All right. But it's important to the people of the Ninth Councilmanic District. Okay?
All right. And we know this predatory lending has inflated a lot of the market values and deflated equity in the homes in our District. And there are a lot of instances and examples that we can cite to show the disparity and the inefficiency of this system by which we tax people. We know people have to pay taxes, and they know that, too. But they want a system that is fair and that works and that they're being assessed fairly. We haven't really done too much Resolution - Congressman Borski for these constituents. Out of 228,000 people, the majority of those were below 15 percent. 73,000 were in the 15 percent range. So the majority of them get no relief. And we haven't done anything. And for the people in the Ninth Councilmanic District who vote, and who vote at a high rate, I'm sure that they will ask our Council Members who have not been supportive of any relief for their plight, what they plan to do and why they were not there for them when we tried to make a difference in their lives, for a short period of time. This is not for a long period of time. This is to give us a way to bring about some change in the BRT and how they do the assessment. And I just am really disappointed in our performance here. And I hope that we're able to overcome whatever the politics rests here on this Council and deal with the people in the District.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: I'll wait, Madam President. I was going to comment on my Resolution - Congressman Borski colleague, Councilman Rizzo's comments, but I'll refrain from that for the moment. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam President. You'll be amazed to know that I actually had not planned to speak on this particular issue. But I was concerned. And I'm not debating the issue, nor am I in any way in any conflict with my colleague and good friend, Councilman Rizzo. But I was concerned about some of the comments. And as we all seeking to make sure that the record is clear, I also, at least from my perspective, wanted to make sure the record is clear. The Councilman was explaining... Councilman Rizzo was explaining some of the details as laid out by the letter received from the Mayor last week. And he is correct about the provisions of the letter. My concern about the record here is that Councilman Rizzo sponsored a Bill. That Bill Resolution - Congressman Borski was passed by the City Council 17 to nothing, and it was actually signed by the Mayor, for which I congratulate the Councilman. But in our legislative process, bills still outrank letters. the Councilman's Bill requires six percent interest. The deferral is until the property is sold. There would be a lien placed and there are eligibility criteria. Some are detailed, and some are to be developed. Now, that's the Bill that we voted on. That's the Bill that was passed. That's the Bill that the Mayor signed. The Mayor has the authority and the right -- and I respect the Mayor, and his views, and his authority, and his rights -- to implement a program that the City Administration wishes to pursue. But in the final analysis, that program has no relationship to the Bill that Councilman Rizzo passed, other than the fact that they both used a 15 percent threshold as the only link between those two items. And I believe, in fact, what the Mayor's letter and what the proposal indicates is Resolution - Congressman Borski that the Mayor has no intention of implementing Councilman Rizzo's Bill, as passed by this body and as signed by the Mayor, but uses the 15 percent threshold as a bridge, if not a bit of a bootstrap to create a different program that has no interest. It's a deferral for one year. There is no lien, and there are no eligibility criteria. Now, the only linkage between these two is the 15 percent threshold. But a letter does not outweigh a Bill under our present City Charter. So, I think what you have here is the Mayor's actually not implementing Councilman Rizzo's Bill, but gives the guise, gives the impression of implementing it, with completely different criteria and standards, as compared to what the Councilman introduced and what this body passed. So I just wanted to make sure that as long as we're all trying to make the record clear, that at least for the body that I signed up for, bills outweigh letters every day. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. Resolution - Congressman Borski The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. We've been discussing property tax reform for several weeks, but we've also been discussing the lack of school funding for our Philadelphia public schools for many years. And though we all agree that the system is flawed and there enormous problems, my position has been and my position remains: I do not believe that we fix the system on the back of the Philadelphia school system. So I will continue to be hard pressed to support any legislation that dramatically adversely affects the Philadelphia school system. If my memory serves me correctly, anywhere between $3 million and $14 million become at risk in going to the Philadelphia school system. So I will end where I started and repeat the question asked by my colleague, Councilman Di Cicco: What is the rush? All of us unanimously agreed to support a Tax Reform Commission. Let us allow that body to do what we have some difficulty doing Resolution - Congressman Borski because of our pressing legislative schedules. Let us allow them to be very deliberative, thoughtful, and circumspect in how we fix the system for the long haul and not the short term. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Thank you, Madam President. I'm not going to preface my remarks by trying to say I'm bringing clarity to the record or to anything else, because I am totally befuddled by what the situation is. Like the rest of the country, people were talking about the Presidential Election. And they look for reasons why the minority President who is in office now, why it happened that way. And they said, well, the Democrats did poorly. They didn't enunciate an economic message. And many of us just read that in a column and dismiss it. But we here in Philadelphia are Resolution - Congressman Borski beautiful at expressing every sense of division and trying to confuse every situation. Here in Philadelphia we have a Democratic Mayor and an overwhelmingly Democratic Council. But where the main support of the Mayor comes, the Democratic Mayor, is from the Republican Members, few in numbers but they get solid support. Last week there was an attempt to override that failed again, but ten Democrats voted to override the Mayor. Only four Democrats voted to sustain him. In the vote that took place today, a majority of the Democrats in Council voted to override the Democratic Mayor, but the Republicans voted, two-thirds of them today, voted to sustain the democratic Mayor. So I don't know what party is enunciating what. All I know is, one statement that Councilman Di Cicco made that I think is absolutely right, and that is that as a body we have failed to offer any property tax relief. We talk a lot. We use every conceivable excuse. The last one I heard boggles Resolution - Congressman Borski my mind, when we're told that this Council which is so loyal and supported the schools is considering matters that can hurt the schools financially. Right at the moment the schools have a ton of money. We voted $300 million that's available to the schools. They've never had that kind of a pool of money. And it was done by the Democratic Mayor pushing that the school system needed money. And we supported it. This Council's been very supportive of the school system, going far beyond the tax base, to offer additional funds all the time. There is no harm... There is no harm to the school system. There's only benefit when you right wrongs in government. And it's wrong. We have in Philadelphia a strong Democratic City. We have a total Republican system of taxation. The people that get hit hardest in Philadelphia are poorer people, low income people, women who maybe work out of the house part-time and earn $10,000 or $15,000. They pay taxes very heavily, much Resolution - Congressman Borski heavier in Philadelphia than in most of the rest of the nation. They even pay in Democratic Philadelphia much higher tax rates than they pay at the Federal level or at the State level, both governments of which are Republican. So, I don't know what kind of message this Council is trying to send. Government is half political, maybe more than half political. We elect government through political parties. We go through the motions of indicating this is not a political body. But somehow in Philadelphia the Democratic Executive is supported by the Republicans overwhelmingly. But the Democrats who nationally are supposed to be committed to raising the standard of living of working people, the Democrats in Philadelphia haven't got this message. I don't know what's going to happen during the Mayoral campaign. How is there going to be a distinction between the two parties? It's important to have that. I mean, you know, political parties are not social organizations. They are Resolution - Congressman Borski organizations that enunciate economic principles, social principles, and then fight in the community for support for those principals. In Philadelphia we have a totally muddled situation. The main supporter of the Democratic Mayor are the Republicans in the City Council. And that ought to cause people to be concerned and to think about the situation. What can they do to make it clear?
I don't know what we're going to be doing in this forthcoming election. I believe, you know... And, you know, to have 10 Democrats in City Council vote to override the Mayor, and to have the Mayor's power to veto sustained by the three Republican votes, as occurred last week, you know, makes a mockery of the political system in Philadelphia. So I think it's hard to clarify things. But I'm going to stick to one thing. And that one thing is, it's always been my belief that the democratic party stood for working people, stood for poor people, stood for those who didn't have money in the form of campaign gifts to influence the actions of government. Resolution - Congressman Borski It's always been my understanding that the Democratic Party supported labor, supported the people that needed help from government; that that was the purpose of government, was to assist people. And to me it seems a bad thing to have a tax system in Philadelphia that hits the poor. People have lived in their homes for 20 or 30 years, to have them threatened with having to move out of their neighborhood because they can't pay taxes is to me a real life's tragedy. And Democrats ought not to be doing things that create that condition. But what we ought to be focusing on is how to give people who need tax relief real tax relief, whether it's in the form of elimination or curtailment of the Wage Tax or whether it's in the form of property tax relief. Thank you, Madam President. )
At this time the Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Madam President. I am sorry to hear that Resolution - Congressman Borski Councilman Cohen's having a lot of identity problems as a Democratic. But... And I won't go through point by point. I think too many of those points are too obvious. But I do appreciate being able as a Republican to be independent, when I make a decision to vote on an override or any other matter that the Mayor is for or against, independent of whether I'm in his corner in the Democratic party or the other corner, because that is what probably Councilman Cohen doesn't want to turn upon, and point to the three Republicans who made the right decision last week, as far as they were concerned, in supporting the Mayor. Why four Democrats didn't? I have no idea. But the Mayor doesn't need and this Council doesn't need Republican votes to override the Mayor. And let's make that clear. How you can blame three Republicans who aren't involved in the Democratic Party when four Democrats aren't just defies any reason that I can come up with. But getting back to the issue, there are, as Councilman Di Cicco and others have said Resolution - Congressman Borski several attempts to try to do something about the egregious situation occurring with the tax gouging that went on this year. It wasn't the first time that this system was out of kilter or showed its flaws. But I think because of the computers that were operating on their own and not with human oversight, things were worse than usual. It is my belief -- and every vote I've taken is based on that belief -- that whether it's a freeze, whether it's a four percent increase, whether it's a ten percent increase -and I exclude the deferral bill from that statement -- needs State authorization. We can run into court if we don't put it in our bill that we need state authorization. And we can tie up a lot of lawyers with a lot of money, and get a lot of publicity. And that's all we'd be doing. We do not have the authorization without the State Legislature to do these kinds of freezes or caps. As Councilman Cohen is talking about politics, we now have a Republican sponsored four percent bill which is law subject to the Resolution - Congressman Borski State Legislature's authorization. As of this morning, we have the second or third ranking Democrat in Harrisburg in the State House, Representative Evans, saying that he's going to support authorizing that four percent cap. Why are we sitting here talking about something that will never get authorized in Harrisburg? Never. No one in Harrisburg will authorize a freeze. We don't have a chance, let alone sitting on a brink of a bipartisan agreement, possibly, to support a four percent cap which may very well need two-thirds vote, many Democrats and many Republicans, to override a possible Gubernatorial veto. And when we're talking about timing, by the time we get back in session in February and start dealing with the Budget, we're not talking about a much different timetable than Representative Evans is looking at in Harrisburg. But I believe the ten percent was too high. I think it was well done. I complement Councilman Nutter on all the work he did. I have sat, as I've said at hearings, in thousands of Resolution - Congressman Borski hearings at the Board of Revision of Taxes with people in my District. The people in the Northeast are like a lot of other people in the neighborhoods. They're trying to make a go of it. They're not at the high end; they're not at the real low end; but that's probably 70 to 80 percent of the City, without any geographical context. Four percent has always been the area where, people if the assessor will come down, usually say: That's okay. I mean, I can handle that. That's a reasonable level. I know my house might be appreciating a little bit. I don't want to go through that appeal process. I don't want to take the risk of a higher assessment.
They also are usually pleased if the Board reduces their high assessment that usually starts in double digits, down to that four percent level. That is the only criteria I have used, is what's affordable, what's fair to the average homeowner in Philadelphia. I am not worried about money that the City hasn't received yet, because in case we Resolution - Congressman Borski haven't checked, that's not the City's money yet. That's still the taxpayers' money, the homeowners' money. And I apologize, tongue in check, for representing poor people and middle income people as a Republican. I make absolutely no apology. I make no apology for supporting labor. I make no apology for not seeing a distinction where I got to check my registration card before I decide on an issue in 2002, almost 2003, when that stuff might be going on in Harrisburg, although Representative Evans is a little bit contrary to that today. And I think often times Harrisburg comes up with bipartisan solutions. Washington is a total pit when it comes to everybody's got to look at their registration card before they make a decision. I don't run for Congress. I run for City Council. We don't have Democratic potholes. We don't have Republican school problems. We've got City problems that are affecting families in Philadelphia, kids in Philadelphia, poor people, middle class people, wealthy people that we're trying to attract in Philadelphia. Resolution - Congressman Borski Let's cut the garbage about whether we are Democrats or Republicans. That is ancient history, if it ever existed. To say that the tax structure in Philadelphia is a Republican structure? That's a joke. 5 to 5 percent. Come on. This is about forgetting party labels, trying to do the right thing based on your own judgment. My judgment is that all these things need State legislation. One of them is now before the State Legislature. I can't ask Republicans. And they wouldn't vote for a ten percent a year cap. That's just how I see it. And I also don't think it's fair to the people in my District. And I don't think, with the City getting no money, that a freeze is going to be acceptable in Harrisburg. The one thing is sitting there and it looks like it has a chance of bipartisan support. So I'm going to be voting as I have on this Bill. If you want to help people, keep Resolution - Congressman Borski trying to push the Board of Revision to better its system. It's a very difficult process. The appeals aren't perfect. And there's an awful lot of people who don't file appeals because they're just afraid of the system, and they stay at home and they take it. If they can leave the City, they do. If they don't, it just smolders within their house, about how rotten this system is. But if this system were at four percent, the Board of Revision -- we wouldn't have to worry about them being revenue driven. They could fix the values because we wouldn't be getting all that money. And I believe the fine City of Chicago, if I'm not mistaken, already has a four percent cap. I didn't know that when I put the Bill in, but I think that's the common sense, reasonable, working family cap. Okay. Thank you.
Madam Chair, we've been discussing this now for like three Resolution - Congressman Borski months. It seems like we go over and over it. Councilman O'Neill referred to the current reassessments that were sent out during the last month and a half as tax gouging. I think we all agree on that. I think there's a story today in the Daily News that says that... It raises questions about every one of the 268,000 Residential Property Reassessment Proposal 203. And this is being said not by City Council. This is being said by the people who did the reassessment. So right off the bat you have and probably you have lawyers getting ready to go to court, because you have the majority of the re-assessors willing, almost ready to be subpoenaed to testify that the system and the reassessments that they sent out were totally flawed, were wrong. But the computer system that they used to do it with did not work, was programmed wrong. And now what we're saying is that if Harrisburg doesn't give us permission, we don't act. In 1981 this Council didn't wait Resolution - Congressman Borski until Harrisburg told them to act. In 1981 this Council and some of the people that voted for that are still here. I think Brian O'Neill was still here. And I think Joan Krajewski was here and Dave Cohen and Anna Verna. At that point nobody raised the issue. No one raised the issue: Oh, well, Harrisburg will prohibit us from doing that. John Street said: We got to do it, because the taxpayers of the City demand us to do it. That's what John street said that time. And we did it. And we brought about a more equitable system by doing it. We didn't go to Harrisburg to ask permission. The Coleman-Green Agreement came about because City Council said it is unfair what they have done. What the BRT did in 1981 was unfair. They reassessed houses across the City. It fell on the working class. It fell on the middle class. It fell on the poor, the brunt of it. And we didn't wait until Harrisburg said to us: You can do it now. No. We said: We represent the people of Philadelphia. Resolution - Congressman Borski I wasn't here, but the current Mayor led that charge. And I don't think we can do less than what that Council did in 1981. Everything we have tried to work reasonably, to come about an agreement, to produce an equitable system of reassessment has failed. Everything we have passed in order to get into a negotiation process has failed. But let's get something done. Let's not play any more games. Let's go back to what we did in 1981. Let's put it back on the table. Let's do it. Let's not wait for permission. I don't think that the people of this City elected us here so that we could say: Well, we can't act because we don't have permission. No. No. Let's act and then tell them tell us, let them tell the taxpayers of this City that what we did was wrong; that's all. Let's act. Let's not hide behind certain things. Forget about Democrats or Republicans. It's about Philadelphians. The brunt of the reassessment falls on the poor, the working class, and middle class. Resolution - Congressman Borski It is not equitable. The Daily News says here that the people who did the assessments understand that they did it wrong. Citizens should be out there getting lawyers to take the BRT to court right now. I think they might do that after reading this, definitely. But I think it's about time that we acted. I think it's about time that if a Bill is vetoed, we did what this Council did with Bill Green: Override the veto. Then let's go to court, and then let's get a settlement done. Let's do it. But let's stop playing games with this issue. (Applause.)
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam President. First, my colleagues are in the greatest spirit of bipartisanship, and I deeply appreciate the comments that Councilman O'Neill made. I have, under some difficult Resolution - Congressman Borski circumstances, actually been the beneficiary from time to time of support from our colleagues who happen to identify themselves on their voter registration card as Republican. Some of my colleagues will recall that the 12th vote on the override of Mayor Rendell's veto of the creation of the Police Advisory Commission came from Councilman Longstreth. Councilman Rizzo did today vote to override the Mayor's veto on the Economic Impact Statement Bill, which sought to make sure that this Council receive more information on major development projects of $50 million or more, as opposed to less information. And Councilman O'Neill and I have been working together recently on this particular issue, at both the City level and the Harrisburg level. So I will continue the nature of that relationship in a bipartisan and a friendly fashion. Today's issue, though, as raised by a number of members, when we talk about the impact of caps, I am certainly hopeful that our good Resolution - Congressman Borski colleague, Councilman O'Neill -- And I plan to support him -- will pursue this issue in Harrisburg, although Councilman Ortiz is correct that if we ended up in court, we're not sure what a court would do. The court did impose the Green-Coleman Agreement, and taxpayers at that time did see some form of relief. We did not have, as Councilman Ortiz laid out, we did not have the State authorization. But as I'm sure Councilman O'Neill knows, when you end up in court, you never know what might happen, and you might find yourself in front of a friendly judge. the four percent cap, from an economic standpoint, for our citizens... You don't have to be Milton Freedman to figure out that a four percent cap financially is certainly better than a ten percent cap, although I'm sure the Councilman shares that that will be a very interesting letter. I'm sure that we'll come up from the Mayor's office about the financial impact to either the City or the School District, based on Resolution - Congressman Borski the four percent. Councilman O'Neill and I do share the perspective, though, of whose money is it and at what time is it whose money? With regard to the School District and any impact on them, just for the record, a letter was sent last week from Michael Harris, the Chief Financial Officer of the School District. These are the facts as detailed in the letter from Mr. Harris of last week. 7 million, based on revenues to be generated and cost savings to be received by various actions taken by Mr. Harris and Mr. Valis. Councilman Cohen raised the deficit financing that we assisted in earlier this year. School District anticipates at the end of fiscal year 2003 they will have $187 million left from the $300 million financing, that is as yet unspent. Over the course of the next five years, fiscal years '03 through '07, School District anticipates spending down that $187 Resolution - Congressman Borski million, leaving in fiscal year '07 $13 million still left from the deficit financing that was effected earlier this year. Now, I'm going to be the first to say the School District has many financial challenges, but those are the facts about their finances, as laid out by their Chief Financial Officer in a letter last week. We will all certainly continue to support our School District, as their needs continue to grow, and as they continue to struggle with a structural deficit.
I think we all, though, can have some sense of faith and hope that now Governor-elect and soon to be Governor Ed Rendell will work with the State Legislature not only to solve financial problems in the Philadelphia School District but the other 500 school districts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have their own problems, and we're not the only school district that suffers a surplus. I'm sorry. Suffers with structural deficit problems. I am hopeful that an action will be taken here that moves this issue along. And if Resolution - Congressman Borski we're lucky, we may in the short-term end up in court to continue to discuss and debate this particular battle as City Council did some 21 years ago. That City Council was fortunate, because they were able to put an agreement into effect that did result in true legitimate tax relief for taxpayers at that time. And as I said last week, I would hope again that this City Council would at least meet that test and that standard and that challenge, so that we can continue to provide tax relief to citizens who desperately need it. This has been mischaracterized, I would say, by -- and I'm not critical of the news media. They report what they report, and they buy their ink by the truckloads. People who have means have spoken in a louder voice about the property tax issue, which in many instances has drowned out the true cry in many of our neighborhoods from people who are of a lower, moderate income or just working people who are struggling. They have not received the attention Resolution - Congressman Borski and the hype that many other neighborhoods have received. And that's not to discount other neighborhoods that have received larger percentage increases or larger dollar amount increases. There is a true problem here. And I think this City Council has some responsibility to take every step and every effort and every measure and use every tool available to us, whether legislatively or legally, and through the judicial system, to provide true tax relief to citizens here in Philadelphia. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. Councilman Cohen initially started off his comments, I believe, by expressing some concern over the confusion that reigns sometimes when we discuss these types of bills. And I think confusion is a good word to describe it. And not to be specific over these particular tax bills, but on other issues that we've dealt with through the course of this term, whether it was Civil Service Regulations that we Resolution - Congressman Borski were trying to change, to allow the City to hire differently than it does today, whether it was today's issue with Councilman Nutter's very well crafted bill to provide economic impact statements on large public projects, or whether it's these tax bills. We have a process in place where we have hearings. We have expert people come in, Administration people come in, they give their testimony. We do our due diligence. We listen to what they have to say, and then we formulate a vote, an opinion. We cast our vote. And on a number of these bills, whether it's the three I mentioned or others. The votes are 17 nothing, 16 nothing. We make a decision. We think about these things. We take this job seriously. And then the bills come back. And what happens in the two weeks that the bills come back, when we decide whether to cast our vote again for a bill or to sustain the Mayor's veto? And more times than I'd like to happen, on major issues facing the City, we have deliberated, we've had our process, and we've made Resolution - Congressman Borski our decision, and often that decision is unanimous. And then the bill comes back and it changes. And I think what's confusing, what people express to me in the community about this confusion is: Why did you change your mind? What happened in a two-week period or a one-week period that made you from one place in time vote to support an issue, and in another place not too far away you vote to reverse yourself? And I think the confusion in the community is that we need -- Look, I've had bills in this Council in the last eleven years I've been here that people have told me: I don't like the bill; I'm not supporting the bill; and I'm voting against it. And I shake their hand and say, you know what? Everybody's sent here for a reason, and you're doing your job. I think we need to be a little more consistent in the way in which we cast our vote and then stick to our vote. And I think that that's what's confusing people out there, is that we do one thing, and then a week or so or ten days later we turn around and do something absolutely Resolution - Congressman Borski different. So I really, you know, on this issue I think that Councilman Di Cicco is correct. We need to do something. I think that Councilman O'Neill, working on the four percent bill, is a valid issue. But I also believe that we need to be more consistent in what we do and what we say and how we vote. And I think that would eliminate a lot of confusion out in the community, as to what exactly it is we are doing or not doing, to help people deal with the pressing issues that are facing the citizens of this City. Thank you, Madam President.
Just one final word to correct Councilman O'Neill. I wasn't blaming the Republicans in City Council for anything. They're getting away with murder. What I was talking about was Democrats ought to vote like Democrats. And when the City of Philadelphia is that strongly Democratic, it ought to be reflected in the Resolution - Congressman Borski policies of the government. And I was really congratulating the three Republicans in City Council because I think they have confused the issue, to their credit, so the Democrats are beginning to think like Republicans in many cases. And that's what's wrong with this and that's what's causing the confusion. Let those of us who are committed to democratic principles, the targeted tax cuts, to always thinking of how government can improve life for people. Let's vote that way. Let's not find all kind of excuses to vote like Republicans. If, we're Democrats, be proud of it. You're doing God's work, in my opinion. You're doing the work that the people of Philadelphia have elected you to do, so please act like you're a Democratic after you get elected, not just during campaigns. Thank you, Madam President. (Applause.)
Thank you, Resolution - Congressman Borski Madam President. Councilman Cohen, you have never come off so much like a missionary, as you just did, but you may be helping my missionary cause. So I can get some registration cards handy real quickly if anybody buys any of what Councilman Cohen was selling and would like to join the Republican Party, based on that reasoning. But this may be an overwhelmingly Democratic City by registration, maybe an overwhelmingly Democratic State by registration. I just think registration means very little. And one example that I think just recently came into the room. In the last election there wouldn't have been a Mayoral election if we went based on registration. And happy holidays, Sam. But I want to just say again and again, let's not trip over the obvious. If I'm sitting on the second floor and I know that week in week out there may be 17 Council Members, but before they walk in the room it's seven against whatever Street's for, let's not kid ourselves. There's 10 votes left. And that's where it goes. Resolution - Congressman Borski And I can take you down chapter and verse on key issues. And because I could vote however I wanted to when Rendell was around, if I thought he was right. And I can vote however I want to on Street, I'd really hate for that to be labeled as a partisan issue. And the numbers reflect -- I don't think that staff work on the second floor is anything like the last time. And I think that's part of what I was just hearing from Councilman Kenney. Some of these issues come up and they're not well talked through, if you know what I mean, between the two branches of government, before they come here. They don't get the same kind of scrutiny ahead of time, and the real scrutiny often comes up in the last hour before a later vote. And that is not a real functional atmosphere to be working in, but we've been working under it now for three years. And it does produce some results that may be hard to figure out if you're not right in the middle of it. But I mean, I think we're going to continue to see strange votes if you call Resolution - Congressman Borski Republicans being with the Mayor or against him. I don't remember being with him on the Wage Tax reduction. I remember being against him for about five month while I was not being paid on a reapportionment issue. And I think I was the only vote that said we shouldn't send a $25 million present, a gift to the Gas Works that we were never going to see again. So I'm going to continue to just look at the issues and figure that I'm right, that in local government there are no Democratic or Republican potholes. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Madam President. Let me say first of all, I'm losing my voice. But this is probably a new version of campaign finance reform, where people can spend public time this way, because of cameras and there are media people, to actually push their themes of reelection next year. Let me talk about tax reform. Tax reform did not begin, in terms of policy in City Resolution - Congressman Borski Council, until the mayor decided that he was proposing to freeze Wage Tax cuts beginning next July. People decided to jump on that issue to get some mileage out of it, but something that was not going to happen until seven months from now, something we could have dealt with in two or three months. Property tax reform was not raised as an issue as a matter of policy in this Council until tax reassessments went out. This is so much political posturing that we can actually be sitting here supposedly debating whether to untable a bill and get into a discussion of veto overrides. It's not just an issue of Republican versus Democrat or bipartisanship. It's an issue of Democracy. And if you lose on a vote, still respect the majority. And that's what's not happening here. And this is just political posturing toward next year. I can tell you that I supported restoring the Wage Tax cuts quote, unquote crossing over to the other side. I supported the four percent and the Resolution - Congressman Borski ten percent cap, particularly the ten percent cap was amended. And I voted to override the Mayor's veto on that. Truth of the matter is, when people were saying, we need to do something now, there's nothing that we can do now. And I've said that before. You know that there's nothing we can do now. This is nothing but political posturing. There's nothing we can do to change this process right now. The truth of the matter is, in the end, we have a four percent cap that is law. You don't like it because it's not your bill. I'm voting against a freeze because it's a bad bill, and it's not legal.
Thank you. Are there any other statements from any of the Members? * (No response.)
Seeing none, a motion was made by Councilman Di Cicco and seconded that Bill Number 020490 be removed from the table. All of those in favor of taking that bill off the table will signify by saying Resolution - Congressman Borski aye. (Chorus of ayes.)
Motion carries. We will now consider Bill Number 020490. I would ask the Clerk to please read the title of the bill. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance amending Section 19-1301 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Real Estate Taxes," by providing that real estate taxes imposed under that Section shall be based upon the assessed value of real estate as returned by the Board of Revision of Taxes in 2001, thereby freezing such real estate taxes at the level imposed for tax year 2002, under certain terms and conditions.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell. Resolution - Congressman Borski
Yes. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Yes. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman O'Neill. Resolution - Congressman Borski
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Vote is 7 to 10. The Bill fails. The next Bill to be called is Bill Number 020491. Councilman Di Cicco, do you still want that Bill to go forward? COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Madam President, yes, since we're giving the people -- I will refrain from the word I was going to use -- a Christmas gift that they will not enjoy, why not give them two. Call for the vote.
Clerk will Resolution - Congressman Borski please read the title of the bill. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance amending Chapter 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by providing that real estate taxes imposed by the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia for tax year 2003 and thereafter shall be based upon the assessed value of real estate as certified by the Board of Revision of Taxes in 2001, thereby freezing such taxes at the level imposed for tax year 2002, and by requiring that any other real estate taxes imposed by the Board of Education be based upon such assessed values, all under certain terms and conditions.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
No. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Cohen. Resolution - Congressman Borski
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Resolution - Congressman Borski Reynolds-Brown.
Aye. Votes are 6 to 11. The motion fails. The next Bill to be called for consideration is Bill Number 020761. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance amending Bill No. 010529 entitled "An Ordinance amending Section 20-501 of The Philadelphia Code, relating to boundaries of Councilmanic Districts, by revising the boundaries of Councilmanic Districts, under certain terms and conditions."
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell. Resolution - Congressman Borski
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman O'Neill. Resolution - Congressman Borski
Aye. The ayes are 17 and the nays are zero. The Bill passes. Next Bill to be called for consideration is Bill Number 020666. COUNCIL CLERK: An ordinance approving the ninth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Eastwick Urban Renewal Area.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. Resolution - Congressman Borski COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Nutter. Resolution - Congressman Borski
Aye. The ayes are 17. The nays are zero. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, this Bill passes. The Chair recognizes Councilman Mariano.
Thank you, Madam President. I have to leave the Chamber on personal business. I'd like to leave my vote for all Bills and Resolutions as voting yes. Resolution - Congressman Borski
Madam President, I have to also leave the Chamber to attend Council business, and would like to leave the vote of aye for all bills.
Leave will be granted. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Krajewski.
Thank you, Madam President. I, too, must leave for Council business, and I would like to be reported as voting aye on all Bills and Resolutions.
Okay. Leave is granted. The next Bill being called for consideration is Bill Number 020667. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance approving the redevelopment proposal of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment of the Greenway Resolution - Congressman Borski Urban Renewal Area.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Krajewski voting aye. Councilman Longstreth.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Resolution - Congressman Borski Councilman Nutter.
Aye. Ayes are 17, the nays are zero. The majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, this Bill passes. The next Bill to be called for consideration is Bill Number 020668. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance approving the thirteenth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the South Central Urban Resolution - Congressman Borski Renewal area.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Krajewski voting aye. Councilman Longstreth.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Resolution - Congressman Borski Councilman Nutter.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are zero. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, this Bill passes. The next Bill to be called for consideration is Bill Number 020669. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance approving the second amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Point Breeze East Resolution - Congressman Borski Urban Renewal Area.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Krajewski voting aye. Councilman Longstreth.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Resolution - Congressman Borski Councilman Nutter.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are zero. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, this Bill passes.
I notice that several of my constituents have been sitting in the hearing this morning. They waited very patiently. I want to thank them for coming in. And I certainly want to wish you a very happy Resolution - Congressman Borski holiday. Thank you for all your support. Next bill is to be called for consideration is Bill Number 020671. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance approving the first amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Saran Allen Urban Renewal Area.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Resolution - Congressman Borski Krajewski voting aye. Councilman Longstreth.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Councilman Nutter.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are zero. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, this Bill passes. Resolution - Congressman Borski The next Bill being called for consideration is Bill Number 020672. COUNCIL CLERK: An ordinance approving the first amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Parkside National Register Historic District Urban Renewal Area.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Resolution - Congressman Borski Krajewski voting aye. Councilman Longstreth.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Councilman Nutter.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are zero. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, this Bill passes. Resolution - Congressman Borski The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill Number 020673. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance approving the tenth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Mantua Urban Renewal Area.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Krajewski voting aye. Resolution - Congressman Borski Councilman Longstreth.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Councilman Nutter.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are zero. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, the Bill passes. The next Bill to be called for Resolution - Congressman Borski consideration is Bill Number 020678. COUNCIL CLERK: An Ordinance approving the redevelopment proposal of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment of the 45th and Sansom Urban Renew Area.
This Bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the Bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Blackwell.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Di Cicco. COUNCILMAN Di CICCO: Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Goode.
Keep going, please. Resolution - Congressman Borski COUNCIL CLERK: Councilwoman Krajewski voting aye. Councilman Longstreth.
Aye. COUNCIL CLERK: Councilman Mariano and Councilwoman Miller voting aye. Councilman Nutter.