What we would actually like are two things. One is, the $400,000 extra is certainly appreciated, because we recognize that so many places are holding steady or being cut.
It would actually -- To close the gap would actually require a much larger sum of money, approximately... To totally close it would probably cost something like another seven and a half million dollars. That's an indication of how many part-timers there are and how underpaid they are. We certainly wouldn't expect the City to close that gap on its own, because under the original charter for Community College, the understanding is the City pays a third, the State pays a third, and a third comes from tuition.
So we would hope for 00230 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole additional money. And I'll just wrap it up.
I'm trying to get a clearer understanding of the issue. And I was not at the last public hearing because I had some other obligations.
Is it my understanding that the University, the College has these substantial amount of part-time workers because of the ability to have a lower paid work force, therefore reduce its budget?
But you also say that if there's some additions in funding -- and I may need you to clarify that -- above the baseline budget, which I believe we're doing, that you can then enter into some renegotiations as it relates to the part-time employees?
If that money is stated by Council to be earmarked for part-time 00231 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole salaries, that would trigger a reopener in part-time salaries. If there is --
That's not what you said when you first made that statement.
That's what I intended to say. If I wasn't clear, I'm sorry. But the fact is that right now, if the additional $400,000 is in fact approved, without any earmarking, then the College can do whatever it wants with that money. And the College President testified last week that their intention is not to use it for part-time salary increase.
So, let me ask you a question. What impact -- If somehow, and I don't think we traditionally get involved to that degree. If there was -- for some reason Council decided that they wanted that money to be targeted for a particular class of employee, how would it then affect the operation of the College, in terms of their ability to deal with other aspects of the college?
The full-time 00232 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole employees, the other operating expenses associated with the College?
If the money were earmarked for part-time salaries, how would it impact?
Let me make clear first of all, what we would hope is that Council would actually increase the amount of money. So we're really asking for two things. One is to increase it beyond the $400,000.
Yes. And to earmark at least the increase above the $400,000 for part-time salaries. The College certainly has need for increased funding, aside from increases in part-time salaries because of course all of the costs of the College from last year went up. So the $400,000 I think is needed by the College for a whole variety of things. And 00233 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole we're not trying to argue that the College should not have that money for those other things. What we are here to say is that we think that there's a fairness issue here that is necessary to have more money in order to treat part-time faculty in a fair way.
All right. I mean, I'm hearing what you're saying. I'm just -- You know, and it's a little more clearer to me now. But it seems like there are kind of two issues on the table, one, the issue with respect to the union agreement, since you are a unionized work force, as it relates to the university -- the College, and the number of part-time and full-time employees and other ancillary employees, because I understand that that is, to some degree, where a lot of that is determined, as you indicated earlier.
But the other issue is an increase in funding to the College, period; and in addition to that, a designation of a portion of that increase to go for part-time employees. 00234 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole
Correct. And we'd be very glad to sit down with you and talk with you individually, if you'd like to do more of that.
All right. Earlier on the discussion, actually in the last hearing, it was my understanding that --
Councilman, in case it helps clarify your question, in the collective bargaining agreements, which were just concluded last year, the full-time faculty -- I was a member of the full-time faculty bargaining team -- took a somewhat lower raise than the raise of Community College professors at adjacent community colleges so that the part-time faculty could get a larger raise. We had three and a half percent raise. Montco had 4.1.
Okay. All 00235 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole right. I have a clearer sense of it. all right. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
I think the question is quite simple, isn't it? It's a matter of equity.
Yes. I think it's very simple. You get a day's pay for a day's work.
If you perform and you teach three classes, if you were not doing the same kind of work as a full-time professor, you would not be teaching those three classes. It is a matter of just equity. That's all it is. I mean, it's not... You don't have... This is not rocket science.
People should be paid an equitable salary, and an equitable salary means a salary that is equal to those that are performing the same type of task.
F you drive a truck, you should get the same pay that other people similarly situated driving trucks get paid. If they get paid $12 an hour, you should get paid $12 an hour. It doesn't matter whether they work a twelve-hour shift and you work a six-hour shift. For that six-hour shift the hourly pay should be the same. You're doing the same task, with the same level of skills, with the same level of proficiency. And if you were not doing that, you would not be called back to teach; is that right?
As a matter of equity. It's just a matter of us saying to Community College, you got to treat all of your workers that perform the same duties, the same 00237 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole tasks, in an equitable and similar manner. And I think I got this -- I think it's a very simple type of labor, labor law issue that -- And many universities today, Penn included, Temple included, seem to go to the part-time workers in order to -- to achieve lower salaries, and so on. But once you've been in there -- and I agree seniority works and... How long have you been teaching, John?
20 years. That's 15 quite a long time. 16 How long you been teaching? 17
I've been teaching 27, 18 and 13 of that 27 was as a part-timer. 19
It's a matter of 00238 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole certain situations require certain means to be able to bring people to an equitable level of salaries, and so on. The universities have for too long, ever since I was a graduate student -- I did graduate work. I got -- You know, I used to do the professor's work, and the professor got the money and I got nothing. So, it's a matter of just equity. And I mean, we've got to look into it as a body and as a Council.
Councilman Clark, did you want to be recognized?
Thank you. I just wanted to follow up to Councilman Ortiz's statement. I don't believe it's just a matter of equity. I believe what we're being asked to do is increase the budget also. So, you know, I just 00239 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole want to be clear. That's why I asked the extensive questions. It's not simply us telling the university that you should treat the part-timers on an equitable basis with the full-timers, which I'm sure most Council Members are more than willing to do. But there's also some additional requests for some additional funding above and beyond the increase of funding that's being put before us. So it's not just simply a matter of equity. I just wanted to clarify that. That's why I asked those questions. Thank you.
I would just say to that, yes, you're right. Equity costs money.
And the College does not have the money to provide that equity without additional monies coming in from both the State and the City.
Do you have any indication as to how much that would cost?
Approximately... I 00240 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole think to fully close the gap would cost about seven and a half million dollars. And as I was saying earlier, we would not expect the City to do the full share of that.
But if the City could come up with some portion of that, that would take us a big step in the right direction.
Fine. Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
I suspect, to put it in the vernacular, you're asking City Council to put the money where the mouth is. Is that it?
Well, I hope you're successful. It's always difficult, and you would have a difficult way to compel the Community College to apply the money. But I think you'd know how to do that. The right amount of pressure would do it. And it would be easy for us to support it. 00241 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole So the important question is the money. And I assume that you would be willing to see that that was shared in thirds also, between the City, the State --
-- and the tuition. So that what you're basically asking us is not to close the entire gap but merely for one-third of $7 million, which only amounts to two and a third million and is not an enormous fortune and a budget of many, many billions more than what we admit it is, because of the other monies that we get from Federal and State sources and that the City expends. I don't know that we could do it all at one time, but I think in all fairness we ought to be ready to show that we mean business and put at least some substantial money behind the mouth, And this year, and follow it up with the next year to complete it. And your solution seems to me to be a relatively simple thing, considering the size of the City Budget.
Thank you. We 00242 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole appreciate that.
And we're going to be trying to do that. Whether we're successful or not... In fairness, the City Council -- You know, all of the requests I've heard today are fair requests. And I think everybody agrees. The City has so many needs. And that's the box we find ourselves in. But if we're really concerned about education, the City of Philadelphia; if we're concerned about having a work force, it seems to me that this priority need is a very top priority need. And we're going to try to give it that consideration and give it that kind of support. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you also very much. We appreciate your coming in. Thank you.
If I could, I had just two points I'd like to make to wrap up. And then my Co-President, Karen Scrimmerhorn, would also like to make a few comments. And I'll be very brief.
But I think it will help. Because actually, what I said so far was in response to questions and didn't get to make the two key points I wanted to make. There are two basic justifications that are used for hiring so many part-timers in community colleges. One is that part-timers bring in special expertise. And so there's -- you know, for example, the idea that perhaps you bring in a surgeon who comes in and talks to and does a course for nursing students, that perhaps nobody on the nursing faculty full-time would be able to do; and they don't need a full-timer to teach those courses. So they bring in this outside expert. And that -- I just want to make clear that if there's anybody like that at CCP, I haven't met him yet. The people -- The part-timers that are there teaching at CCP -- I teach biology. And I teach the core courses. So I'm not there bringing in some kind of expertise that the full-time faculty don't have. I'm there because I'm cheap. And in 00244 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole fact, in my own particular situation, I actually teach full-time some of the time, but because of the budget restrictions, I never know for more than one semester whether I'm going to be full-time next semester or part-time next semester. And when I bounce back to part-time, my salary gets cut drastically. Now, I still have the same expertise developed over years of teaching, so that 11 doesn't change. I still have the same degree that 12 I earned quite some time ago, so that doesn't 13 change. 14 So, what changes? The other 15 rationale that's given for having so many 16 part-timers that you heard last week from the 17 President of the College, is part-timers don't 18 have to do office hours. Well, I want to ask a 19 question -- And that's true. There's no 20 requirement that part-timers do office hours. But what happens when I bounce back from a full-time load, where I am required to keep office hours -- and I'm glad to do it -- to being part-time status? Then I have a choice to make. I can 00245 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole either cheat myself and give office hours that I'm not paid to give, which in fact is the choice that I do make. But that's in fact one choice that part-timers are given. Or part-timers can take the other choice and they can cheat the students. Because certainly a student who takes a course deserves to have just as much access to his teacher -- his or her teacher, whether the teacher is full-time or part-time. And the overwhelming majority of part-timers, in fact, make the choice of cheating themselves. They put in the extra office hours. They're not paid for it. And they give the service to the students. But the fact of the matter is that there's no justification for not paying part-timers for office hours. We really do the same work. We're not paid to just show up for class, the way the President testified last week. We're paid to do the same work for our class. When a student takes a class they don't say: Gee, is this a full-time teacher or a part-time teacher? Am I going to, you know, get a 00246 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole third of the value of this course or am I going to get the full value of this course? No. They expect to get the full value whether it's a part-timer or a full-timer. So, we do put the same amount of work in, and should be expected to put the same amount of work in for course as a full-timer, but we ought to be paid in that pro rata fashion. And that's why you see our signs and our buttons that say: Parity pay, to close that disparity gap. I thank you very much for your attention.
My name is Karen Scrimmerhorn. I'm Co-President of the Faculty Federation at Community College of Philadelphia which represents, as we have heard, three -- I'll start over. My name is Karen Scrimmerhorn. I'm Co-President of the Faculty Federation at Community College of Philadelphia, which as you've heard, represents three bargaining units, 00247 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole full-time faculty, part-time, and visiting lecture faculty, and our classified employee support staff. I am a member of the English Department. I am a full-time faculty member in English. I was hired in 1967, and therefore I have been at the college for almost 35 years. I'd like to give you a slightly different perspective on this whole issue of part-time labor at the College. Since I have worked at the College so long, I have actually seen the situation deteriorate since 1967 when I was hired. Back then, when before the union teachers earned, let's say, six or seven thousand dollars a year, the amount per course for a part-timer was just about pro rata, $750 a credit. And in fact, what has happened since then is that the funding from the City and the State -- and this is a nationwide problem -- has gone down so much that you see a situation now where we have about 400 full-time faculty who are earning decent salaries, and you have over 800 who are being paid at basically 40 percent per class 00248 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole of what full-time teachers are being paid. But I want to talk about this from the viewpoint of education now, and not so much having to do with the salary. I want you to understand what effect this situation has on the education the students receive. When you have over 800 people whose major concern is their job security -- You've heard John say he's not sure whether he's going to be hired as a part-timer or a full-timer next semester. And in some cases people aren't sure whether they're going to be hired at all. And they're worried about putting together an income, to pay their bills, so they're working at two or three, perhaps four different colleges, what kind of situation does this create for our students? First of all, these teachers do not have tenure, so they don't have protections, the same protections that full-time teachers do, with respect to bringing up controversial subjects, controversial topics. They may feel that in the classroom discussions they cannot bring up all of the 00249 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole different aspects of the topic that they might otherwise bring up. That's a whole different -- That's a whole area we could go on and on about, but I'll move on to my next topic which is also serious. Because the teachers usually have to work at more than one place, they have to leave campus, and they can't be part of what we call the academic committee process. They can't be so much a part of the academic decision making as full-time faculty. And as a result, their students suffer. Because I think you could make a pretty good argument that unless your teacher is part of the process of setting curriculum, developing curriculum, what is going to be taught, how does one class fit in with the next class, that you're teaching in circumstances that make it very difficult for you to be a good teacher. And many part-time faculty, by the din of much extra work and much extra hours, overcome a lot of these difficulties. But the situation, the circumstances that are set up make it very difficult. 00250 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole And just to give you one more example, because you're not full-time, you don't know so much about how the College works. So you can't advise your students. You can't be very -- as knowledgeable, perhaps, as a full-timer when it comes to advising students as to what class they should take next semester, how they can get around internal roadblocks at the College that students face.
I just want the City Council to be aware of some of these educational conditions under which the part-time faculty work, because the City Council is supporting this kind of educational circumstance, when it and the State underfund the Community College of Philadelphia so drastically.
My name is Mildred Savard, and I'm part-time at Community College. I apologize for being a little late. I was running from another place. I just want to briefly say, I have 00251 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole been there since 1984, since I began graduate school. I have put my blood, sweat and tears into Community College of Philadelphia. I have helped to develop courses. I have done many, many things. And it hurts me deeply to hear my President say part-timers just come and teach a class and then leave. I have been there longer than he has been. I have been there longer than many of the full-timers. And because the History Department is small and there is a need for more full-timers but they refuse to do it, it is a matter of justice and dignity. And I'm a professional. I am as dedicated and as educated as most of the faculty and yet I can't pay my bills, I'm a month behind in my rent, I run all over Philadelphia to other institutions. And I care deeply about my students, but I'm only one person, and I can only give so much. And it's a case of my own dignity and the need of my students and the concern that the institution has that it's okay for our students to have all these part-timers who at their best can't 00252 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole do the same, and they do not seem to be concerned. And I just want you to know that it is an issue of quality of education. It is an issue for me, one of your citizens who has a right to a fair wage, who has a right to a dignity of a job that she deeply cares about, instead of seeing the person who's in charge of you see you as a thing who shows up, teaches a class, and then leaves. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you all so very much for testifying. I assure you we will be looking into this issue very closely. Thank you. Our next witness is? MR. McPHERSON: Sue Sierra.
Sue Sierra. Is Sue here? And immediately after Ms. Sierra will be James Gatchley. Is Mr. Gatchley here? (No response.)
Thank you. Good afternoon. Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your 00253 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole testimony.
Good afternoon, Madam President and Members of Council. My name is Susan Sierra. I am the policy coordinator for the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations. And I want to thank you for giving me the time to testify, and for your patience in listening to the testimony that's come before you today, including my own. PACDC represents over 80 community development corporations in neighborhoods all over the City. We have accumulated an impressive record of building more than 4,000 units of housing. We have cleaned and greened over 1,000 vacant lots. And we have developed over 2 million square feet of commercial and facility space over the last ten years. We are really dedicated to doing work of revitalizing neighborhoods all over our City. Most of the programs which affect Philadelphia CDCs and the work that they do are funded through the Community Development Block Grant and other Federal, State and private sector 00254 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole funding sources. I'm here today, though, to ask Council to focus on one of the programs that supports neighborhood economic development that comes out of the City's General Fund, and to ask Council to consider increasing the funds for the Economic Stimulus Program, particularly those funds targeted at neighborhood economic development. The economic stimulus line item in the budget really represents the City's commitment to economic growth. As I'm sure Members of this Council are aware, this Budget item has been cut repeatedly over the past few years. A few years ago the Economic Stimulus Program was funded at $25 million. Three years ago it was reduced to $5 million. Last year it was cut by an additional five percent and this year it's been proposed for additional cuts. Since economic stimulus overall is leveraged over three to one by outside funds, these cuts are troublesome. I particularly want 00255 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole to speak to one of the most productive uses of Economic Stimulus Funds, which is neighborhood economic development programs and support for community development corporations. Currently neighborhood economic development projects supported by economic stimulus dollars include the City's Neighborhood Festival and Marketing Program, support for facade improvements for small businesses, and grants to CDCs to do small business development and other neighborhood economic development efforts. CDCs around the City, including Universal Companies, Mt. Airy USA, Greater Germantown Housing Development Corporation, Frankford CDC, and the Partnership CDC, have benefited from this program and have used Economic Stimulus Funds for economic development and housing projects in their neighborhoods. Overall, as I've said, Economic Stimulus Program Funds spent by the City have been leveraged at a rate of over three to one. And funding specifically targeted at neighborhood economic development has had even greater leverage return for the City. 00256 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole The neighborhood economic development funds helps CDCs to promote their neighborhoods, to create jobs, and to rebuild their communities. 2 million reduction, due to the cut in the City's Community Development Block Grant entitlement, to reduce program income and other factors. In spite of troubled budget times, Council has in the past reached deep and has been extremely creative in finding funds to support economic development. And I particularly here want to single out the work that Councilman Goode has done, particularly with the Economic Development Tax Credit Program for CDCs. I want to thank him for introducing it, and all the Members of this Council for supporting it. Council has been creative. I would contend that still more funds are needed to promote economic development in our neighborhoods.
00257 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole And I would urge Council to continue to support neighborhood economic development, particularly by using General Funds resources and committing General Fund resources to support the Economic Stimulus Program, CDC economic development, and economic development activities in our neighborhoods. Thank you very much. I am happy to take any questions. ACTING
Thank you very much. Any questions? (No response.) ACTING
Thank you very much for your testimony. James Gatchley.
Miss Sierra, I believe there's a question from Councilman Cohen. Councilman, would you speak into the mike.
Thank you, Madam Chair. One major problem that we've had in most communities, not quite all of them, in the 00258 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole City, has been the lack of shopping centers, you know, the local Thriftways, Penn Fruits. All those are things of history in most areas of the City. Tell me, is there anything that the Community Development Corporation can do? Can they participate in funding a shopping development and would the usual advantage given the Community Development Corporations, as far as Federal funding, be applicable in such a development? We have been trying at Broad and Olney, where for 50 years there were shopping centers, and then Thriftway closed about five years ago. None of the commercial shopping -- The big centers have shown no interest. They have artificial requirements like it's not quite a mile and a half away from the closest place. I have suspicions that it may be that they're worried about the... about the composition of the neighborhood having changed. And they're dead wrong about the ability of the community to sustain a market. It's got a great ability, but 00259 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole nonetheless, I think because they think of it as West Oak Lane and primarily Caucasian, they're disturbed by the change in population which has occurred, and they've been fleeing from that area. And we don't understand why they're doing it. So we're trying to get a community development corporation to kind of take a hand and responsibility. Do CDCs do that? Or is that something not in their forte? I raise it because you raised how important economic stimulus funding is and economic development. Would there be a role for community development corporation in the development of a local business like that?
Absolutely, Councilman. And you pointed out, you know, a problem that I'm sure we all know affects a lot of neighborhoods around the City. A number of CDCs have worked to bring supermarkets back to their neighborhoods. For example, the Association of Puertorriquenos on Marcha has a beautiful supermarket
It's in North Philadelphia, about seven or eight blocks east of the Temple campus, probably about 6th and Cecil B. Moore. It's absolutely a wonderful supermarket. I also think many neighborhoods will support supermarkets, but unfortunately the market does not recognize that. So there is a need for initial funds and for seed money to bring in a supermarket to support that venture before it becomes profitable. And that's precisely why I'm here today, to testify about the importance of funds for a neighborhood economic development.
Because I have a lot of concern about the City's economic development corporation, the PIDC. Seems to me... Seems to me that unless the final recipients are capable of advancing campaign contributions, they have very little chance of being accepted by the City. We've been fighting for years for some real support by PIDC. Doesn't seem to me that we're getting it. And so I think the push could be 00261 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole stirred, if a CDC would come in and actively promote it. And that's the reason I raised the question. Is there anything you can do? The site is Broad and Stenton.
Well, Councilman, I would be happy to meet with you or your staff to talk about that more in depth, particularly since there are a number of CDCs that are working in that part of the City who might be interested and able to bring resources to bear on that problem.
That would be helpful, because I think stimulating small business is a way to economic development in the neighborhoods, getting real businesses in the neighborhoods.
Getting them back again, like the shoe stores. Getting people to spend money in the neighborhood is very important. And I'd rather see them do that than go into other neighborhoods or feel that they have to go outside the City to shop. 00262 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole Thank you very much.
We seem to have a great desire in this City for big box development, such as Wal-Marts. And we have a Wal-Mart down -- that I think are detrimental to the type of development that we're talking about, because I think they dry up small retailers. And now we're considering one up in Port Richmond somewhere. What is -- What's your opinion about -- Because they don't -- They say they're big job producers, but they produce minimum labor employment and very much employment of people that really have no rights whatsoever, vis-a-vis the owners of these giant boxes, the Wal-Mart Company.
Well, there's been a -- not only my own but other testimony also today about the importance of small business to the City's economic future. And those are -- That's precisely the work that the CDCs that are a part of our 00263 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole association are doing, working to help small businesses to get grants to improve their facades and fix up the outsides of their buildings, running small business development centers to help local entrepreneurs to start new small businesses. And both of those programs are programs that are supported by the economic stimulus line item which, again, is why I'm raising the importance of the program.
But I agree with you that -- and the other testimony that has been given that really the future of economic growth in our City is supporting locally based small businesses that hopefully will grow and continue to turn the economy of the City around.
I don't think we have any disagreement there. Thank you.
Mr. James Gatchley, Fairmount Park. 00264 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole (No response.) ACTING
Danielle Redden. Doug Norman. Norbert Baine, Community Access Coalition. Thank you very much. We have a five-minute time limit on this testimony, so if you could -- Do you have written testimony? Do you have prepared testimony?
It will go to all the Council Members. Do you have copies?
Thank you. My name is Danielle Redden. And I'm a member of the Philadelphia Community Access Coalition. What we're doing is, we're working to establish public access cable television in 00265 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole Philadelphia. And we were going to show a video today. It's right here. We especially prepared it for this hearing. However, we were told that there's no TV and VCR available. What this video was going to explain is exactly what public access cable television is because there seems to be some confusion, even though we've been working really hard for almost six years now in trying to explain what it is. And very briefly -- ACTING
You mean there's confusion on the part of the Council Members?
As to what it is. And so this is what this video was going to show. And we hope --
Well, I would suggest that those Council Members who are confused, you show it to them because we are not confused... 00266 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole
So those who may have just come on Council, and there are some who may not have had the discussion with you about public access, you might do well to show it to them individually. And some of us do have VCRs in our offices or maybe they could borrow it and take it home and look at it and bring it back. So it may be an education for some of the newer members.
Yes. Because we do have -- We have copies here that are available. And thank you. Really briefly, public access in Philadelphia would be five channels on cable television that would be set aside for community use. And also, in addition to those five channels, would also be media -- community media technology centers where residents and people who work in Philadelphia, and also community 00267 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole organizations, non-profits, labor unions, and churches could learn how to make their own programs, learn to use the digital technologies to make those programs that then would be aired on those five channels. And that would all be for free. A lot of those folks who testified here today would be the kinds of organizations and people who would utilize this system. I am here on behalf of a coalition. And this coalition represents over 70 organizations, and organizations in Philadelphia, and hundreds of individuals. The coalition represents a broad spectrum of interests, including civics groups, business and technology, arts and culture institutions, labor unions, religious organizations, educators, and families. Some of our members include the Black United Fund, Creative Access, the Newspaper guilds, The Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association, Time of Deliverance Television Ministry, The Coalition of Labor Union Women, and the Philadelphia Chapters of The League of Women 00268 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole Voters, the NAACP, and The National Organization For Women. What I'm going to go briefly into is some of the facts and history of public access in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the largest City in the country without access. Public access exists in over 2,000 communities across the country. C. has it. New York, Boston has it. Pittsburgh, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Minneapolis, Houston, Atlanta. And the list goes on and on and on. They all have it, and Philadelphia does not. However, it was not supposed to be this way. In 1983 City Council in Philadelphia passed an Ordinance, Bill 1963, to set up a non-profit corporation that would oversee the public access facilities, including the City-wide neighborhood facilities, and those five non-commercial channels for public use. Soon after this Ordinance was passed, the City signed franchise agreements with the cable companies that operated here, in which provisions were set aside to pay for the costs of 00269 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole this public access system. 8 million for startup funds, $900,000 for equipment replacement, and $500,000 every year for operating costs. These franchise agreements were signed back in 1984 and then were resigned again in 1998. So where is all this money? 8 million. And as far as the operating costs are concerned, the City Council has not set aside those funds for public access -- they're not going into an escrow account -- but has been allowing these funds to flow into the City's General Budget and just be spent. The City Council and the Mayor here for the past 20 years have ignored your own legislation and have misappropriated over $10 million that have come from cable subscribers' cable bills, that were supposed to pay for public access. 00270 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole You have allowed Comcast to use those five channels that were supposed to be for community use. This channel space has fast become one of the most valuable commodities in our society. Comcast has been using them free of charge. And as we know, Comcast is now the largest cable company in the world and does not need these kind of handouts from the City of Philadelphia. So that's a little bit about the past and the present. And I want to really talk about the future. As a coalition, we recognize the budget limits of the City, and we're not here asking for handouts. We're here asking for what was promised to us years ago.
And we also want to 19 communicate to us that we see this public access 20 system as being extremely valuable, an inexpensive tool, for helping City Council and the Mayor achieve many of your own goals. An established public access system in Philadelphia could be used by the City, by non-profit agencies, community groups and 00271 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole government agencies to do outreach to communities, to publicize events and programs. Public access can play a vital role in supporting public education and in strengthening communities. It is very much like a resource, such as the public library system or the public park system. And this is how it is seen in all the other cities where it exists. The other testifiers who are here today are going to go into a little bit more detail about the different opportunities that public access can provide. )
Before you proceed, sir, again, we're going to ask for a five-minute limitation, please. We're really running way behind schedule. Thank you.
I agree. Test: One, two. Yes, we are going way over time. My name is Norbert Baine. And about 20 years ago, I was in Atlanta, Georgia, where one of the first public access systems actually operated in a major metropolitan area, and I was 00272 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole the Director of the Children's Television Consortium there. Many of the schools and private organizations and groups came to the public access studios. Eventually we had five access studios, as well. There was this first access studio, and that was the source of the programming that was made available to the City of Atlanta. Mayor Andrew Young was very interested at that time in using public access as a vehicle for cultural development. And we had jazz festivals, and so forth. I hope that at some point in the near future that this is a direction the City of Philadelphia will take, inasmuch as there are students who are trying to get into the area that they have an interest in, that being television production. They are a work force that is looking for employment already, before they graduate from high school. And they can actually help to make some of the programs. The people who came here today to testify probably would have been filling up the 00273 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole waiting rooms outside of the access studios to try to get programs produced that would be seen by their constituents throughout the City. With me is someone from Drexel University who has programming going on, one of the few access operations that's actually happening here in the City of Philadelphia right now.
Thank you. Please identify yourself for the record. MR. McCULLOUGH: My name is George McCullough. I'm here on behalf of the Philadelphia Community Access Coalition. And I'll be real brief. I just want everybody here tonight to take a few minutes to think about the path that our President is about to take us on, and to think about, as we're building democracies on the other side of the world, that in the past few months peace groups all across this country have been denied their messages on television, even though they've been willing to pay for them. And that is an example of why public access is so important. And I think in these 00274 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole times everybody's voice and everybody having equal say is extremely important. And I urge you to support public access. Thank you. ACTING
Really briefly, before I move on to the last testifier. Like I said, I do have this videotape here that I would like to make available to those who are interested in seeing it because we weren't able to show it today. And I would also ask that with the budget proposal that Council stop spending the money that was supposed to be set aside for public access, that this actually go into an escrow fund, in the hope that this will be a system that will be set up in the very near future here in Philadelphia, and so that that money stop being misappropriated and go into a fund, and then would pay for the public access once it was set up.
In conclusion, I am Jonathan Stein. I'm General Counsel at Community Legal Services. 00275 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole And Community Legal Services has joined in supporting the coalition just this past year, because we've seen that this is a resource that the City really has been missing out of in an enormous way. This videotape that was prepared -- it's about ten -- ten minutes, that would in 9 minutes give you a short story of how public 10 access works in Chicago, in Portland, in Baltimore, and just show what a boon it is if every non-profit organization in Philadelphia could have their own program if they wanted it. Social service groups could give messages that the City of Philadelphia as a government is trying to do every day, but could through self-produced programming, you know, do it better. This is a tool for community development and empowerment of communities, where communities can have a voice, where they don't have a very strong voice right now. There's a place here for job training and job creation. Without the City spending one penny, by implementing public access, 00276 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole Comcast is committed legally to build capital facilities for video production. So the City already will have a gift by an ordinance that's already passed City Council to have production facilities that will allow community people throughout the City, everyone from a little league team in a block, to a church, to a social service group, to every United Way agency to have a voice. And so, we'd like to ask City Council to take a step. And the step, Council President, other Councilmen, we ask is right now we have an ordinance that's already passed. It requires two signatures, your own, Council President Verna, for Council and the Mayor. And we would ask at least on the City Council half that you take the first step to sign essentially the articles of incorporation that would allow this non-profit corporation to go under way, and then ask the Mayor to join you. We think this is a win-win situation for everyone. It's a shame that, you know, the City has waited 15, 20 years to do this and had 2,000 other cities around the country show us the 00277 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole way. But I think there's still time to do this. I know Mr. James was here from -- As the Public Property Commissioner, he visited the D.C. operation just a few months ago. We know it works in the rest of the country, and we'd love to see this happen here. So we invite Council to revisit this issue, to step forward to sign these articles, and in fact to say to the City that, you know, you no longer will allow the City to essentially spend this money that should be going for public access. So thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you, Mr. Stein. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen. (Applause.)
Of the many sins of omission that the government of the City of Philadelphia has been guilty of when it's come to public interest issues, this is probably one of the very worst. City Council made a mistake. And I 00278 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole was parted of City Council then. And that was years ago. And you can see I'm still a very young man, so I was just in my youth then and didn't understand what it was when the Administration innocently gave us a contract which said the five percent fee that Comcast could pay should go into the City's General Fund so the money will be available for public access, as soon as, you know, the final details are worked out. No Mayor since that bill was enacted has treated that five percent as having anything to do with public access. Every Mayor grabbed hold of it and said, that's my money and public access will take money out of my ability to control it. And so every Mayor has wrongfully treated the whole issue. And we were naive in City Council to believe in the good will of whoever was the Mayor. I think it's long overview, that it's time to correct that situation. It ought to be corrected. And everybody ought to be very mad about it. Philadelphia, you know, is backward 00279 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole in many, many ways still. I don't know what accounts for it. I can't understand how we -- Philadelphia was -- The nation was born here. We brag about our great freedoms where liberty was supposed to have been created, as a beacon to the whole world, permitted itself to do so many undemocratic things, like prosecuting the demonstrators to the Republican Convention, all of whose cases were ultimately thrown out, with very few exceptions, or like denying the people of the City public access. So I think if the community is ready, it's going to take a lot of work, because Comcast seems to have a strong hold on the City of Philadelphia. And I have to tell you they had it before David L. Cohen joined their staff. And David L. Cohen, you all know, same name as mine except he's richer than I am, because he has a middle initial L. separating our names. David L. Cohen is now probably the second person in command at Comcast. He was Mayor Rendell's Chief Assistant for many, many years, still probably is. And he will hold on tight. 00280 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole There is apparently a sweetheart agreement. As much as I've been able to divine, is there seems to be a sweetheart agreement between Comcast and the City in which Comcast says innocently when you raise that -- Oh, whenever the City of Philadelphia is ready to move, we're going to carry out our terms of the agreement, but the City has never asked us to move. And after all, we're not moving. And then you talk to the City and get an entirely different kind of story. The use by Comcast of these extra stations without payment is wrong in itself, but it's a crime or a wrongdoing that's little, compared to the denial to Philadelphians of the right that they have to public access. If the community is ready, I think we in Council ought to be ready to right the wrong. This is a Mayoral election year. This ought to be a major part of the campaign for Mayor. Let the candidates, whoever they turn out to be and whoever they represent, let them answer to the public for this and let's get some action 00281 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole here in the City Council. I know you have a lot of friends in City Council. But Comcast has, too. Comcast has one advantage over the public, and that is, the public doesn't do much by way of campaign contributions, if you look in the newspapers. But Comcast does. And the law firm that David L. Cohen headed for years certainly did. I think they contributed many hundreds of thousands of dollars to the City's funds. So, in a sense the battle may be unequal. But I think we've got to wage it.
I think we've got to give Comcast the opportunity to be honest and to carry out its program. You know, one part of the sweetheart deal was when a recent 15-year extension was executed, many years in advance of determination of the old contract, the dollar amounts used to determine what Comcast responsibility would be for providing capital funds to service, to set up a working public access station was not changed. So the dollar amount is the same that it was 15 or 20 years ago when the contract was entered into. 00282 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole So that the City took good care of Comcast. The City made sure that if public pressure compelled the City to act at some time, the amount of money that Comcast would have to pay would be approximately a half to a third of what they had originally agreed to in actual dollar value. We've got to change that, too, and bring justice to that contract. I think you have a big job to do. I think that what Mr. Stein asked to be done ought to be done, but there aren't enough Council Members today here to make it worthwhile. But I think we ought to try to arrange a showing for all City Council Members and their staffs of that ten-minute viewing, and I would urge upon the Council President consideration of how we could arrange to do it, although I wouldn't see much reason for doing it at this stage. But if you begin your campaign, I know there are a number of Council Members that are itching to get into this campaign. And in the interests of justice, I think it ought to be done. You know, we're being denied so 00283 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole much, Madam President. We have two newspapers with the same ownership. They hide. The quality of the newspapers has gone way down since we eliminated competition in the City of Philadelphia. The Knight-Ridder chain can look innocent of their involvement in predatory lending by limiting the cash... the big advertisement for cash to one newspaper, so that I've attacking the Daily News for continuing to have advertising on predatory loans. I was wrong. I should have attacked the whole Knight-Ridder chain, because the Inquirer states pure, while the Daily News with the readership that's thought to involve more of lower income people in Philadelphia, the very people that predatory loans abuse carries huge ads so the Knight-Ridder chain is making lots of money out of predatory lending. And they ought not to be let free. So I'm just saying, fight for public access. It's time the people of Philadelphia were no longer denied. And if you get a lot of fireworks going, get a lot of community meetings 00284 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole talking about it, write letters to the editors, talk to your neighbors, I think we can yet have a campaign. This is your opportunity. Nine weeks from today is the Mayoral election. Let all the candidates sweat, because they have to answer for why Philadelphia lacks public access.
Thank you so much. Our next witness is Deborah Cobb. Is Miss Cobb here? Deborah, I'm going to ask you to wait a moment. The stenographer wanted a two-minute recess. Do we have a copy of your testimony?
No, ma'am. And I was going to say, Council, first I want to thank God. And I realize it's been a long day for everyone. I love all the City Council Members. I've been coming here five years. And you work 00285 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole very hard, all of you, and you're very concerned about the citizens. And I'm also concerned about everything that's said here today. I still have the energy, because of my fight, to stay however long, but I'm also willing with consideration to Council and the other citizens here, to come back at another time. It is not because -- What do you suggest?
Okay. Then I need to wait. I just need -- I have one page and a half to just read some facts.
I had the opportunity March 11th to be here but I did not have my written statement, and it needs to be read. It needs to be spoken. There was some facts left out.
Thank you. 00286 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole
Council, I also have a letter -- excuse me -- from the Congressman, Congressman Robert A. Brady. I just wanted to leave it with staff. It was a letter that was on my behalf.
If you'll give them to the Sergeant-at-Arms, he will deliver them.
Immediately after Ms. Cobb's testimony, we will hear from Jim Helman, Mr. Williams and Miss Russell. All right, Deborah, please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your 00287 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole testimony.
Yes. I first would like to thank God. My name is Deborah Cobb. I'm a native Philadelphian, a taxpayer, a registered voter, a homeowner. I'm also a non-traditional student in the parallel curriculum. Just a moment. I am also a volunteer at Pennsylvania Prison Society, the Martin Luther King Nonviolence Association, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the American Red Cross. I am here today to address a policy that I've fought since 1999, with Community College of Philadelphia's English Department. I have been badly abused by racial discrimination at the school, and I need to bring it to public light, not only to help myself. The statistics need to be... The statistics need to be received, showing -- It will show an excess amount of excess amount of African Americans repeating English two, three and four times. I am the underprivileged, the disadvantaged, and the disenfranchised, the working poor. 00288 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole Many students have dropped out or transferred to other colleges. More keep coming without reading the school grading policy. The statistics will show the access of African Americans repeating English two, three and four times. Now that I have fought and suffered three years from the abuse of the English Department, they have changed the policy, stating they may... may... may not give three credits towards graduation for two college level English courses. I have been fighting to get the English Department to properly grade, with an A, B, C, D or F. Who decided not to give three credits? African American students are repeating English two, three and four times, even though their work is excellent. The Civil Rights Act in Brown vs. Board of Education promises students and myself the right to a fair education. I am still suffering, but I demand a fair education. It is my human and Constitutional right. Please help 00289 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole me. m. in Community College, after I almost physically collapsed in the hallway of the school. The reason for me going to the school that afternoon was because I kept getting letters stating I have poor scholarship, and my financial aid was once again cut off, or the other letters I was... that I would receive, that I was on academic probation, even though I had not missed any assignments or class. In the fall of 1998, I acquired a successful semester with good attendance and class performance, as well as my written assignments. I have all my work. It will stand in Federal Court. I have located local, State and Federal government and will continue. I notice that my instructor, Catherine Picollo, for 098 and 108 English had not given me three credits for my college level English 108 section. And I also had a MP grade that was not the school grading policy. I did have three credits and a P for 00290 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole passing for 098. I also had biased comments on my paper from Instructor Picollo, after I had written a paper on DHS medicating children and criticized the judge. The Instructor Picollo wrote that I should pick my audience better. I was helped -- In the hallway I was helped up by two staff members. A third person that looked on came over, and I explained that something was wrong with my records and my transcripts. I told them about the letters. I had my school work and the disturbing and accurate letters with me. A white male, who said his name was Dr. John Howell, said that he was The chairman of the English Department. " I thanked him. I told him my name and showed him my work. He barely glanced at it. And then he said, "Deborah, why don't you take a trade? " I said, "Dr. Howell, I have intellectual properties, and I will do just fine. " He asked where I grew up and some things about my parents. And I spoke of my recovery. Dr. Howell said he would check into the matter. A year and three months went by, and I continued to receive financial cutoff letters and the probation letter, even though I was doing well in school.
I finally went to the Acting Assistant Vice President, Dr. Cecil Talliafaro, a very compassionate African American man, who walked with me to the Act 1 Student Office. And after telling a staff member the problem, the staff member typed my name and Social Security Number on the computer, and we were all shocked at the printout results. What was shown to me were my transcripts which had 10 F's and six withdrawals.
Start to 00292 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole conclude, please.
Okay. The point is... The point is, what I've discovered was almost a can of worms. And the statistics, if they can be gotten, I would like to help work on them. It's not fair to the students. I... Council, I end up experience gatekeeping activities that were of a racial discriminative nature. What I will do is put in written testimony and deliver it to Council. I do plan -- I -- I -- It's been three years. A Congressman wrote the school, and after that I was penalized.
Yes. Did Congressman Brady ever get a response --
What happened after... In February of 2000 when Congressman Brady wrote the school in support of the evidence that I sent to him, the English Department immediately changed the grades to a D and an F. 00293 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole That does not reflect the accuracy of my work. I was not notified until July, when I had to go back to Congressman Brady's office and I was -- something was faxed to his office. And within that week I also received a certified letter. I also -- I would have retaken the courses had I not passed, so I have evidence of a lot of written struggle that's almost three -- that will stand in Court. I realize that the time is winding down. And I appreciate the opportunity. And I did not mean to take so long. This has been a very painful experience for me. And I'm not only fighting for me. I went to another institution. But I have a right to a fair education. The people that were there to help me, they end up handling me. And they -- A black crayon was drawn through my name, meaning symbolically that I was blackballed out of the school. Thirty years ago I maybe could have worked my way up on a job or so, but to be told by 00294 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole a English Department Chairman to go take a trade, I could have a successful life at a college -- without a college education, at a college that is there for the poor, that is there -- It's been a stepping stone. I'm not saying Community College is not a good school. I'm not saying that it does not have good teachers. I am saying that there are some problems there that must be addressed, that cannot continue. Also, they need to be mindful of violence in the workplace. I will continue to act in a civil, obedient manner. And I'm a mature adult. But at some point, with heartbreak and pain -- I've walked to school and ate peanut butter sandwiches. I should not have been treated this way.
Thank you. 00295 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole
Thank you. Our next witnesses will be Jim Helman, Mr. Williams, and Mr. McCrea. Also, Irene Russell. Do you have written testimony?
I'll have copies for Members. And if you feel that you would like to summarize your testimony, we will give your written testimony to the stenographer and it will be transcribed in full. Thank you. Please identify yourself for the record.
Good afternoon, 00296 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole President Verna and members of City Council. My name is Neysa Williams. I am a resident of Grays Ferry. I'm a member of the Committee of Concerned Citizens and a President of Vare Recreation Center Advisory Council. I came here today to testify for funding for the Department of Recreation. Public recreation is important for our community and for our City. Public recreation provides a positive alternative for our children and the youth who are faced with temptation from the streets every day. In Grays Ferry, organized recreation is often the only activity where our children can learn teamwork and discipline, where our children can develop their talents and learn to express themselves, where our children can find a home away from home and can interact with other children of their age and with adults who have their best interests in mind. The Department of Recreation has made a very serious impact on the Grays Ferry community. In years past, when our community was 00297 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole racked with racial problems, the Department was offering services. Today, while the racial problems of the past are being replaced with other concerns, the Department is still there and is still offering services. The Department has learned to develop with the changing times in Grays Ferry. The Department learned that because they have a professional staff that understands and interacts with our community. At one time organized basketball was nowhere to be found. Today the opportunity for basketball leagues are common. At one time culture programs was nowhere to be found. Today there is drama programs, dance programs, art programs, and other activities that are still of value for our cultural heritage. At one time our recreation facilities were open only to a few. Today our facility welcomes everyone, allow a variety of permitted activities, have public Advisory Council meetings with proper elections and provide public 00298 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole financial reports that anyone can review at any time. It will be a mistake to sell the Department of Recreation short. It would be a mistake to allow recreation programs to be privatized. It would be a mistake to not properly fund the Department. It would be a mistake to allow this important City service to deteriorate. An annotation in the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter describes public recreation as important. "...to the welfare of the people of the City." That is as true today as it was when it was written some 50 years ago. Grays Ferry wants public recreation in our community. We want it because it is a vital City service. Frankly, I can't imagine Grays Ferry without our recreation facilities and the programs that they offer. I hope that day never comes when I must try. Thank you.
Neysa, 00299 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole you're saying without our recreation facilities plural. You don't just mean their recreation center, I'm sure.
-- in the notes of testimony. Who's testifying next?
Council Members, community leaders and citizens who care about recreation throughout Philadelphia. My name is Irene Russell, President of the Friends of Stinger Square Park, and a member of the Stinger Square Advisory Council. I am here today to appeal to Members of the Council to take special care in deciding the outcome of funding recreation in Philadelphia 00300 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole this year and in years to come. First I would like to highlight the difference recreation funding has made in Stinger Square Park. Stinger Square is located at 32nd and Reed Streets in Grays Ferry area of the City. Our park was once one of the least cared for in our area. People had ceased to come there and blight was creeping in. Since 2000 we have become a model for other parks to follow. With the assistance of the Department of Recreation and other agencies, we have turned our park into an urban oasis, with programs and activities in all segments this community can participate in. Funding has made it possible to staff our park with people who care about our community and are creating a safe haven for young and old alike to come for social interaction, as well as recreation and special events all summer long. Our pool is now touted as the number one pool in our District, with no incidents or injuries for three years in a row. Our camp is also outstanding and has 00301 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole also held the number one position, providing a safe and beautiful environment where parents can bring their children for a real summer camp experience. Recreation funding has opened the door for to us seek other means of assistance, as people see the work we are doing and want to help us to maintain a high level of service to our community. Recreation funding has been instrumental in enhancing the quality of programs available throughout the Grays Ferry area. This, along with input from other agencies such as Mural Arts, Philadelphia Green and the Horticultural Society, has made monumental changes in Grays Ferry. No longer is there a dividing line between races in this community. And Grays Ferry recreation is one of the key reasons why. No longer is there a stigma attached to our community, and recreation is one of the reasons why. No longer is there a feeling of disenfranchisement among the people in Grays 00302 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole Ferry, and recreation is one of the reasons why. Why? Because uplifting and enhancing recreation in communities gives people not only a place but a voice to come together and pull together, to enrich every other aspect of the their communities. So when you consider funding recreation, not only in Grays Ferry but throughout the City, consider this: Recreation saves lives. It gives people an opportunity to earn a living while being of service to their community. It saves children from not having anywhere to go or anything to do, and keeps them from endangering themselves or getting into trouble. It enriches the community by having vital hubs of activity for a community to be a part of. Also, it strengthens a community by bringing people from all segments together and fosters a sense of neighborhood and closeness within that community. So, ladies and gentlemen, when the question is posed: Is it worth it to continue recreation funding and even to increase recreation 00303 03/18/03 - Committee of the Whole funding, the Friends of Stinger Square and the Grays Ferry community asks you to respond with a resounding yes. Thank you.