Oh, okay, good. Because I live in the 40th Ward, 33rd Division, and my Councilperson is Council President Verna Anna C. Verna. So I want her to know that. I am also a member of SOCC, which stands for "Stadium Out of Chinatown Coalition." The committee of SOCC had invited Mr. Neil DuMause, who is a coauthor of Field of Schemes: How the Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money Into Private Profit, to testify. But due to a conflict in his schedule, Mr. DuMause was unable to come and testify in person. However, he was able to send us his written testimony. On his behalf, I will now read Mr. DuMause's written testimony. "Thank you to the Councilmembers for allowing me to submit this testimony and Mai Wen 268 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 for presenting it, even though my schedule did not allow me to travel to this meeting in person. "When the owners of the sports team and their allies in public office want to convince the public to spend public dollars for a new stadium or arena, they always say the same thing: 'Everybody else is doing it.' They point to the new stadiums going up in cities like Cleveland and Baltimore and Houston and insist that this is just the way of the sports world. If you want to play in the big leagues, you have to cough up the big bucks for a new facility. "When I first started researching and writing about the stadium game five years ago, there was a kernel of truth to this. But after spending an estimated of $2 billion a year on new sports facilities throughout the 1990s, cities are increasingly questioning what they get in return. "In Minneapolis, Birmingham, Miami, New York City, Houston, and the (unitelligible) region of North Carolina, citizens and elected officials have said no to public money for private stadiums. In San Francisco, after the citizenry said no four times, the Giants baseball team 269 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 finally agreed to build a stadium with private money, a stadium, Pacific Bell Park, that is now considered one of the finest new ballparks built in recent years." (Applause.)
"And teams in Montreal, Miami, Oakland, and Minnesota are all considering building ballparks with private funds in the face of growing opposition to public subsidies." (Applause.)
"One reason that cities are increasingly saying no is that the claims of economic windfalls from new stadiums just don't pan out. I have yet to meet an independent economist who believes that pro sports facilities have any significant impact on their city's economy. Lake Forest College Professor Robert Body (ph.) said recently that in his research of 30 cities over 30 years, in no instance was the economic impact of professional sports, either by building a stadium, attracting a team or losing a team, measurably different from zero. "And as for new jobs, stadium projects consistently come in at a cost of 250,000 per job 270 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 created, one of the worst ratios ever seen. University of Chicago economist Allen Sanderson out that you could create more jobs by going up in a helicopter over your city and throwing the money out the window." (Laughter.) (Applause.)
"Even the most well-regarded new stadiums haven't paid off. Baltimore's Camden Yards brings in 3 million a year in taxes and costs the State of Maryland 13 million a year in bond payments. In fact, stadium 14 projects only serve to funnel public money into the pockets of owners and players, many of whom live far out of state, while bringing only traffic and disruptions to the neighborhoods where they are sited." (Applause.)
"In such cities as Chicago, San Diego, and Newark, people have been displaced from their homes and businesses to make way for ballparks and arena projects that benefitted no 24 one but team owners. "In Springfield, Massachusetts, earlier 271 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 this year, a judge ruled that using eminent domain to seize land for a private sports team was against the law, since it was not a genuine 'public purpose.'" (Applause.)
"Yesterday in Boston, a very similar public hearing as this one was held to discuss whether or not the city and state will spend upwards of $275 million for a new stadium for the Red Sox. This project, once considered a near certainty, is now foundering as neighborhood residents and their elected officials are asking hard questions about just who would profit from this immense public expenditure." (Applause.)
"Philadelphia, like Boston, is now facing a choice. You can go down and history as the city that spent the most public money to displace the most people for the benefit of a private sport franchise, or you can join with Minneapolis, San Francisco, and the other cities that are just saying no to sport subsidies demands." (Applause.) 272 RESOLUTION NO. 000325
"The decision is in your hands." I thank you for your time. (Applause.)
I would like to suggest that you might repeat your initial statement about President Verna. She's here.
I wanted you to know that I live in your district and I am a taxpayer and I'm a registered voter, and I voted for you because I believed that you would do the right thing. And I'm glad that you're here and I'm glad that it's a -- never mind I won't say that.
Thank you for your patience in waiting to testify. Please identify yourself for the record.
My name's Dan McShane and I'm with Liberty Yards Association, an advocacy 273 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 group for the Schmidts Brewery stadium site. With all respect to the people who have come here to speak about taxes and stadiums, I am here to speak in support of a stadium, a stadium responsibly built, responsibly paid for. I have a different perspective on the tax debate. I am interested in how many City tax dollars are spent on a stadium. The current proposal has a dollar figure that will require too much in City spending, and if it doesn't require the City spending, it will price City residents out of the stadium that we are ourselves building. A responsibly built stadium could draw sources from outside this community; the kind of sources that we can barely get to pay for school books could be brought in to do this development project. And if it's placed responsibly, it will have the kind of development, if it can be combined with already-in-place development concepts, one of them being the waterfront that we've all waited for 40 years. We have distributed to Council a plan for the Schmidts Brewery stadium site, which shows its inclusion on the waterfront, with 7,000 spaces 274 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 of onsite parking in place. What we're paving over for parking, as opposed to, say, the Beaux Arts building, is strewn industrial -- post-use industrial sites and nuisance nightclubs. Some of them have had shootings in the past, and it would be a great relief for the neighborhood to have a well-groomed parking facility. The parking facility would be located across the street from the incinerator and point extend up to the Schmidts Brewery site and would allow for development at the incinerator site. The incinerator site is owned by the City and could be utilized in this transaction to obtain the Schmidts Brewery site at no cost to City taxpayers in a tax-free -- a negotiable tax-free exchange for Bart Blatstein (ph.), because that incinerator site will be the most valuable waterfront property, perhaps in the world, because we'll have a stadium site directly located -- it is directly north of the incinerator site that an 18-story -- three 18-story high-end condos and 200 townhomes will be built. To move along, I'd just like to quickly go through the politics of this issue. A couple 275 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 myths. A 40,000-seat stadium can fit on the Schmidts site. You can do 44,000 if you go over Second Street. Why spend the money? They can't put anybody in the Vet to begin with. And if it's okay for San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Boston, and Chicago to do with 40,000 or less seats, certainly it's okay for here in Philadelphia. This stadium is based on a Wrigley Field concept. If it's within community, it should be 40,000. That's a bone that we could send to the community and the (unintelligible.) I've gotten into the neighborhood discussions, so I'll quickly discuss the neighborhood situation. We have a petition here of close to a thousand names in support of the Schmidts Brewery stadium site from the neighborhoods of Fishtown and Kensington South, Norris Square and Northern Liberties. We will, by some time in July, have literally thousands, most of them drawn from the Councilmatic district which includes the Schmidts Brewery site. I will submit this for the Council. We have run out of money; we could only produce three today. (Copy of petition not submitted to the 276 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 stenographer for attachment hereto.)
To move on, there is great support for this stadium in the Hispanic community. Dr. Sierra (ph.) of the Association of Puerto Ricans (unintelligible), Carlos Matos (ph.), a prominent figure, and thousands of names and people who are signing petitions from the Hispanic community support this stadium site. Quickly, running down the politics, Frank DiCicco is here, and I'm very happy that he's here. This was Frank DiCicco's idea. It was a visionary idea and it was the right idea then and it's the right idea now, and I really thank him for bringing it up and bringing it into play. Anna Verna put us on the map by identifying this site at something to be looked at seriously at the first Town Meeting, and we thank you for that. Michael Nutter and Marie Lederer wish to beautify Girard Avenue. This is one of the most beautiful things about this plan: it just doesn't develop a waterfront where a bunch of suburbanites can come and spend their money; it develops neighborhoods. It gives something to 277 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 neighborhoods besides halfway houses and low-income housing. This is the way this kind of a project ought to be spent. We do deserve to rehab Girard Avenue, and these people -- Michael Nutter and Marie Lederer -- are already in the process of doing that. They need help our. The unions should support this because this, unlike spending money on useless moving of major public systems, this would -- this project would have tens of millions of dollars in additional labor on the waterfront. That's where we should put it. Bob Borski thinks we should put it there; he took this administration on a river tour and he said, Let's develop the waterfront. Here's something that Bob Borski can support, Bob Borski's aware of this plan. John Street opened up this process and he, we need to thank the most sound, and that may sound incongruous in this room, but we don't exist without John Street, our site does not exist without the process. We're going through the process, the process will determine that Chinatown is undoable. I'll summarize -- I think I've overrun 278 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 my time and appreciate your deference. We think that if the Chinatown site -- when the Chinatown site goes down, the Center City Business District, including the Convention Center or Visitors Bureau and the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation, will line up in support of this site. It has the historic trolley line that runs from Penn's Landing across Girard Avenue and down to the Convention Center. It has six Market-Frankford el stops at every key destination in Center City, and it's eight minutes to the furthest stop. That's the kind of development Center City really does need. And, lastly, I'd just like to again thank Anna Verna. Thank you, Miss Verna, for allowing us this opportunity, and please help us get the serious attention that this kind of a solution deserves. Thank you.
The next three names are Robert Sklaroff, Vincent McAffery, and 279 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Reverend Betz. (Witness comes forward.)
Greetings. I'm Bob Sklaroff, and promise I'll talk for only two minutes. You have a copy of my testimony, nine pages single-spaced, and I just want to give you brief key points enclosed therein. (Copy of Mr. Sklaroff's testimony not submitted to stenographer for attachment hereto.)
Number one, it is clear that people do not want to bankrupt the City, which has tremendous needs for health care and for educational purposes, by trying to build a mausoleum or two. So the bottom line point is, what can be done to try to minimize the costs thereof? And I think, looking at David Boldt's column in the paper this morning, it is clear that the business community is really not thrilled with the choice at 12th and Vine. People would be excited about a site and people would flock to supporting it, I feel, if 30th Street Station, northwest of 30th Street, the Powellton Yards, is the way to go. I testified twice on this issue at the two other 280 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 hearings in City Council here before the Mayor, and I was surprised to note that after my first testimony, when this site was not even on the map, that then they came back the second time and they still didn't deal with it. And yet they recommended 12th and Vine without having done proper study. So I have a lot of problems with what's occurred. The focus on finances, which, I recognize already, listening to KYW, has been effectively discussed here, suggests that it's not a (unintelligible) that any time you have any kind of stadium that, if it's in Center City, is going to automatically generate synergy and pay for itself. So my feeling -- and I've done a lot of research on this again, which is documented with names and phone numbers. I think basically, if you end taking the 30th Street Station site, which is a underutilized railroad yard, according to the redistricting filing that was initiated by Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell last September, it was then rezoned from P-2 to C-5 high concentration industrial, that these lands, which are already cleared, could easily be utilized for 281 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 the stadium. It's 70 acres -- you only need to 17, according to some of the people with whom I've spoken in the real estate business. Therefore, I would like to strongly suggest that you look at 30th Street Station northwest, not where the post office is. And what I did today was, I finally had a chance to speak with a man named Steve Nelson, whose credentials are, as cited, he works in the Montgomery County Commissioner's Office. 'Cause I feel that if you have as many as 83 percent of the people driving to the stadium games and 60 percent or so come from the suburbs, then the region has a role in potentially creating a franchise to finance the creation and construction and maintenance of a parking garage, which would decrease the overall cost, enhance regionalism, etc. I went onto the Internet and downloaded a couple of Web sites, which illustrate how there can be regional cooperating when projects are generated of quality and which excite the people involved. So my strong suggestion is that these issues be researched as much as possible. And I'm willing to answer any questions 282 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 you might have.
Brendan Doyle was here and apparently had to leave. She did leave a copy of testimony, which we will make a copy available to the stenographer. (Copy of Brendan Doyle's written testimony attached hereto.)
I'm switching roles with Vince McAffery. He's not here today, but we're both on the same team. My name is Mitch Deighan. I'm testifying today once again as a resident of Northern Liberties, home of the old Schmidts Brewery at Second and Girard. Probably the greatest reason I'm proud to call Northern Liberties my home is my neighborhood's long-standing tradition of tolerance and diversity. I often refer to Northern Liberties' extreme degree of integration 283 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 as futuristic. The Northern Liberties model is one which defines my neighborhood as truly reflective of William Penn's vision for Pennsylvania. As we discuss the financial elements of our citywide stadium equation, we are here in tis room of hopes and dreams and public discourse. Positioned high above us is the great and beloved statue of William Penn. I noted one bitter winter morning a few months ago that Mr. Penn, from high atop this remarkable building, is looking right at the old Schmidts Brewery site, which is in a direct line of vision from City Hall to Penn Treaty on the shores of the Delaware. The symbolism of Mr. Penn's gaze towards the Brewery site struck me as a kind of coincidence that had value to me as an artistic type of person. But I would ask the Finance Committee, the City Council, the Mayor and the Phillies this: What is the value of setting a course of action on this baseball stadium issue that would be the most true to ourselves and our own traditions as a city that's known nationally, and perhaps internationally, as a city of neighborhoods? 284 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Let me ask you this: When each of us goes out to buy anew pair of shoes, don't we first and foremost choose a pair that fits? It goes without saying that a shoe that doesn't fit has little value, but the shoe that fits is the shoe that's comfortable; and, thus, we get the full value for our dollar. Now on the threshold of a billion dollars investment, we must certainly choose a site that would be the perfect fit, a perfect marriage of a development need and a site opportunity. " The most loved ballparks in American history are in this rarely accessed category. Yes, the eastern boundary of Schmidts relates directly to our burgeoning waterfront district, like the Camden Yards ballpark site in 285 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Baltimore. But at Second and Girard, we have an urban fabric that has the feel of the era when baseball grew into the hearts of Americans of all walks of life and of every ethnic and racial heritage. A ballpark at Schmidts would tie in perfectly with Philadelphia's mammoth efforts to build on our history. The old Schmidts Brewery is now owned by a member of the Mayor's Stadium Committee, who has stated publicly that if the City and Phillies decide to build our new ballpark on the Schmidts site, he'll be, quote/unquote, totally supportive. This is an exact quote as stated before a monthly meeting of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association. A stadium at Schmidts would not only save the taxpayers and Phillies hundreds of millions of dollars, but would also result in a place that would be widely acknowledged as a perfect fit of a need, a site, and an opportunity to promote growth in a part of old Philadelphia, which has already demonstrated a glowing dynamic for imaginative and progressive reinvestment. The Schmidts site is right on I-95 and the newly 286 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 rebuilt Market-Frankford el. The trolleys, including historic trolleys, will be running along Girard Avenue again before too long. As our two architectural renderings show, a stadium at Schmidts would relate superbly to Philadelphia's new Center City hotels, the Convention Center, and our preeminent historic sites.
And since the Schmidts site is owned by a single person and a member of the Mayor's Stadium Committee, the entire development process would be expedited, assuming the City and Phillies would want to create a new American ballpark which has the potential to be assessed as one of the greatest in the history of our nation and at a fraction of the price it would cost to build elsewhere in the Center City realm. Thank you.
The next three names Shirley Young, Frank Fortino, and Paul Uyehara.
And we were just given a letter from Lois DiDomenico, which 287 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 will also be made a part of the record. A copy will be given to the stenographer. (Copy of Lois DiDomenico's written testimony attached hereto.) (Witnesses come forward.)
Good evening. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Okay. My name is Shirley Young, and I'm a homeowner in the Hing Wah Yuen community, which is located two blocks away from the proposed stadium site. I oppose it because I believe that it is detrimental to the neighborhood to build in Chinatown. I grew up in Chinatown as a little kid. By then, it was mostly consisting of restaurants, maybe one or two beauty shops. Now Chinatown has developed. It's growing, houses are being proposed. I am one of the homeowners, I am a part of the expansion of Chinatown. You know, I'm dedicated to living in Philadelphia. I don't believe that putting a stadium at 12th and Vine would actually be helpful, being that for economic reasons, something has to give 288 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 way. You're going to put parking, accommodate for the stadium. What happens to the businesses and the residential people that live in Chinatown? It's a neighborhood that is developing and still developing that could be put to good use. There's homeowners at that stadium site. Why get rid of a good thing? I believe that the stadium should be put elsewhere, not at 12th and Vine. It's too congested. That's all I have to say.
Good evening. Kindly identify yourself for the record.
Excuse me, sir. Before you start to testify, we do still have a number of people that wish to testify, so I think, in fairness to everyone, perhaps we could time everyone for three minutes. I think if you 289 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 can't say something in three minutes, it's not worth saying. Okay, thank you please proceed.
Good evening. My name is Paul Uyehara. I live in University City and work in Center City. I have lived and worked in the City of Philadelphia for the last years. I 9 have two kids who have always attended public 10 schools in the City. 11 I took my time today to come and tell 12 you, President Verna and Councilwoman Blackwell, 13 Councilman DiCicco and all the at-large 14 representatives in particular my position on 15 stadium financing. It is very simple. I do not 16 want $1 of my taxes going to build a stadium in 17 Chinatown. 18 (Applause.) 19
I don't care if you take 20 it from my is wage taxes, my real estate taxes, my 21 license fees, my sales taxes, my parking fines, or 22 my business taxes. I don't even care if you take 23 it from taxes I don't even have to pay -- not one dollar. (Applause.) 290 RESOLUTION NO. 000325
I don't go to Chinatown, I'm not Chinese. In fact, I'm the immediate past president of the local chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, a national civil rights organization. I'm also a member of the SOCC Coalition and a member of Asian-Americans United. I think the proposal to place a stadium at 12th Vine is one of the most ill advised decisions I can remember of the City. It ranks right up there with dropping a bomb on a house. (Laughter.) (Applause.)
I can tell you ten reasons why the decision is bad public policy, racially discriminatory, and doomed to fail, but we're here to talk about financing. I'm not the only person today who will tell you that the School District is more deserving of financial support than a bunch of rich guys who plan to make more money one way or the other off this billion-dollar trough. I'd rather spend the money to give City workers a well-deserved raise -- at least they'll spend it in the City. 291 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 (Applause.)
The cheerleaders pushing the Chinatown site claim that it is the best way to bull up the City and create excitement, more business and more revenues, but let's face it, people are leaving the City -- and it's not to seek excitement in the suburbs. Ask any Realtor, any Realtor, to identify the most common reason for homeowners to sell property and leave town. I have no doubt what the answer will be. It's because they have a child just about old enough to either start school or move up from elementary school. If that kid cannot get into a school that the parents perceive to be a good one, they'll pack their bags and leave town if they can't afford a private school. It happens every year in every part of the City. (Applause.)
And the loss of population that goes along with that is one of the key problems in the City of Philadelphia. It's eroding our tax base, the schools, our housing stock, the neighborhoods, and everything else. None of those families with kids will stay because 292 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 they can see the Phillies play a game in Chinatown. (Applause.)
They will be able to stay if public schools are able to provide a sound education. The truth of the matter is that if you took a billion dollars and spent it on education, that would build up the city, create excitement, more business, and more revenues. It would also increase the population here and increase the tax base here. That is a real return on investment, that is sound public policy. If you really believe that a ballpark merits taxpayers' support, you still should reject the Chinatown site. It is by far the most expensive. And I can assure you that it will cause the most delay, the most protests, the most litigation, and the most acrimony such that it if ever gets built, John Street will not be the mayor because he won't be able to run again by that time. (Applause.)
Chinatown is a strong and vibrant community and must continue to grow and 293 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 needs space to do so. Isn't it strange that someone on the fourth floor could threaten a good neighborhood based on mere conjecture and suppositions? The cheerleaders say that all the benefits of the stadium will spread all across Center City to the hotels, the restaurants, and to all of us. The cheerleaders also say that all the bad things about the stadium will stay inside of its walls. Just ask the good people of South Philly if that is true when you live next to a stadium. You can't build a city by wrecking a viable neighborhood. I ask that you ignore the cheerleaders, listen to the people, listen to the economists, listen to the neighborhoods, do the right thing. We will be watching you. Thank you.
I'm Zahkiyyah Abdul-Raheem, and I represent East Mt. Airy Neighbors. First of all, I would like to thank our sisters and brothers from Chinatown for the food, it was delicious and it was very much needed. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
East Mt. Airy Neighbors is a 35-year-old civic association that has been fighting for 35 years for the rights of the individuals, of people, of residents. We want to go on record as saying that we wholeheartedly support our Chinatown neighbors in protesting the stadium being built in Chinatown. I was part of the March on 12th and Vine, and I did sit in, and I'm proud to have been a part of that march. (Applause.)
East Mt. Airy is composed of 18,000 households, and in each household is at least one voter and one taxpayer. And we want to go a little further by saying we 295 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 want not one dollar, not one tax dollar spent on stadiums in Philadelphia until our schools are adequate for the children. (Applause.)
No one has ever moved in and out of a city based on a stadium, but they will leave a city based on inadequate schools, based on unaffordable housing, and based on crime. (Applause.)
Councilmember DiCicco spoke about the benefits of a stadium, about entertainment, and about enjoyable things for children to go to, better facilities, but what good are they if Johnny can't read? (Applause.)
The plight of our homeless is something we can no longer afford to turn our backs on, especially since most of our workers in Philadelphia are not earning a living wage and are one paycheck away from being homeless. (Applause.)
Crime speaks for 296 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 itself. We continuously say that drugs are destroying the fabric of our families, of our neighborhoods, of our communities, and of our nation. Well, I'm here to say that there's a new cartel, and it's not cocaine or crack. The new cartel is greed. (Applause.)
The new cartel will only produce poverty, will only produce homelessness, and, worst of all, will only produce continued ignorance if our schools are not improved. Thank you very much.
Good evening. I'll be brief 'cause I concur with most of what's been said already, why repeat it. I am Harry Hyde, Jr. of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, on behalf of Concerned Citizens of the Delaware Valley, at P.O. Box 561, Swarthmore, PA, 19081. Although I'm not a resident of Philadelphia, I represent an organization of which 297 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 more than one-third are members and a plurality among counties in the metropolitan area are Philadelphia residents. The majority of our meetings are held in Philadelphia. Incidentally, I was born in this city. And since we had Father's Day a couple days ago, I'd like to mention that my dad was the man who created the slogan "Philadelphia, The World's Workshop," back about 70 years ago. Philadelphia, The World's Workshop. Concerned Citizens of the Delaware Valley, CCDV, is a small but broad-based and broad-scoped, nonpartisan, nonprofit, and non-sectarian citizens group founded in 1974. While we're small in numbers, our membership is interfaith, interracial, and intergenerational. Our Philadelphia members include residents of various sections of the City. CCDV has taken a position opposed to public funding of commercial sports facilities. The City has many other needs -- education, health and human services, law enforcement and public safety, public transportation, quality of life, housing and community development, and quite a 298 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 number of other things that are more important than baseball stadiums or football stadiums, for that matter. We respectfully urge Council to consider these needs, along with information that we've already heard from expert testimony. And an important consideration to look into is how many Philadelphia residents actually attend commercial sports events, particularly of the Philadelphia Phillies, because that's apparently the big-ticket item expense-wise, and what percentage of those attending the events are actual residents of Philadelphia. When I wrote this testimony, I was of the mistaken understanding that the Chinatown site was not an issue and all we would be talking about would be funding, so I did not include it in my write-up. However, I would like to say very briefly that our organization also wants to go on record as definitely being opposed to the Chinatown site. Thank you for your time and attention. (Applause.)
Thank you. 299 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Is Lois DiDomenico in the audience? She did leave a letter, and that will be made a part of the record.
The next three names are Harry Chin, Sara McEneaney, and Tony DeSantis. (Witnesses come forward.)
Again, I'm going to request that every speaker be considerate of the others that want an opportunity to testify. And, again, we will be timing you three minutes. Please identify yourself for the record an proceed with your testimony.
My name is Sara McEneaney. President Verna, Councilmembers, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. As I said, my name is Sara McEneaney. I'm an artist and a member of the Stadium Out of Chinatown Coalition. I have lived and worked 11th and Hamilton Streets for 21 years. As a Philadelphia resident and taxpayers of 27 years, who has never missed an 300 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 election or a primary, I am totally opposed to any tax dollars being spent on stadiums for wealthy professional sports teams. The Phillies and the Eagles have the resources to build their own stadiums. The Flyers and the Sixers did it with minimal subsidy at the First Union Center, the Giants did it in San Francisco after taxpayers voted down a publicly stadium four times. Those examples should be the model, not the corporate welfare schemes that were pulled off in Baltimore, Cleveland, Denver, and Detroit just to name a few. Unless teams are publicly owned, they should not be receiving public tax dollars. (Applause.)
If new taxes are going to be levied, the revenues raised should go to the City and not to stadiums. Don't think a tax on car rentals won't affect City taxpayers. Many residents do not own cars because of the high cost of insurance and parking. These taxpayers do the City a service by not having a car in the street on a daily basis and renting cars when they need them. Philadelphia's current resources and 301 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 any future ones raised are desperately needed for our schools, public health centers, libraries, recreation centers, and police and fire departments. To be more specific, I'd like to refer to the Philadelphia Coalition for Kids newly released study, Report Card 200, the Well-being of Philadelphia's Youth and Children. In a Philadelphia Inquirer editorial on June 15th, Naomi Post, Co-Chair of the Coalition, said: "I am sorry to report that Philadelphia is not doing particularly well by our kids. Our purpose is to point out where we are not doing well and illuminate where we are making progress in hopes of replicating successful strategies." Here are just a few of Ms. Post's stated priorities: Reach U.S. government goals for low birth weight babies, infant mortality, and immunizations; Remove barriers to enrolling children in subsidized child care; Learn more about the relationship between declining temporary assistance for needy 302 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 families enrollments and increasing rates of homeless children and families; Ensure that savings from welfare reform are used to strengthen families and address the unmet needs of low-income communities; Consider expanding programs, such as the Youth Violence Reduction Project and Operation Sunrise, that appear to reduce youth violence and crime; Address public school needs, such as competitive teachers' salaries, capital improvements, smaller class size, early childhood education, new books and technology. No one needs to remind Naomi Post that his is "The Year of the Child." Hopefully, she'll remind her husband, Mayor John Street. To sum up, I ask all of you to refuse to use hard-earned tax dollars for private-interest stadiums. Councilman DiCicco, I live and work in your district. In the past, I have found you to be an intelligent and reasonable representative, especially when you worked with Chinatown and the north of Vine community where I live for the 303 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 zoning changes. And now I don't understand what's happening when it seems like you're trying to stop that progress. So please --
I'm sorry. Your time has been up. I'm giving you latitude, please summarize.
All right. Please do not support the use of public funds for wealthy sports teams stadiums, especially at the most expensive site, 12th and Vine Street.
Please identify yourself for the record and proceed.
Hi. My name is Tony DeSantis. First off, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I'd also like to thank you, Mrs. Verna, for responding to my letter. Thank you. I speak today as a Pennsylvania resident and as a taxpayer. Normally, as a Bucks 304 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 County resident, I'd consider it inappropriate for me to tell the City of Philadelphia how to spend its money, but since the Governor has committed $85 million for stadium construction in Philadelphia, I suppose I have a stake in this now. I am troubled by the 12th and Vine preliminary choice because it's troubling enough to consider spending almost a half a billion dollars to construct two entertainment complexes, which is essentially what a sports complex is. I'm also troubled by the possibility that the cost of condemnation, relocation, and demolition on the assorted parcels could approach $200 million. Furthermore, I do not agree that the City of Philadelphia would actually benefit from a downtown ballpark. I would ask the Committee of the Whole to look at the stadium issue from a different perspective, which is, should we even consider building a ballpark in Center City? I oppose the placement of a ballpark in Center City for the following reasons: First, a ballpark would be used only 81 305 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 days a year. The rest of the time it would be empty. Second, the placement of a ballpark downtown, as presently conceived, would require the closing of 12th Street, further disrupting the normal traffic flow. Finally, the substantial infrastructure improvements soley to accommodate stadium access and parking would be required. I suggest it would be better for the City to consider the placement in Center City of a year-round sporting facility, a facility that would accommodate no more than 20,000 people, require neither the amount of land or substantial infrastructure of a ballpark, and possibly on property that the City already owns. While everyone's focusing on the replacement of Veterans Stadium, there is another sports facility in Philadelphia older than the Vet, that also happens to be one of the ugliest sports' arenas ever built, and it's located in a prime location for a ballpark. It's at the southwest corner of Broad and Pattison, between the Vet and the First Union Center. Yes, the 306 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Spectrum. In an era of single-sport arenas, it is inevitable that the NBA and NHL will demand and get for their teams their own arenas. The process of stadium relocation will be repeated five to ten years from now, when the Spectrum is due for replacement and the when Sixers and Flyers demand their own arenas. I suggest get ahead of the curve on this. I would propose that the City of Philadelphia replace the Spectrum, not the Vet, with a facility downtown. The Phillies can then take the Spectrum site and build their stadium there. This would accomplish a couple of objectives: First, it would reduce the impact of stadium attendance on the neighborhoods in South Philadelphia. It would also reduce the ancillary costs to the City and enhance Center City. If the cost of building the First Union Center was $80 million, even allowing for some inflation, that's still 100 million. For the rest of the parking lot, with a quid pro quo, it would probably cost you 120 million. You're still 85 307 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 million ahead if you do that. Above and beyond that, the Flyers, Sixers, and the Phillies would benefit in the following ways: The Phillies would get what they want, the Sixers would have a place to call their own, and the Flyers and the Phantoms could have their own ice surface. It's easier to maintain one ice rink than two ice rinks. It's easier to maintain one floor than two. Now, I realize that this all depends upon what the final cost for the relocation and demolition and acquisition are, but I'm saying that if it's getting to cost that much to acquire the land, you might as well consider building another arena.
Of course, all this raises other questions, like why should the City and State invest $600 million, $50 million in the construction and entertainment venues when some high schools don't even have playing fields? )
Excuse me, Mr. DiSantis, your time really has run out. Please start to summarize. 308 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Thank you.
Oh, okay. What I'm saying is that I hope that this current administration and this Council is not rushed into a decision. Remember, these teams cannot leave until 2011. We don't need to build them anything by 2003, despite what they tell you. If it's not a good deal for us, don't go for it. That's it.
The next three names are Jack Trinsey, Linda Plummer, and Jack Butler. (Witness comes forward.)
Good evening. My name is Jack Butler, and I want to thank Ms. Verna and City Council for holding these hearings. I think they've shown that the population in Philadelphia 309 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 is becoming very, very much involved, politically involved, and is looking out for the best, you know, that -- for the future of Philadelphia. I'm really here speaking for myself, but I would like to think that I represent all concerned citizens of Philadelphia who love this city. I've lived here all my life, and I was -- I went to the public schools of the City and I taught in the public schools of Philadelphia. There is no doubt that there is certainly some economic benefit to having any kind of entertainment venue, but I think we need to stop focusing on the economic benefit of a stadium and look to the economic damage that a failed school system has caused our city to suffer. For years and years, you know, we've had people who have been jobless, homeless, on welfare. You can't even begin to imagine the social costs of that. I would like to think that this administration, unfortunately, unlike many previous administrations, really has its priorities in place. I think that we have lived through many administrations where the priorities 310 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 have been misplaced. Please, I urge you to have your priorities well-placed. I am opposed to spending any public money whatsoever on a sports stadium. (Applause.)
Or on a new stadium. If any of the major-league teams want a new stadium badly enough, they can raise the money themselves, as has been shown in other cities. I feel that if any public money is to be spent at all, it would be to -- if it could be done, renovate Vets Stadium. Here's a stadium that's not even 30 years old. It could be renovated and made better, suitable for both baseball and football, since it would be used only a fraction of the year. The parking is already there. We could think about developing -- you know, if we think of restaurants and clubs, we could develop that in that area. If money is to be spent by the teams for a stadium, a new stadium, I strongly oppose the Chinatown site. It does not belong there, and I don't have I don't think I have to belabor the points anymore. I think you, as members of City 311 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Council, are intelligent enough to be aware of those reasons that it does not belong there. If a new stadium will be built, I strongly favor either the Schmidts Brewery site or the site at the Delaware River and Spring Garden. It would be a beautiful site for a ballpark, a very exciting site, accessible to public transportation, to highway transportation, and that is where I think a new stadium should go, if one is to be built at all. Our mayor seems to be concerned so much about having a stadium in Center City because it would be within walking distance. I don't know of many people -- and I know I'm included -- who would walk from 11th and Vine to Rittenhouse Square or to many of the venues on the Avenue of the Arts. We would certainly feel, Well, to promote that, we would want to provide shuttle transportation of some kind, if we want to get people into Center City. If you're going to do that, then you might as well -- if you can get the Phillies to build a ballpark, build it at the riverfront, at the Schmidts Brewery site, and provide shuttle transportation from there. You'd 312 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 have to anyway. We have a great Phlash bus service, which, I'm sure, could be better utilized. Let's go for that. Anyway, thank you very much for your time and attention. (Applause.)
I strongly urge City Council to please listen to the people of Philadelphia and not spend any of our tax money on stadiums. Spend it where it belongs -- on schools.
Good evening. Thank you for your patience. Please identify yourself for the record.
Jack Trinsey, Council President and Councilmembers. May I put these two exhibits up, because I'm going to leave them here. I don't need an easel. They could just be put on either side there.
Council President, I sit before you with 50 years of construction experience and 40 years as a developer. I have the third proposal for an alternate stadium. And as you can see, I'm proposing to put both stadiums together in, I think, a unique idea, whereby there would be -- and avoid a motel -- or I sent around to Council copies of that last week, and I have submitted a written proposal today. What I'm proposing is that this be built in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. And the reason for that is that all of the highways converge at West Conshohocken. If you were to take a look at the Delaware Valley Planning Commission maps, they show a dot for every thousand in population. The center of this whole -- we talked about a 7 million people regional area. The dot is not really in City Hall, it's in West Conshohocken. And a lady that I told that I was going to propose the stadiums to go into West Conshohocken, she said, Oh, boy, that would be wonderful. I would take my children there to that stadium. 314 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 So some of the things that are proposed are to meet your budget proposals nowhere near what it costs. There -- the most important ingredient in building your stadium, as a construction man, I can tell you, is your concrete. And if those concrete trucks sit in traffic for a while, they have to be rejected. I watched the Denenhower (ph.) Bridge, where Buckley and Company had to take down a whole pier because it wasn't measured right, 'cause concrete goes stale. I watched the Norristown 202 bridge tear up materials, and they reject them because the State inspectors -- there's something unique about concrete. If it stands too long in a truck, it's rejected, because they don't want the concrete to come down and kill people and so forth. So there's a very strict thing, and I'm sure that that's not taken into consideration with a lot of those costs. So that could be staggering because staggering because of the traffic. But the most important thing is, I have asked the Montgomery County Commissioners to their office to allow me to speak to them on the 29th of this month to support the -- first of all, support 315 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 the Chinese, Chinatown situation. I've been going there since I was a boy. And, I tell you, they're the sweetest people. They talked about it earlier today. A young lady got up and said they're the sweetest people -- they are. They're the sweetest, gentlest, kindest people. They make you feel good -- besides having spectacular food, but they're so gentle and kind and try to be helpful. So I was asked by them if I would come and propose these ideas 'cause I've only been in this now two weeks. I was doing other things, but I put my head in this two weeks ago. What desperately is needed is for somebody for me to talk to. I went to the Mayor's Office, I went to the Phillies, and went to the Eagles' office. They were very kind and gave me a pat on the back and said, Listen, we can't do nothing until we hear from the Mayor.
What would the cost of the stadiums at this location be?
I would say that from my estimate -- for instance, the parking garage, I heard testimony, at $20,000 a car. I've got a first-class contractor, a union contractor say 316 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 that those garages up on the site would cost $10,000 a car. I believe that that would be in your original budget of $3 million or so for the two stadiums, or $3.5 million, but it needs work, it needs work. You can't expect a 73-year-old guy to stay in here and tell you what this is going to cost. I've only been in it now ten days or two weeks. If I had some cooperation from Council, that I could talk to people, or they would give me plans, or that I was allowed to go to the Eagles and to the Phillies, I would be able to come up with those costs. I would donate my time. I'm not asking for any money. In fact, I'm starting to get funded. My children gave me on Father's Day $100. Next Tuesday, I'm going to Chinatown, at 12th and Market, with cello, playing the cello, with a tin cup. Maybe I need a bucket, but I'm going there with a cup. So I'm willing to help. The most important thing you need now is, if not Chinatown, where? Because I'm very experienced in the court, and the court is going to say to the Chinatown people, All right, we agree with you, we're not going to build that in 317 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Chinatown. But where are you going to put it? And somebody has to have the answers for that. And I'm saying I heard two other proposals tonight -- the Schmidts and the 30th Street Station. So would you allow a third horse in the race because you could share in the profits there. It's all wide open. You could get money from --
It is not in the Philadelphia area, but that doesn't stop -- that doesn't stop your cooperation. It's just minutes away from the Philadelphia area, but a -- a -- there's no question that the State subsidy would be transferrable there if the City agreed to it, and I'm going to go see the Montgomery County Commissioners. What we're trying to do is, can't we all get along together? This is a beautiful spot, which has all the major transportation arteries that takes care of it -- public transportation, the Blue Route, everything is there. Both stadiums could handle it, and with it tying the 318 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 two stadiums together, nobody's tried that before, and I feel very confident that something could be worked out. The City would own a part of it, could own all of it, and you could share in it, in the profits. And there's going to be other office buildings to go up there. I've brought these two -- these are my last two exhibits to show you that there are buildings going up in there, and there's enough property around there for the buildings. And here's another map I did of the -- I scribbled this map myself to show you the area of roadways. Now, there's one thing more that I want to take as a developer. You're sitting on one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in America with the area around South Philadelphia where all of the land is concerned. Now, I'm not an expert in that --
The stadium lands and all 319 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 that ground right down to the Delaware River, there's an issue of dredging five more feet from the Delaware River so the big ships can come in here for docking, which is a major, major function in this world for Philadelphia because of the world trade that is going through now. And that area -- I worked seven years with the DEP, and I got an approval. I worked three-quarters of a mile of riverfront in the past seven years, and I got approval from the DEP. The thing that's in the bottom of the Delaware River should be tested on a small basis to see if it's contaminated, whatever it is. And it may be able to be spread on those flat lands that you have down there and the sun would kill that maybe, because you see on that picture, there are beautiful industrial parks up in King of Prussia, and you could make that place down there a gold mine because all the ships could come into Philadelphia at that area, you could have industrial buildings go up there. You're sitting on really one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the whole world from the stadium down there, all the way 320 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 down to the river, and all of that flat ground down there, it could be made into one of the most beautiful industrial parks. So what I'm saying -- in three minutes, I can't give it all to you.
Well, I'm Irish, you know, I can't stop talking. But if the Council would -- I left my messages, and I left with Mr. Kearney in Councilman Cohen's my phone number. If we could get together, I mean, you should have a good look at it. And that's why I'm here tonight.
Thank you for your patience and thank you for coming in to testify. (Applause.)
Is Delores Cortizas here? Timothy Hannah, Dr. Sheri Grasmuck, Roseanne Adams, Jean Pan, Ron Hankin. (Applause.) (Witnesses come forward.) 321 RESOLUTION NO. 000325
Ron, you too have been extremely patient. Thank you.
Thank you. And you have, as well. You have done very well for us.
My name is Ron Hankin. And I live in a historically certified building at 13th and Callowhill. The building is known as "the Beaux Arts Lofts." I am concerned that the expenditure of funds of more than $200 million in excess of the amount needed to build a stadium in other locations is a financial mistake, as well as a moral lapse. Mayor Street says that the 13th to 11th Street location is obviously the best location. By that same theory, one might say a stadium that costs such an excessive amount is obviously the wrong choice. There are quality-of-life issues that are difficult to put a dollar amount on. Perhaps putting a miniature golf course on the lawns of Independence Hall would be a financial plus for the City, but what a price to pay. 322 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 (Applause.).
There is also the potential costs that would arise due to the loss of revenues, should additional taxes be placed on rental cars and hotel rooms. This approach is in direct contradiction to enterprise zones, where tax credits are given to generate business. Taxes and more taxes may be too much. This project has the potential of becoming a dinosaur of a stadium with destructive economic and social results. The Chestnut Street return to a normal use may be a warning to all of us of the potential dangers that may occur as a result of planning missteps. Philadelphia is not a walking city. The 40,000 abandoned cars were not left there by pedestrians. The Mayor would have you believe that this is a blighted area. And, indeed, one may find some properties in need of renovation. However, there is a surge of investment and growth in and around this site. One must ask the question, If this is a blighted area, why then is the most expensive location? (Applause.) 323 RESOLUTION NO. 000325
When I spoke to my attorney concerning the potential condemnation and reimbursement costs, he told me that there was no 5 case law established on the destruction of a condominium complex. The loss of revenues from these properties and the potential future development must be calculated into the cost of this location, as well as a loss of prestige to a city that turns against some, and in so doing, perhaps all of its taxpaying citizens. In Los Alamos, government officials started fires that resulted in the destruction of 250 homes. With all due respect to Councilman DiCicco, Councilman DiCicco has started, with Mayor Street, a chain of events that may result in the destruction of our homes. There is a difference between a tragedy in New Mexico and that which is about to happen in Philadelphia. The victims in Los Alamos will get their insurance money and their government money, and they will return to rebuild their homes. If you take our homes, you will also be taking our history, as we will have no place to return. And we turn to you, you who have the 324 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 power to save our homes and Philadelphia from this 13th Street stadium, an unlucky stadium -- (Applause.)
An unlucky stadium that brings it costly social and economic consequences. Thank you. (Applause.)
The next three names are Johansen Liong, Joe Morgan, and Linda Chung..
While they're approaching the witness table, a number of people were here and did have to leave. However, they did leave copies of their testimony, which will be circulated to the Members of Council, and a copy will be given to the stenographer, and the testimony will be transcribed in full.
Good evening. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Dom Giordano, talk show 325 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 host at 1210 AM radio in Philadelphia, WPHT. (Applause.)
Thank you. till in the afternoon. It's a great honor to see -- a pleasure to see so many people still here and to see the diligence particularly I know that Councilman Cohen is involved with in these hearings today and President Verna. I came down here, didn't go home an change, at the behest of Shoshana Bricklin, to kind of make a statement in my sweat and filth, coming from a baseball game at Mt. Airy Little League, where we won tonight in quite a game, to make the statement that this is where we believe sports in the City should be. (Applause.)
Where our kids, my kids and, as you know, my you father in South Philadelphia, with some resources from the City, have been able to raise generations of children. Now, on my radio show both at WWDB and WPHT, I've had on the experts that Councilman Cohen brought in earlier today, and I have found 326 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 these men to be brilliant in their assessment -- maybe because agree with me -- that without a doubt, the stadiums -- or "stadii," as I call them -- are not about economic development. And I would tell everyone here assembled, I have not seen, in the years I've been doing talk radio 8 in Philadelphia, an issue where we begged to get 9 someone to call in that would be pro-stadium to 10 fund this, and this is way before what we started 11 to hear in the last few days and the testimony 12 today. It was running literally 100 to 1. Now, I am not an expert in stadiums, stadium economic development, and all of that, but I've kind of educated myself and I have a big mouth so I've talked about it on the air, and after listening to the experts, after hearing public opinion on this, I would tell you point-blank that members of Council are running a real risk if they go forward with some of the plans that we've heard discussed at 12th and Vine. (Applause.)
What I do think I have expertise in is, what is the public saying or 327 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 doing at any one point, because we have phone lines at the radio station, e-mail, faxes, and all the rest of it, and people call in that disagree on just about anything. They don't call in and disagree on the stadium. About the best that I hear is, we hear people saying, we want to do the right thing by the Phillies and Eagles, we want to be fair to them, but we do not -- we do not want to sign a blank check. And I will tell you this. I have a lawsuit that still is in the State Supreme Court that will come down in September that may make your job easier. We've got two jobs at the Superior Court level to agree that the State funding of the stadii is unconstitutional. (Applause.)
Yes. The lawsuit is stating that the State can make a grant to of money to Jeffrey Lurie, Bill Giles, and the people up in the Pittsburgh, but they cannot give them a 328 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 loan. A loan is unconstitutional. Judge Doris Smith called it "a groan" in the papers. That's basically what they've come up with. And she also, Judge Doris Smith, I believe, about the highest-ranking African-American judge, one of the highest in the state, that this is outrageous that we are paying millionaire ball players, we're debating this, we're holding up hearings on this while we have so many other crying needs. (Applause.)
The issue -- Council President and Mr. Cohen, I'd be happy to provide documents on this -- basically in a nutshell says, what our legislature did was, they superceded the law, they even said they had the power to make it up. And they did this in the middle of the night. So I believe that that is one area that City Council ought to take a look at as we get into these discussions and the intensity that is on you to make a just decision. And this will only increase because several state legislators told me the pressure was more unrelenting than any issue they've ever been involved in. 329 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 And with that, I'd like to not take any more time because I know there are plenty of people here tonight. I am very heartened and will report back tomorrow that this is a great moment in Philadelphia, whatever happens, that people are out here at o'clock on a summer night with their 8 kids. You're taking the time to listen to people 9 like me coming in filthy from the ball field to tell you what I think and what the public thinks about this. And for that, I'm very, very happy. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you very much for coming in and thank you for your testimony. Councilman Cohen?
I hope you keep up your good work in attempting to listen to Philadelphia, have them call in, and voice their opinions. It's extremely important that this be a dialogue amongst all Philadelphians.
Well, I would send one warning. I am very, very conservative. When David L. Cohen, Angel Ortiz, and Dom Giordano are on the same side of an issue, there's going to be 330 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 hell to be paid if you go against that. (Laughter.) (Applause.)
Michael Tran, Randy Kester, John Morley. (Witness comes forward.).
Good evening, Mr. Morley, how are you? Would you please -- would you be brief, please.
I will. Thank you. And thank you, Councilman Cohen, for prompting the resolution to provide this hearing. My name's John H. Morley, Jr., M-O-R-L-E-Y. I live in South Philadelphia. I oppose the use of taxpayer money being used to construct sports stadiums. On May 15, 2000, I attended the EPOP meeting at Kensington Church. At this meeting, a high school senior told Mayor Street that he is taking drafting classes, yet has never used a computer in school. If this is true, the School District of Philadelphia is failing to educate, and this Council should focus its energy on the School District, not a socialistic handout to 331 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 sports franchises. (Applause.)
I took drafting classes in school, in high school, and was able to get a job after graduating from high school. But in 2000, if a high school student who wants to draw can't use CAD, he will not get a job. In 1996, Standard & Poors did an industry study and determined that Americans spend only 1 percent of the money set aside for entertainment for a sporting event ticket. I have conducted a Web site poll and an oral poll of my community and found that 98 percent of the people who took part in my polls opposed the use of taxpayer money being used to construct stadiums. (Applause.)
In addition to the pro baseball stadium in California being built privately, a pro football stadium was built privately in Maryland and Florida. Groups have formed throughout the country in opposition to stadium taxes: Pittsburgh Against Stadiums Subsidies (PASS), 332 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Citizens Opposed to Stadium Taxes (COST), Voters Against Stadium Taxes (VAST), and Grassroots Against Government-Mandated Entertainment (GAGME). This issue is an opportunity for Council. This issue is an opportunity for Council to change the population decline. It would be headline news throughout the country if this Council has the courage to prevent Philadelphia tax money from being used to construct stadiums and to return the $170 million of Pennsylvania taxpayer money committed by Harrisburg. Many Philadelphia citizens considering leaving would regain their faith and trust in local government. Those fiscally conservative people in other parts of country would be encouraged to move here. That's the end of my statement. Thank you. (Applause.)
Marc DeBeary, Andrew Terhune, Todd Schwartz. (Witness comes forward.)
The wave from next speaker represents the fact that we know him 333 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 well. His father was Councilman Herb DeBeary. We're very glad to see you.
I appreciate it, Councilman Cohen. First it's good for me to just say that I'm very happy to see some hard-working Councilpersons. It makes me start to believe that when I cast my vote, I voted for individuals that actually work, and so I'm glad to see that. I have a brief statement here today. What has brought me here -- I'm Marc DeBeary, for the record. And what has brought me here is that I'm a resident of the City of Philadelphia and I've been so for the last years or so. And 15 when I first heard about the City entertaining the 16 idea of constructing stadiums for these athletic 17 teams, I became very appalled, very appalled, to a 18 point where I had to write my Councilperson, and I 19 more or less took it out on her. I think that was 20 unfair. I think that this hearing is really appropriate because it allows me to bring forth what I think the situation is and what this City Council has to deal with. About eight and a half years ago, this 334 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Council had a serious fiscal problem, a serious fiscal problem, where a lot of these individuals who are working in City Council had to make some hard decisions, some very hard decisions. A lot of people had to pay the price for that. I, living in East Germantown, we had to pay the price there. We have a recreation center there that is deplorable, deplorable. When I say "deplorable," deplorable. For six years, that recreation center has been going under an enormous amount of conversations about how it was going to get fixed how and it was going to get repaired. Just recently, I hear that they're going to start the construction. To give you another example of why I became very appalled. I have a swimming pool at the Awbury Recreation Center that has a tree literally growing off the sidewalks of it, a tree, literally off the sidewalks, it's growing. I became upset about that. So that's why I wrote the letter to my Councilperson, and she's doing what she can. But I want this Council to realize that whatever decision you make is going to have an 335 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 impact on all of us. Soon, if not yet now, and you have some serious union contract renegotiations going on. Everyone has a claim to the surplus which exists in the City Treasury, everybody has a claim. Even I have a claim to it. So what I suggest is that we don't use a nickel for the stadiums unless -- the key word is "unless," because you have to make a decision here. The City has to find ways to find more sources of revenues. We have a burden of problems. As I did my research on this issue, every city throughout the country has gone through these kind of hearing processes and have the same issues. Schools aren't working, schools need funding, recreation centers are falling apart. The same issues we have, other cities have them. So I say here today to City Council, entertain the idea, but don't spend a nickel unless the City of Philadelphia reaps the benefits, meaning the community first. Nine and a half years, we didn't have this Center City. Center City has taken all of the benefits. Now it's time to concentrate on the 336 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 communities. (Applause.)
And I ask you, City Council, I'm sure you'll do it, please, please make the City of Philadelphia be first. And I appreciate your time, and please accept my written statement and make it as a part of the record. I thank you for your time. Thank you.
Todd Schwartz, Greg Pastore, Tyrone Johnson, Ann Dixon. (Witness comes forward.)
I'm Ann Dixon of West Philadelphia. I am here to tell City Council and Mayor Street to not approve the building of the stadium at 12th and Vine Streets. During the past ten years, many cities have built stadiums. So fortunately for us, we don't have the to make guesses about the result of funding such expensive endeavors. Expensive new stadiums are touted by some politicians as being 337 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 economic boons, but their costs far outweigh any gain. In his book There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos, Jim Hightower relates true-life stadium stories. Dade County, Florida, built a $53 million for basketball and hockey around 1988. The owners said there weren't enough sky boxes, so the county built a $212 million hockey stadium and a $210 million basketball stadium. Thus, local taxpayers were left owing $38 million in bonds on the old arena. Art Modell made a deal in 1995 to move the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. Modell was promised a $20 million new stadium built by the state and leased rent-free. He received millions for moving expenses and got many other perks. Governor Glendening and the legislature took money out of the state lottery revenues, imposed a new tax, and tapped other state funds. Some legislators thought the money would be better spent on schools. Art Modell said, and I quote, "I feel for the schools, but look at the positive 338 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 of pro football on a community, the emotional investment of people at large. You can't equate that with fixing up the schools." Well, here we are in Philadelphia, facing the same issues. People of Chinatown have made it clear that they will not benefit economically or in any other way by the stadiums. And our schools, of course, are in dire straits. We can't afford to build at 12th and Vine, the most expensive of the proposed sites. Mayor Street and City Council can listen to reason and decide not to build at 12th and Vine. Thus, the Mayor will be known as "the mayor who helped neighborhoods." (Applause.)
Karen Bygott, Elvin Pedilla, Calvin Sun? Is Calvin Sun here? (No response.)
Jessie Gardner will be next. Good evening, Mr. Lee.
Good evening, Council 339 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 President. I want to thank you again and other members of Council for being patient and for allowing everyone here to speak. I've prepared letters for everybody. I'll try to keep my comments as succinct as possible. My name is Sidney Lee. I am here as a lifelong resident of Chinatown. I reside with my family on the 200 block of north Clifton Street, which is one block south of the proposed site of the stadium at 11th and Vine. I'm opposed to the stadium for two reasons: One, cost; and, secondly, location. Two reasons, while separate, do enhance one another in order to arrive at the same conclusion, that the site chosen at 11th and Vine is a great mistake. Firstly cost. Initial cost, as outlined by the Stadium Committee, was $545 million. Yet, an analysis initiated by State Senator Fumo and directed by State Senate budget expert Randy Albright, the final cost will be $125 million more, or $670 million. Baseball season consists of about 80 games. 3 million. To date, 340 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 these are the only real figures about the stadium costs. And if accurate, this stadium will be the most expensive stadium built in the country. Secondly, location. There have been mentions in the media pertaining to the stadium site and its location individuals involved in selecting the site have referred to it as the Vine Street and 12th and Vine sites as opposed to the Chinatown site. As been said, it's adjacent to Chinatown and not actually within Chinatown. Well, as someone who lives around the corner from that site, I can assure you that area is indeed a part of Chinatown. The site should be referred to as such, or perhaps as the 11th and Vine site, since that is where the eastern boundary of the stadium will begin. The site in Chinatown has the potential to expand several times its present size, but it would be impossible if the stadium went up. The only direction left for the community to grow is northward, exactly where the site in question is. There can be parallels drawn between the stadium and the Convention Center. The Convention Center was a civic project. It 341 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 stretches from 11th to 13th Streets. The Convention Center Committee claimed that it would benefit the surrounding community. Blocks of houses and businesses were razed to create this giant edifice, the great white elephant. There were no jobs created for the community, and I personally have yet to notice how this center benefitted Chinatown in any way whatsoever. The Mayor's statement that Chinatown would benefit financially (unintelligible) the Convention Center essentially reduces it to nothing more than a collection of restaurants. " One block east of 11th and Vine Street is Holy Redeemer. It's a combination of church and school that has been in existence for close to 60 years. The importance of this institution cannot be understated. It is the center of Chinatown. The surrounding community educates their children there, attend Catholic mass, and have weddings and funerals. Close proximity of the stadium to Holy Redeemer is appalling. The (unintelligible) created by a ballpark is not in 342 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 any way conducive to teaching children or a house of worship, as would any type of entertainment complex. Utter disregard for the school children and the church displayed in choosing the 11th and Vine site has yet to be addressed by the Stadium Committee. It's almost as if Holy Redeemer failed to register in the grand stadium equation. Five weeks ago, I attended a funeral of a close family friend whose service. Whose service was held at Holy Redeemer. The funeral procession started around noon. As we drove along Vine Street past the stadium site, I was forced to visualize what our procession would be like if we were to contend with cars jamming up the expressway on game day.
The dead would have to wait a little longer to arrive at their final resting place because of a traffic tie-up or accident. I feel that I am being forced to justify my existence since I refuse to accept the stadium with open arms. There are not mathematical equations that can convince me as a voter that taking away my tax dollars to fund a 343 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 stadium will help me or should be a top priority. I should be able, as a resident, to hear the justification given to spending public money on stadium which only benefits private industry. Yet I am here presenting my thoughts on the matter while the Stadium Committee believes that it will benefit the City as a whole. This belief has convinced our mayor that it is the route to go. The schools are falling apart, the gas utility is in utter disarray, we have Local 33 going on strike due to insufficient funds, the City will begin to stink in more ways than one. I respect our mayor's stubbornness on issue, and in turn, he should respect the community's stubbornness by refusing to bend over for the City's wishes. This feels like another empty promise and (unintelligible). This stadium will be the straw that broke the camel's back. Now that this camel's back is broken, corrective surgery will not be an option. The back will remain broken. The only option left would be to put the camel out of its misery. Thank you.
Thank you 344 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 very much, Mr. Lee. (Applause.).
Mitch Deighan, Jessie Gardner, and Lou Innocenzi, please approach the witness table. (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Louis J. Innocenzi, and I'm honored to speak for a civic action group, the Simon Agape Club. Several of our distinguished members who could probably present this better than I are here: Jesus Garsett (ph.), who was a man very involved with anti-violence; Ron Greenwald, who's a civil activist, very interested in Philadelphia; and, of course, Richard Meston (ph.), who is distinguished member of our group. I'll be brief. I want to thank you, honorable and esteemed members of Council for allowing us to speak and to put the time in here. 345 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Neighborhood development is the deeper issue we need to debate over stadiums. Is it not about time to distribute City funds to all sections of the City now that the major projects of Center City restoration have been completed? Did not past Mayor Rendell say that he wanted to develop the rundown neighborhoods of the City but was unable to get them? And has not Mayor Street promised to try to obtain $250 million to develop the neighborhoods? Would it not be a good idea to provide tour buses to the visiting delegates from the National Convention to see with their own eyes the squalor and rubble in vast areas of our great city, to convince them, and maybe our ourselves, that we cannot abandon vast areas of our city and our country and large numbers of American citizens, without dire consequences to our great country? Looking deeper, does not the abandonment and neglect of our city's neighborhoods constitute a violation of human rights, even though there has been some success in achieving civil rights? What are the fundamental human rights? 346 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 They are forever enshrined, of course -- not to give you a lesson in kindergarten democracy, but they are forever enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as well as many laws and court decisions throughout our great history. But they must be implemented in each generation with great vigilance and struggle. The fundamental human rights are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But in order to bring these ideals into reality, economic and racial justice must be achieved. All people have a right to a life that provides the basic necessities such as food clothing, shelter, education, health care, a safe environment, and economic security. You might say this is impossible. But if you think that, then the America of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, John Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, and every American who has and is making a contribution to this, our great experiment in human dignity and free government, then it is not possible. To achieve these inalienable rights, we all have to do our part, as we are attempting to 347 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 do in this hearing today. In economic life, the free market has a clear advantage, but government has the important responsibility to keep it fair, and this duty cannot be left to voluntary groups which are also vital to the economy. The City government as well as the State and federal governments, have a moral obligation to help assure opportunity for the people, meet basic human needs, and pursue just in economic life.
I don't have extra copies. I will make them available, but I won't read the last page, not to belabor --
If you will, sir, you can conclude. And if you'll give someone a copy of your testimony --
We'll make the copies for you. 348 RESOLUTION NO. 000325
I will send it to you and the Council. The sum up, there's a great deal of human rights being violated in our city and in our country, and there's a great deal of economic injustice, and there's a great deal of the remnants, I believe, of racism. And I hope that we can all begin to go deeper yet, that some of the causes and roots of the violence in our society are because of these injustices. And we will be hoping that all of you -- you have such a tough job. We wish you well, you have our support. Thank you for allowing us to participate. And that's it.
Thank you. Thank you for your patience. (Applause.)
Ken Heard, Marilyn Kirsch, Rebecca Ang. (Witnesses come forward.)
I'm Marilyn Kirsch and I'm in your district. 349 RESOLUTION NO. 000325
Over the past few months, my husband has been recruiting people for six new positions opening up at Temple University. Of the many candidates interested in the position, not one has chosen to look for housing within the Philadelphia City limits. The one and only reason that they do not want to live here is the poor quality of the public schools. Not one candidate has expressed any interest whatsoever in the fact that Philadelphia has major sports teams, not one candidate has asked about the condition of our stadiums, or where the teams play. (Applause.)
One candidate from Tampa did tell us that in Tampa, the publicly funded stadium has been a fiscal disaster and the city is still in debt because of it. If these people were to move to Philadelphia instead of the suburbs, not only would they be paying more taxes here, but they would be shopping and making use of City businesses, and in many over ways, spending money 350 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 in the City, thereby adding to the common wealth. If the Mayor and the City Council made the public schools of Philadelphia their priority and spent our limited resources on the schools for our children -- and I have no children, so I'm not doing this selfishly -- who are our future, then Philadelphia would truly experience the economic boom that's so falsely promised by this short- sighted idea of a publicly funded stadium for privately owned wealth.
You've been extremely patient and I want to thank you for your testimony. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
Gary Lee, Richard Pan, Lula Bell Hardman, Amy Hom-Burch, Tina Hom, Mae Laster, Yay Yee Law, Brendan Kelly, Albert Seawright. And that's it.
Is there anyone else who would like to testify? UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes.
All right, one at a time. The woman here in the first row with the glasses. 351 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 (Witnesses come forward.)
Good evening. I'm sorry if your name wasn't called. There are different lists going, so your name may have been on one of the lists.
I'm sorry. Kindly identify yourself for the record.
My name is Stephen Zwick. I'm a architect in Center City. I sit on the Urban Affairs Committee at the AIA, which is the American Institute of Architects. In prior positions, in earlier firms, I've designed most of the United Artists theaters in this area, including the original design of Riverview and the one up in Manayunk. I also designed the Maui Club and a number of other entertainment venues. One of my current clients is Electric Factory concerts. I design all of their facilities and including what was going to be the expansion of their office at 1231 and 1233 Vine Street. Because of my relationship with the Electric Factory and my design work in that area, 352 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 I have visited that area frequently, traveling through a number of the little back streets in a search for free parking, which, in essence, gives me a little bit of familiarity with the specific site. But before I get into that, I wanted to look at quite real quickly some of the issue that is were raised by some of the earlier witnesses. In regards to financing, I think there were some particular good issues raised per the notion of the City reaping some of the rewards if the stadium and the team is sold, therefore realizing some of the capital gains. In terms of economic impact, I think the economist who made his presentation, he presents some (unintelligible) in such a way that he uses whatever parameters support his hypothesis. I think DiCicco made some good counter-arguments in terms of the slice of the leisure dollar, and I think some of his arguments were hypothetical. And as he said himself, you have to look at each stadium situationally. I grew up in Chicago, north of Chicago, and I grew up going to Wrigley Field, meaning that 353 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 I enjoyed going to baseball, until I got to Philly. I've been to the Vet once and I will never go back. In terms of -- therefore, in terms of the leisure dollar, with 80 percent of the people coming currently into the City for games in South Philadelphia, some of those same people, if they stayed after work, ate downtown, and went to a ball game, would not be taking their dollars back to South Jersey, back out to the Main Line or other communities, and would still continue to spend those leisure dollars here, rather than at bowling alleys outside the City. I don't know where there's a bowling alley in Center City, to be honest with you. In terms of the first witness who spoke about the limited uses of garages, with the expansion of the Convention Center garage space will serve a daytime function for that expanding Convention Center and some of the hotel uses. And the way that you would be able to price parking -- if you priced parking in such a fashion -- for example, if you made with your ticket as validation at the 15th and Vine Street location, 354 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 you can intercept traffic and charge a cheaper rate, which could, in turn -- the way in which garages operate, it could mitigate the traffic impact upon the area. And, also, in regards to some of the issues in terms of additional infrastructure costs, if that area is to be developed, the trellises have to come down irrespective of whatever use is going to be there. The trestle of tunnels, particularly the one on Carlton Street right now is used as a dump. It's an unsafe condition, as are the conditions where it transforms into a metal structure that creates strange configurations. Without removing those, development in that region is severely limited. So in some ways, placement of a stadium at that location facilitates development rather than prevents development or inhibits development. Now, Philadelphia has one notorious distinction, in that according to several studies, that it leads the nation in abandoned properties. Nearly 27,000 abandoned properties and 30,000 vacant lots. If you drive through that area along Callowhill, you'll find a fair number of those 355 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 properties up in that region.
Using a park as a catalyst could, with the relocation and changes done to the infrastructure, allow for development into the adjacent area, thus consolidating and eliminating some of those abandoned properties. Now, in terms of what's the rage in architectural theory, there's a theory called "new urbanism," where you're trying to create a 24-hour city, allowing for a lot of different usages and opportunities and different venues, where other new cities are trying to recreate what the City of Philadelphia already has in terms of walking proximity to venues. And so I have -- you know, so, I mean, there's a lot of -- there's a lot of reciprocity and synergy that's created by having it in proximity to the Convention Center and the existing hotel and neighborhoods. Now, in regards to the point on Chinatown, which will be my last point, okay, 'cause I know there are still people who want to talk.
There are other people that want to be heard. You've gone 356 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 beyond your three minutes, sir.
Yeah. I looked -- you know, I go to Chinatown, I appreciate Chinatown. I was an Asian studies minor, so for whatever that's worth. (Audience jeers).
I walked through -- I drove through Chinatown at night, I walk through it during the day, I looked at how Chinatown is -- what -- how Chinatown is currently developing. Are there vacant lots, are there underutilized properties, are there buildings that can be still converted, can there be development within what is perceived to be Chinatown to infill that allows for growth without expansion or sprawl? I looked -- (Audience jeers.)
That's fine, you have the right to say what you feel. That's what these hearings are for. 357 RESOLUTION NO. 000325
There were a number of lots, I can cite a few of them, that are -- that could be developed, there are a number of buildings that could be developed for increased residencies, increased density. It's in a urban environment. The property that is a very nice expansion at Eighth Street is a quasi-suburban development. It turns its back on the streets, it's not of sufficient density. You could have looked at different (unintelligible), and it's -- you know, there are a lot of ways in which we can maximize what we have there and achieve many different goals simultaneously. And on that, I'll summarize. I previously gave you a paper. I don't know if you received it, I dropped it off at your office last week.
Thank you so much, and I'm sorry about the delay.
Thank you. (Witness comes forward and distributes Leggo building block pieces.)
My name is Elizabeth Van Schaick. And I own a condominium at 1238 Callowhill Street, the Beaux Arts Lofts. And my little demonstration here today is just to say that with this 12th and Vine proposal, John Street is planning play -- to forcibly raze and rebuild in a populated area as a Philadelphia World Leggo set. He thinks that if he just brings all the pieces, they'll all fit together. Well, he's forgotten that he's not playing with Leggo blocks; he's playing with people, livelihoods, and homes. I want to make sure that included within this rubric of cost is the cost of the literal loss of homes and live development and the faith of our neighbors in Chinatown. You'll find that these pieces don't all fit together. A city is not just a bunch of building blocks. Mayor Street still insists it works. 359 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Well, it doesn't work for me, it doesn't work for my neighbors, and it doesn't work for Philadelphia. I'm here today to make sure that you're aware of how this proposal impacts average people like me, who now find themselves literally within the demolition zone. I own a unit Beaux Arts Lofts on the corner of 13th and Callowhill Streets. I just settled on my condominium on April 15th, not knowing this corner had been considered as a stadium site, let alone that such a plan would become serious. I could easy easily have stayed in the suburb of Wayne, but I wanted to move into the City because I have friends here and because I wanted to take advantage of the attractions and the organizations that the City offers. I believe the previous administration and the current administration wanted to attract more young people and young professionals and creative people to the City. I, and most of the people in my building, chose the Beaux Arts Lofts precisely because it is a refurbished warehouse loft building in this convenient location. I 360 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 chose it because it's not an overpriced Society Hill or Old City building and because I received indications that this area would develop favorably within the next few years, possibly along the lines of a more affordable Old City or Soho. I was very excited. But what was my first experience in the City? I met my new neighbors for the first time at the unfolding of this crisis, and I was sucked into a campaign to fight the destruction of my building. This means that while this stadium escalates or resolves itself, I cannot invest in the improvements I had planned, so I can't even move in. Is the City of Philadelphia telling us that anywhere we choose, a warehouse or factory building in a less polished neighborhood, we can be bulldozed at any time for the next hot installation? In short, I object to the condemning and razing of a thriving building and the destruction of live plans for additional residential development. That is a debris pile, a storm of so-called progress I cannot accept. I certainly have no interest in staying within the 361 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 City if it means contributing any tax money to this plan. (Applause.)
I urge you to reject this proposal at your earliest opportunity so that neither the Council, nor the community, nor the Phillies, are forced to waste any more of our time and resources. We don't need to spend another four months debating the merit of this plan. We in the Callowhill Street area and Chinatown depend on you not to let this succeed as a one-man or one-special-interest crusade. The country is watching us, and we are not looking like a place that is thinking. That doesn't work for our city. We need to look seriously at other alternatives, such as Liberty Yards and other places -- and fast. If Philadelphia does not get back to thinking of its neighborhoods, if we dot not remember baseball as a neighborhood tradition and look for a plan for a stadium that fits in a neighborhood, we're going to look foolish. Now let's take our money and our energy and choose the right pieces and build something that makes sense. 362 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Thank you very much for the opportunity.
There anyone wishing to testify can approach the witness table, please. (Witnesses come forward.)
Good evening. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good evening. I'm Pamela Bierce, B-I-E-R-C-E. Councilpeople, Anna Verna, David Cohen, Jannie Blackwell, Angel Ortiz, Stan Shapiro, Tim Kearney, Dom Giordano, Frank DiCicco, two clerks, and your name, who I don't know, I super appreciate that you all have made the commitment to be here tonight. I question, where in the world are the rest of the Councilmembers and our mayor who is interested in exploring this plan? (Applause.)
As a resident of Park 363 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Town, over at 22nd Street and the Parkway, I speak for me, although I represent many over there. I oppose the stadium funding. Like the people of Germantown, I do not want two stadiums. This would undo the Chinese community that has worked so hard to become who they are. If the stadium were to be built in the middle of a predominantly African-American community, such as 52nd and Market or Broad and Erie, I think the response would be the same. We already have two stadiums in South Philadelphia that the City refuses to maintain or repair. Are we going to build new stadiums that will also be neglected? As a taxpayer, I get no 16 benefit. Entry fees are prohibitive, food concessions are exorbitant. I refuse to spend my time around people who act like animals, with no 19 respect for players, as they throw trash all over the field. I am not going to pay for something that does not benefit me. Make all the funding come from the corporate sources, not the taxpayer. Let the companies whose foods are sold at concessions pay for the stadiums. Do not burden the taxpayer. 364 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 The teams bring lots of crime and expense that we could better use for the education of our children. It makes no sense to seek funding for new stadiums when school buildings fall apart and children have no textbooks. Without the education of children, our city will build adults with no education who idolize sports and cannot read. Let's dump the stadiums, dump the franchises. (Applause.)
Or keep the stadiums that can be fixed. Let's use the money where it is essential, in the repairs of school buildings and the provisions of textbooks for children in the School District of Philadelphia. I do definitely oppose the funding for these stadiums. Thank you very much.
I just said that I was 365 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Chinese and that I will not be silent. My name is Lai Har Cheung. That's spelled L-A-I, capital H-A-R, C-H-E-U-N-G. I am with Asian Americans United and with the rest of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania saying no more public money into private business ventures, okay? (Applause.)
I'm tired of the lies, I'm tired of being a worker and watching my family work for someone else's wealth and seeing our money go into private hands, okay? And I hope you're tired too, 'cause it's been a long time and they've been doing it on and on again. And it's just redistribution of wealth, and I am sick of it. Public money is to be used for public good, as Councilman DiCicco rightly said, public good. The way I define public good is our children, our schools, our streets, our neighborhoods, not billionaires, millionaires, and wannabe billionaires that I see trying to get our public money, you know? (Applause.) 366 RESOLUTION NO. 000325
In walking through Chinatown, I feel watched by the tourists. They look at me like I'm on exhibit or something. Look, Ooh, look at that girl, like, from Chinatown. It's, like, the most awkward thing that you could ever experience. Like, people in trolleys are just looking at you. Like, we are not a zoo; we are a city with creative, passionate people. The fact that you guys are here tonight, I mean, we're the same people, we are not different. You know, I can look different to you and stuff like that, but we are the same. We want the best for our city, okay? (Applause.)
I was watching working- class people yesterday. I went to the Ballpark Action Team Rally, and it was the saddest thing because I saw these working-class people rooting for their bosses, 'cause they have to root for them, it's their boss. And what they were saying was that -- they said their jobs were at stake and that, like, in order to protect their jobs, they needed a stadium. And then what I was really thinking 367 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 was, are you trying to protect your jobs or are you trying to protect your boss' wants? Like, I didn't really -- it just really hurt me 'cause I saw a lot of beautiful people out there looking for the same things that we are: decent jobs,, decent housing, same things. But they're -- they're -- they're making their livelihoods at stake. And when you do that to people, they turn into really, like, narrow-minded people. And what we're trying to do tonight, and I'm really glad you guys are listening, because this is what we're trying to do, we're trying to open people's minds. And I'm sick of being lied to and I hope you guys are too. And I'm sick of accepting it, okay? We're supposed to be afraid that we won't have enough for our families, we're supposed to be afraid. But when the truth -- the truth is that there's more than enough for everyone. There's more time for everyone's voices to be heard, there's more money. And the money for the stadium proves it. There's enough for all of us to have in this country and all over the world, there is enough, but there are people that want 368 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 more than their share, and they're try to take it from people who don't have it, and that is a crying shame and that is greed and that is injustice. And if we are to live in a society with sane people, we cannot let this insanity happen, okay? We can decide that Philadelphia can be a first-class city because our children, our children deserve a first-class education, and not a stadium. This is what makes a city first class -- not buildings. It's our children that makes us first class. (Applause.)
Final thing. Public money for public good now. That's it. Thank you, thank you so much.
My name is Palma Moyer, and I'm one of your constituents, and I'm the one who got the 300 signatures from South Philadelphia 369 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 opposing the stadium in Chinatown. (Applause.)
I'll make it brief and to the point. My friends are Chinatown and I do not want any of my taxpayers' money to go to oppose them or to oppress or, for that matter, no 9 minority do I want my tax money spent to oppress anyone. And I am a registered voter and a taxpayer, and I would greatly urge Council to consider and use justice and mercy when you're making your decision, and I have all the confidence that you will come up with the right choice. Thank you.
Excuse me. Please identify yourself for the record.
Excuse me. My name is Gilbert Von Rettig (ph.). 370 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 All right, I'm against the stadium in Chinatown, but I'm not against a stadium in Philly. But don't make the same mistake you made 30 years ago by making it one all-purpose stadium because those type of stadiums are obsolete. That is a big waste of money. My suggestion is to build a stadium in one of the alternative places, other than in Chinatown. I'm not from Philly, I just grew up in Veterans Stadium and Franklin Field when I was a child when my father used to take me to see the Eagles all the time. My suggestion is temporarily renovate the old Franklin Field, not the Vet, and build a new sports complex and you won't have to worry about a stadium for centuries, okay? 'Cause the Veterans Stadium is obsolete. And then, in any one of the alternative places, other than Chinatown, you can build the baseball park. And then, it will be just like -- you know, the Jets used to play at Shea Stadium, and Shea Stadium is a baseball park and now they're in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the Giants. But their problem has been quenched. 371 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Do it the right way. Don't waste money on building an all-purpose stadium because in ten, fifteen years, you're going to have the same problem. Thank you.