial corridor improvements that we approved and funded last year, will brighten and boost the neighborhoods that surround them. We will also spend $6.6 million to upgrade six police stations and 11 firehouses across Philadelphia over the next year. But I also have one other police facility announcement to make. Almost since the day in 1964 when the ribbon was cut on the current police headquarters, the Roundhouse, people have DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com replacing it. Well, today I am truly pleased to announce that we plan to renovate 4601 Market Street in West Philadelphia into a new, state-of-the-art police headquarters, the first new police headquarters in nearly 50 years. In addition, also at this facility we will co-locate the City morgue and the City health offices that are currently located at Broad and Lombard. This is a smart consolidation, which will allow us to sell existing assets, create new opportunities for development at those sites and revitalize part of West Philadelphia much in need of investment. We will also invest money in our neighborhood rec centers, pools and libraries. We will spend $8.7 million on improving our neighborhood rec centers. What's more, we will emphasize design as well as function, creating beautiful, DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com will be centerpieces of their neighborhoods. To see what that means, just check out the incredible work that is about to begin at Pleasant Playground in East Mount Airy, the Sturgis Rec Center in East Oak Lane or the Penrose Playground in North Philadelphia, three newly renovated recreation facilities that will be built in the coming year. Once again all swimming pools will be open this summer. But this year -(Applause.)
But this year, after three years of fundraising and generous support from citizens and our corporate community, we will put all the funding for opening all of our swimming pools right where it belongs, which is in the General Fund in our budget. And, finally, I can announce that we will establish a new Neighborhood Library Improvement Program that will DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com $7 million over the next three years to invest in neighborhood free library branches. This is new money and a new program that invests in neighborhood libraries. Our goal is to leverage this $7 million in public money to generate significant foundation and philanthropic support and contributions for a larger total investment in neighborhood branch libraries. (Applause.)
Leveraging public dollars to generate even greater private investment. This is precisely the type of innovation and partnership which characterizes our City government in this new era as we deliver services more effectively and efficiently. As a matter of fact, in the coming weeks, we will hire an efficiency expert to take a thorough look at the operating costs and revenue collections DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com and recommend ways for us to do things more efficiently and at less cost to the taxpayers. And while we're on the subject of revenue collections, we also know that there are many folks out there doing business, making money and not paying any taxes. Well, if anyone has information on these tax cheats, please call our tax fraud hotline 215-686-3852 to anonymously report this information, and our tax fraud investigators will be out to get what is owed to the citizens of this city. We will also be creating an innovative new program to help deal with blight in our neighborhoods by giving citizens a single online point of entry to find and purchase City-owned vacant properties. This will encourage greater investment and ownership in many communities and reduce the problems caused by vacant land. And, finally, we are, in DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com President Clarke and City Council, looking for ways to generate new non-tax revenues for our city. Last month we announced our intention to solicit bids from private companies for the Philadelphia Gas Works, a proposal on which we continue to work diligently and carefully. And we will also work with City Council to explore the idea of generating revenue by pursuing other asset sales and permitting advertising on certain City properties. As we continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government and look for new sources of non-tax revenue, we must also become smarter and more creative in the ways in which we partner with others to provide services to Philadelphians. And it is in that spirit of innovation and partnership that I'm excited to make this next announcement. Work is underway to create a partnership between the City of DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the world's premiere children's hospital, to build a brand new, multi-million-dollar health center to provide children's and adult healthcare services in the increasingly diverse communities in South Philadelphia. This new facility would be built on the site of the current City Health Center No. 2 at Broad and Morris, paid for by CHOP, outfitted by the City and CHOP, allowing us to work together to provide services for the residents in that neighborhood. As we work with CHOP to finalize an agreement to build a world-class health center for this community, I am also excited that, subject to securing further and additional resources, these plans could include rebuilding the South Philadelphia Branch Library and creating a brand new recreation center to replace the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com The possibility of integrating these three new facilities - health center, library and rec center - would allow us to provide coordinated services that include much-needed health and wellness programming and literacy training. At the same time, we will continue to expand the City's dental care, mammography, prenatal care and a wide range of other children's and adult healthcare services. With this new potential arrangement, we can save taxpayers money, the community gets more services and new, state-of-the-art facilities and we're better able to meet the expanding needs of a demographically changing South Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Peter Grollman, CHOP's Vice-President of Government Affairs and Community Relations, is here representing the hospital's CEO, DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Altschuler, who could not be with us today. Please recognize CHOP for their outstanding commitment in the City of Philadelphia by providing excellent medical care, major economic development projects and programs that help improve the lives of children throughout the City. Peter, thank you. (Applause.)
Forming partnerships with citizens and outside organizations is at the heart of my Administration's approach to government. City government is not simply a provider of service. It can also play the role of facilitator. That's what is being done through our Philly Rising program, which is expanding and is transforming communities all across our city, providing youth activities, music workshops, community cleanups and job training fairs. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com I am pleased to report to you that in the first four Philly Rising communities - Hartranft, Haddington, Market East and Frankford we have seen an average 16 percent drop in violent crime during the time that we've been working in those neighborhoods. In Haddington in West Philadelphia, the 4th District, that drop was almost 22 percent. The credit for this progress lies with the people in these neighborhoods. You see, the key to Philly Rising, and to our approach to government, is partnership with the community, working with the people in a particular neighborhood to define their priorities, and then working to bring in organizations and individuals who can help tackle the problems or provide the opportunities that the community has identified. In Point Breeze, for instance, DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com that a lack of youth engagement and positive activities for young people has led to crime, violence and disorder in their community. Through Philly Rising, we brought folks together to provide youth activities six days a week in Point Breeze. One of these activities, created in partnership with Dominic McFadden from McFadden Music Productions, is the Philadelphia Youth Music Program, a free six-week music industry training program for young people in Point Breeze to receive instruction from Grammy award-winning artists and producers at a recording studio at PHA's Wilson Park Community Rec Center. Dominic is here with us today. Can we please recognize him. (Applause.)
I visited the program myself in January, and let me tell you, it won't be too long before the next DJ ?uestlove or Black Thought is DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com of South Philadelphia. In Strawberry Mansion, Principal Kala Johnstone of the LP Hill Elementary School told us that one of her major challenges was filling her school library with books. Through Philly Rising, we created a partnership between the school and the Widener Branch of the Free Library, giving the school dozens of free books to fill their library and a commitment that excess books will be regularly delivered to LP Hill. Principal Johnstone from LP Hill Elementary and Lisa and Christina from the Widener Branch have also joined us here today. Please give them a big, big round of applause. (Applause.)
And it's not just Philly Rising. Through our Citizens Planning Institute, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission is giving residents the planning and zoning expertise they need to make positive changes in their DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Smith from East Parkside is also with us today. She applied for the Planning Institute because she is looking for the tools to help build and grow her own neighborhood association, the Viola Street Residents Association. Joyce is using the skills she developed during her CPI classes to work with developers to ensure that new projects are the right fit for East Parkside and to help her community work with the City to deal with abandoned properties through a new program created by the Viola Street Residents Association called Project Reclaim. Please recognize Joyce for the great work she's doing in East Parkside. (Applause.)
This really is the new way for City government to operate - establishing partnerships, communicating differently, working with the community rather than trying to impose one-size-fits-all solutions, DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia so that citizens can take ownership of their own communities. Joyce, Dominic, Principal Johnstone, Lisa and Christina are just some of the many thousands of people across this city who are stepping up, taking responsibility and working to improve their communities and the lives of their fellow Philadelphians. They've stepped up, and now we must not let them down. We must redouble our efforts to make this a safer city. The measures that I have announced today are yet further progress towards that goal. We must get out there and fight to bring every single job we can to Philadelphia and to help the folks who are doing business in our city to grow and prosper, and the tax cuts that I reaffirmed today, together with our ongoing efforts to make Philadelphia a DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com city, will help us do just that. We must rebuild and invest in all parts of this city, from the heart of downtown to the neighborhoods at the farthest reaches of our city boundaries, and the investments contained within this budget are a significant down-payment on that commitment. And we must continue to innovate and find new ways to bring people and ideas together to relentlessly drive Philadelphia forward. This is what the 21st century city government in a 21st century city looks like. Smarter, more efficient, focused on the fundamentals. A government that citizens can trust to act honestly, openly and to spend their tax dollars wisely and carefully. A government that makes investments in our people and in our DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com neighborhoods, ever focused on ensuring that we have a safer city, a smarter city, a more sustainable city, a city that continues to attract visitors, residents, businesses and jobs from all over the world. A government that is innovative, creative and brings everybody together around the same table to create partnerships that will improve the lives of all Philadelphians. A government that ensures that no person, no neighborhood, no community gets left behind as we transform this international city. We're all in this together. It's one city, it's one Philadelphia. I want to thank you, God bless you, and God bless the great City of Philadelphia. (Standing ovation.)
Okay. I'd like to get back to our regular order of business, please. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Folks, I'd like to ask you all to leave as quietly as possible. We still have business to conduct. (Pause.)
Okay. I'd like to have your attention. We still have business to conduct. So those that are leaving, I would ask that you please leave relatively quickly. And please feel free to stay, but we're going to ask you to keep your voices down as much as possible. Thank you. Actually, before I call for speeches, I would like to recognize Councilman Greenlee. We have some information on a long-term member of City Council.
Thank you, Mr. President. First of all, she thought that all these people were here for her today. I don't know.
Councilman, if we had moved along a little quicker, they would have been. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
As a long-term staff member of myself, I admit I must be a little bias in this, but I believe Council has been very fortunate with the quality of individuals that have served on our staffs. I further believe that when one of those people who has served so very long and so very well are leaving us, they deserve a special mention. Marlene Goss has worked 24 and a half years in City Council, first with Councilman Cohen, where we worked together, then with Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, and for the last five-plus years, luckily for me, in my office. In that time, she has demonstrated all the necessary qualities to do this job - intellect, hard work, dedication, a pleasing personality and, of course what we all need in this place, good humor. She's touched many people in a positive way. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com tomorrow, and while I do believe we will see her around every now and then, we will all miss her and those qualities that I just mentioned. And on a personal note, I'll miss one of my very best friends. Marlene is here and I'd request that we all recognize her for her career here in City Council. (Standing ovation.)
Thank you. I knew she'd do with all that boohooing. I knew that was coming.
You know what, Marlene, I guess we're kind of in charge right here, so this may be a little out of order. Would you like to say a couple of words. Come up.
It's like winning the Academy Award. I didn't write a speech. Twenty-four and a half years ago I came to this beautiful building with no idea of how Council or the City DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com ran, but I've had the great opportunity to work with really wonderful people in this building. Councilman Cohen... What else can you say but Councilman Cohen. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, who took me under her wing for a few months, and then, of course, my -how many people get to work with their best friend who just happens to be their boss, you know? And Bill and I are good friends and I intend for that to continue, along with everybody in here. It's like my family. I've raised some of you. I've seen your grand-kids, seen your -- Councilwoman Tasco and I have had our grand-kids here together, and it's just been a wonderful trip, and I really, really appreciate you all. And I love you very much, and I'll be around. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much. (Standing ovation.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you so much, Marlene. We'll miss you. Okay. We'll now get back to our regular order of business. Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there any speeches on the part of the majority? And I see that Councilwoman Brown is first to push her button.
You pulled that back. So we will now go to Councilman Jones, who jumped up to number one. There you go, sir.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I rise to applaud one of the freshmen, the Serious Six, Councilwoman Bass, for her astute attention to the voter ID bill that threatens to be passed in Harrisburg. I also acknowledge Councilwoman DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com Sanchez, who a year ago alerted this body of this pending danger and disproportionate impact on minorities, on women, on people of color, on the Spanish, on the young as a voter suppression bill. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I think they believe it is not 1964 when the Voting Rights Act was passed. They want to turn back the clock back to the good-old days when poll taxes and grandfather clauses prohibited many people from actually exercising one of the crown jewels of this democracy, their right to vote. Many in Harrisburg now think that they're no longer -- we are no longer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but Philadelphia, Mississippi. It is nothing more than voter suppression in a presidential election year that you go to these measures to discourage, dissuade people from exercising this most basic, basic American right. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com republicans that had the heart to cross the aisle and support or try to turn back this devastating piece of legislation Senator Greenleaf, Senator Vernango (ph) and Senator Earll of Erie. I commend them for having the courage to go against their party, to go with the American Civil Liberties Union to brace for the legal challenge that this bill will probably result in. It is amazing to me that in today's times when we are at an all-time low of voter participation that we would add on another layer, another way to dissuade people from being part of the democratic process. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Green.
Thank you, Mr. President. I am not going to speak DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com budget address. We have months to go over the budget, and there's many details in there we need to review. I just wanted to speak briefly about Harrisburg. I will concur with Councilman Jones's comments and say that I don't think we need to worry here in Philadelphia, because we know what civil disobedience is and I think it will be the judges of election and other people in our polling places that will have to ask people for voter ID's or not. And so hopefully if this bill passes, which we all hope it does not, we can make them come down here and try to enforce it themselves, because I hope we don't intend to. In that regard -- but Harrisburg has done something that went into effect today that has a very negative impact on Philadelphians, Mr. President, and, that is, today the cell phone ban that was passed by this DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com body, which was a ban preventing you from holding your phone when you are in the car, has been superseded by state law which prevents you from texting. The impact of that, according to law enforcement officials and according to data from other states where they have a texting ban only, is that the only time tickets are issued for texting bans are when there has been an actual accident and they bother to get the cell phone records of the people involved in the accident and then issue citations or penalties for the fact that the accident was caused by someone proven to have been texting by their cell phone records. Law enforcement officials have made it clear, including our Police Commissioner, that it is too easy to just say, I was e-mailing, I was making a phone call, I wasn't texting, and there is nothing they can literally do to enforce this law. It is a meaningless law. It is a law supported by money cell DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com highly paid lobbyists in order to allow people to be on their phone to make money on our highways and on the streets of the City of Philadelphia that they can't make if they can't talk on their phones. That's what this is about. It is under the guise of protecting Pennsylvanians, but it puts Philadelphians at risk. There is blood on their hands, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to first start by thanking Councilwoman Sanchez for having the forethought to fight against and be the lead sponsor against House Bill No. 934, the voter suppression bill, and also thank Councilman Jones as well for being a co-sponsor of that legislation. But this bill, which this body DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com rebuked, is the product of a right-wing agenda being advanced to disenfranchise seniors, people with disabilities, poor people, students and minorities by requiring every voter to possess and display state-issued identification. This bill has become known across the nation as the voter ID bill, but, Mr. President, I believe we ought to call it what it really is and stated by Councilman Jones, the voter suppression bill. In fact, national studies show that 11 percent of eligible voters, more than 21 million individuals, do not have government-issued photo identification. The populations I spoke of previously are disproportionately affected. Furthermore, Mr. President, this effort will cost the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania an unnecessary $11 million in a time when we are making tough budget choices. So, Mr. President, I urge this DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com prestige and clout to speak out loudly against this bill and to educate the public on the importance of voting rights. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Councilwoman. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Tasco.
Thank you, Mr. President. I just add to that, the $11 million could be better spent someplace else. As I mentioned this morning, the HEMAP program. And certainly we know that when the body politic wants to do something, they do it. And with all the cuts in Harrisburg that will impact on the citizens of Philadelphia and other citizens across this state, $11 million could better be spent, because they've got to provide the wherewithal for people to get their identification. And the whole bill was built on myth and innuendo and it really DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com to suppress the vote. The other thing I'd like to say is that we'd like to wish Councilman David Oh happy birthday. It's his birthday today.
And, thirdly, I'd like to remind my colleagues there will be a briefing at 1 o'clock today in City Caucus Room, and you have to bring your own lunch. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to take this opportunity to commend one of my colleagues from the Serious Six, as has been named from our Majority Leader, to commend her efforts in opposing the DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com just Philadelphia but this region. If you recall, we're still all having these vivid memories of hanging chads in the 2000 election with the presidency. So what we do around here directly, in this Philadelphia area, directly affects the state legislation and then to the presidency, because I don't think we have the same agendas about people. We care about people who we represent. Being disenfranchised and voicing our concerns and our issues that directly affect the people we represent in Philadelphia is extremely important to us. When you leave Philadelphia with 450 or 475 thousand vote pluralities, it can turn major elections. In turn, can result in 20 to 30 percent cuts to our social services to the City of Philadelphia, and I don't think we should stand for that, and I applaud your efforts in moving forward, along with Councilwoman Sanchez and this body. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Kenney.
Thank you, Mr. President. Just again I'd like to reiterate my continued plea to Harrisburg that whenever they have these cockamamy bills that suppress voter rights, that pick on immigrants, that pick on women, if they could just exempt us out, cities of the first class exempted from any cockamamy legislation that they come up with in Harrisburg. I think as a blanket rule, we'd wind up with a whole load of people coming here that are immigrants that come and live in our city, and they can just leave us alone, because they don't consider us part of the Commonwealth anyway. So cities of the first class should be exempt from all crazy legislation. Thank you, Mr. President. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
Thank you, Councilman. I really like that word, "cockamamy." Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to also echo the sentiments of my colleagues regarding the voter suppression bill. Being a winner of the 2nd Councilmanic District by only 46 votes, I definitely know the importance of everyone having the opportunity to vote, and our forefathers fought for everyone to have the opportunity to vote. But also I wanted to personally acknowledge you, Mr. President. Being a former legislator in Harrisburg, I do want to commend you on how, under the context of the budget address today, how you conducted yourself as it relates to how we conduct business in this house. So I do want to thank you. I encourage you to keep up the good work. DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com much.
Thank you so much. Any other speeches? (No response.)
There being none, the Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Brown for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March 15th, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. All in favor? (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) DiscoveryWorks Global 888.557.8650 www.dw-global.com
The ayes have it. m. Thank you all very much. com 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 March 8, 2012, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. com 140:23 medical 40:24 41:8 minority 107:6 much-needed 127:2 128:6 129:2 mammography 41:9 42:2,11 109:9 134:7 113:18 121:7 Net 8:3 27:11 121:11 52:19 53:8,23 minute 56:25 multi-million-doll... m 147:7 77:1 78:1 78:15 136:22 regulations 65:9 47:15,18,20 51:17 READING/BILLS 139:14 141:9 rehabilitate 94:6 79:16 93:13,20 Q 36:1 142:18 144:5 rehabilitation 63:7 109:18 110:17 qualified 28:5 reaffirm 110:8 145:5 146:12 reignite 25:8 proposing 28:8 29:2 qualities 131:19 reaffirmed 127:24 recognizing 15:8 reimburse 64:7 prosper 127:23 132:5 real 8:12,15,20,22 32:17 75:19 78:9 reiterate 144:9 protect 63:5 91:14 quality 89:15 131:6 9:4 27:3,23 recommend 118:2 relates 145:22 102:11 quasi-governmen... com repealing 8:4 27:12 45:17,20,21 46:11 10:3 18:8,15 65:5 secure 33:4 68:3 46:21,24,25 48:22 26:22 117:25 run 55:5 securing 120:21 repeatedly 97:23 48:23 49:15 50:14 118:6 119:11,17 see 24:15 38:16 replace 120:25 50:15,25 51:7,8 revenues 119:4 S 62:25 84:16 replacing 93:4 55:15,22 56:8,11 review 19:3 137:5 sacrifice 107:15 104:16 107:3 115:2 56:18 57:15,16 Revised 7:13 28:18 safe 42:10 96:5 111:14 112:13 report 33:19 34:5 58:9,19,22,23 revision 10:13,18 101:21 104:22 116:4 123:15 118:12 123:3 59:19 60:4,5,24 31:11 105:8 132:3 134:11 reported 35:19 61:10,14 62:5,15 revitalize 115:16 safer 102:16 104:15 seeing 56:22 reporter 148:23 62:21 67:11,21 revitalized 90:8 106:24 127:16 seek 103:16 reports 33:1,17,24 75:18 76:6,16,17 revolting 23:14 129:3 seeking 40:7 34:1,15 77:4 78:7,8,17 Reynolds 1:17 70:4 safety 13:14 33:2 seeks 41:11 58:24 represent 24:18 79:3 72:14 75:3 131:15 61:16 64:23 65:2 seen 85:5 123:6 86:9 143:12,15 resolutions 11:15 133:7 88:15 102:2 133:16,16 Representative 11:20 12:3,10 re-launch 47:5 salaries 96:9 self-esteem 15:11 50:2,3 56:19 14:3 15:22 17:2 ribbon 114:24 sales 109:24 119:12 75:22 59:22 83:6,10,13 17:10 19:21,23 Richardson 85:18 Sanchez 12:18 self-insurance 83:16 25:24 30:9 32:10 Ridge 34:12 15:19,20 58:6,7 97:20 representatives 36:19,22 37:4,8 right 4:4 20:20 70:2 72:12 74:25 sell 115:14 24:12 60:9 94:20 43:4 75:17 79:5 22:25 32:2 40:2,6 135:2 139:18 Senate 24:21 31:21 represented 84:23 resources 86:13 87:12 91:8 93:8 143:25 Senator 136:6,6,7 representing 120:22 93:17 100:14,15 sanitation 96:2 send 66:7,10 121:25 respect 80:9 81:11 100:22 108:6 sat 24:22 senior 20:8 112:12 reproduction 82:3 95:3 100:17 114:2 116:21 satisfied 104:19 seniors 20:7 140:4 148:20 100:23 125:2 126:12 save 94:13 121:15 sense 102:9 Republican 53:20 respectful 24:6 132:17 135:16,25 saved 48:6 66:17 sentence 63:25 55:4 80:19,24 101:3,7 rightfully 140:2 saw 56:25 83:18 sentenced 63:12 republicans 5:20 respectfully 34:15 rights 22:20 53:16 saying 22:12 41:11 sentences 63:17 55:6 136:2 respond 89:22 135:10 141:5 Schmidt 84:14 sentencing 65:8,20 request 5:15 132:8 response 5:11 35:12 144:11 school 8:11,13,17 sentiments 145:9 requests 5:20 6:4 42:24 44:9 45:15 right-of-way 10:6 8:25 9:3 15:13 SERGEANT-AT...