Would any and all witnesses that want to testify, please approach the witness table. (Witness comes forward.)
Good evening. Kindly identify yourself for the record.
My name is Gene Miller, I'm from Philadelphia, from the Fairmount neighborhood.
I'll be very brief. I 372 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 want to thank you for conducting these hearings. I know it's a strain, you've had a full day. And I think this is, you know, a wonderful revival of City Council after eight years of being locked out. And I commend you on your chairmanship.
I think one issue has to be addressed -- that is that the debt service on this bond to finance this is going to be hanging over the City for the next ten years. And we lost 9 percent of our population since 1990, most of that being middle-class taxpayers, our revenue base, our tax base. If we go into another recession, as we saw in the early and mid-'90s, we may not be able to make debt service. We may be in a position that New York was in the '70s, when it had to cut percent of its police, fire, and trash people. 20 They were laid off. New York is lucky that it recovered. Philadelphia doesn't have the infrastructure that New York City does. If we go into a situation where we default on bonds, where we have to finance them or refinance them at a higher rate, that will be the straw that breaks 373 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 the camel's back. There are very articulate and better educated economists that have looked at this, you know, the matter of debt service and the volumes of bonds, outstanding bonds that we have. And I would urge you to appoint within Council your research staff to really look into this. I don't think Philadelphia can afford, by any standard -- Conservative, Liberal, whatever -- by strict dollar standards to take this on. If there is an effective development strategy for the City, it should be to try to develop an atmosphere where people want to live in this city. Somebody cited that they had an apartment or a condominium in the designated area, that was going to be demolished. A better development strategy, I suggest, is to try to encourage, through tax incentive financing, the construction of condominiums in that area. If you bring in 4,000 new households, what does that amount to? Oh, about 8 to $10 million in new tax revenue from that area, and you can get private investment, because that's prime investment area, that real estate right now. 374 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 I promised I'd be brief. I just want to restate that briefly I'm opposed to any public funding on principle, and I feel that Council and the Mayor's commission have to examine the fact that we can't pay debt service on this bond issue to finance these stadiums. There's no way you can cook the books to make that work. Thank you.
My name is Masami Nagaki (ph). I'm from Japan, actually. I'm not a citizen of the United States. I'm so nervous, I'm sorry. I went to public school in Japan and that gave me the courage to come here and study. I went to college in Boston, I transferred, and now I go to the academy down the street. I have a lot of local friends and I believe that a lot of schools do need money, and I feel really bad. It seems like a lot of kids having an education 375 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 problem. It just doesn't make sense. And I'm wanting to have kids eventually with this guy, but I don't want my kids to go to really, you know, bad neighborhood, bad school, you know? It's just -- I don't want my kids to have guns and stuff. It just don't make sense. And I'm sorry.
Yeah. It's been a few years that I've been here studying, but I have enough knowledge to speak English fine, and just public school gets you this much, you know, knowledge. It's really important to put money towards school, not the stadiums. It's just really, you know, not making sense. That's why I just wanted to support people who stand for the justice. Thanks.
Hello. My name is Brian Huey (ph.), and I live around 11th and Cherry, right next to the Convention Center, where it's a 376 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 big eyesore, for the most part. But I moved here two years ago with Masami from Boston, because in Boston, they used to have a rent cap and it kept rent down. For the most part, it was still really expensive, but around the time that we left, they took off the rent cap and all the rents went up in the area. We wound up paying $785 a month for a studio in downtown Boston. Granted that it was downtown city area fairly, it was expensive. My grandmother lives in Chinatown. I spoke with her and she helped us find an apartment here in Philadelphia, so I moved back here. Since I've been here, I have been pretty active in a lot of anti-fascist action groups in the area, and I can see a lot of problems with the way things have been going with the stadiums, for instance. I don't really want a stadium in my backyard. I mean, I don't think anybody here does. And I'm sure John Street wouldn't want one in his. (Applause.)
But I see, like, kids walking across the street. I work out in Malvern and I used to work down in Bristol. When I worked 377 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 down in Bristol, I used to drive down the Vine Street Expressway to get to 95, and I used to see kids in the morning crossing the street with the crossing guard. And there's always one or two people that decide they want to be a jerk and drive really fast through those intersections. And I've seen kids almost get hit. I've seen problems where people just don't pay attention to where they're driving there. And with a stadium being built and coming back in the afternoon from work and whatnot, it's going to be even more dangerous. And I just see the congestion as being a major problem. I don't really have much else to say.
Good evening please identify yourself for the record.
Yes. My name is Alexander Devore (ph). I was born in Philadelphia and I've always lived in Philadelphia, including 30 years at Front and Lombard, and I'm in Councilman DiCicco's district, and I supported you and voted 378 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 for you in the last election. I supported John Street. I thought that John Street would have had more consideration for the community. I understand a lot of people would rather you spend money for education and neighborhoods and social services, but I also understand that John Street and many members of City Council want to build a stadium, I can understand that, but at least be fiscally responsible. John Street said during the election that he would go through the budget with a fine-tooth comb. You have to be fiscally responsible. And not only that, it's going to destroy Chinatown. I have a very strong sense of justice. I mean, you've had so much testimony. If you don't know by now that it's going to destroy Chinatown, then, you know, you -- I can't believe it. (Applause.)
The parking, the congestion. Race Street is one of the most congested streets in the City. Anyone who has 379 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 driven around Chinatown knows that. And parking. And Chinatown isn't just like a tourist -- I tell people to visit Chinatown because it's very interesting. It's an authentically Chinese community. It's not just a bunch of restaurants. It's -- it has character because it is a place where people actually live. It's a real community, and that needs to expand. What you're really saying -- it's a slap in the face to anyone who lives in Chinatown to say a baseball stadium is a greater cultural contribution to the City than Chinatown. (Applause.)
And not only that, you're saying that you don't want more people from China to come into the City. The City lost 17,000 people in the year 1998. That was a net loss of people during the best of economic times. Now, the way to stem that loss is to encourage more people to come into the community. And that is exactly what's happening right under your nose. People want to come into the community and they have to expand. So that that's their eminent domain. It's like saying they have no 380 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 right to come here. It's the same thing as Johnny Rocker, what he said, Oh, where the hell did all these people come from? But you, as Councilmembers and as City government, you would be using an extra $100 million of taxpayers' money to implement Johnny Rocker's belief system. And if you don't realize that voting for a stadium at 12th and Vine is political suicide, then you are more stupid than what Johnny Rocker said. And another thing, I mean, if you're going to build it there, hey, you know, you might as well build it right here, at Broad and Market. Tear down City Hall, put the stadium here, because the government's function is to serve the community. And if the government does not serve the community, then it might as well not exist at all. (Applause.)
Good evening. Please identify yourself for the record.
Good evening, Madam Chairman and committee members. My name is 381 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 Richard Averso. I just moved here to the City. I was brought in actually from some personnel that was outside stating their cause. I've been here for hours now, and the reason I come in to City Hall was to find out what they're fighting for. So before you set your timer, could I ask you, what is the objective that you they were supposed to be stating their case for? 'Cause I haven't quite heard that. I've heard people state why not to put a stadium there, what's good for the City, what's bad for the City. And before I address you on this issue, from what I gather from all of these people, can you state what the forum is that you're here for today? 'Cause I haven't heard it one time, I haven't seen it in writing, but I've heard all of their testimony, and I'd like to address it from what I've heard today, and on the news.
We're gathered here this afternoon and tonight to hear from the people of Philadelphia about their thoughts on public financing of sports stadiums. That's a proposal before the Mayor and before the City Council involving hundreds millions of dollars, and the 382 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 question is, should they be publicly financed, is it appropriate to consider use of public money? And if so, how much and on what terms?
So today, you've been here all day to hear whether or not you should finance the stadium or not with taxpayers' money from the City, correct?
Okay, I just wanted to make that clear so that before I address you, I don't waste none of my tie. So I appreciate you explaining that. In my opinion, I've lived in Philadelphia as a child and I have been -- come back to the area to work in the area. From what I can tell from these gracious people and of your time, it's a very good cause, and whether or not I feel that you should use their money or not, I guess I'm not here long enough to state that. But if I lived here all my life and being from a small town that I am, I can give you a very small example and how you should be very careful how use their money or take their community and use it the way that you like, 'cause everybody counts. One, 383 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 I've been taught that from living in a smaller town. Two, I'll give you an example. In my town that I'm from, which I said I just moved up to the City to work here, the mayor down there wanted to enlarge a bridge. The town folk went for it because the mayor said, I want to enlarge this bridge. Well, the people said, If the mayor said do it, then we got to do it, he knows what's best for the town. Well, the contractors came in and they enlarged the bridge, but what the mayor failed to tell the people my community was, by and large, he's going to damage a 100-year-old building that was very important to the town history. So this venture in which he went into cost $80,000, hypothetically speaking. By the time it was all said and done, because the mayor hid facts from the community, which is proven, it's on record, the construction engineer said, I told the mayor the day before we started the project, This is not good for our town because if we enlarge it, the traffic demands are not there, we don't need a larger bridge. And if 384 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 we do, that building, which has been a part of our town history, will be damaged. Well, sure enough, it sent a crack up the building that was over 100 years old. Not only did it $80,000 to do because the mayor felt it was right and didn't go by all the facts that were presented to himself and the committee, it also cost our town people over a million dollars to keep that one building standing. And all I'm saying is, before you make your decision, think about what these people said in this room today. There were a lot of facts about education, about the City and the problems, but we're all aware of that. I come to this City, I see all of that. But tonight our issue is whether or not the City of Philadelphia should appropriate money or funds or taxes for this venture into the stadium. And before you make that decision and hand it to the mayor, think of that building that I'm telling you about. We were told it would only cost $80,000 for that bridge. Well, we still travel over the bridge. For no 24 reason we got the bridge 'cause we didn't need it, but these facts were hidden, and that building 385 RESOLUTION NO. 000325 cost a million dollars to keep standing. We still got it, thank god. But just by him not informing all of the facts and going by all of the facts, he made a wrong decision cost, and it us over a million dollars. Don't cost their community their community. Make sure you look out for their best interests before you stamp a price tag on that stadium. That's all I'd like to say and I appreciate your time.
Do we have anyone else that would like to testify? (No response.)
I want to thank you all for your patience and your time and certainly your testimony. I think it has helped all of us. Thank you all very much. (Applause.) (Adjourned at 9:55 p.m.) - - - 386 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Wednesday, June 20, 2000, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE RESOLUTION NO. 000325 __________________________________, DEBRA ANN WHITEHEAD, Registered Professional Reporter and __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter