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From YouTube: Councilwoman Bass Makes A Closing Argument for Her Restaurant Licensing Bill 12-14-2017
Description
From the Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council held Thursday, December 14, 2017:
Councilwoman Cindy Bass delivers remarks before the full Council vote on her restaurant licensing bill, No. 170963
Read the bill: http://bit.ly/2B1vttT
A
Mr.
Koh,
please
read
the
title:
the
number
one:
seven:
zero
963,
an
ordinance
amending
section,
six
301
and
six
503
of
the
fluffy
code
and
ton
of
respectively
food
establishments
and
licenses
and
permits
to
revise
licensing
requirements
relating
to
food
establishments,
including
requirements
relating
to
restroom
facilities,
service
and
seating.
Thank
You.
Mr.
Decker
chair
recognizes
Councilwoman
bass.
Well,.
B
Thank
you,
mr.
president,
and
I'd
like
to
start
by
thanking
everyone
for
coming
down
today
on
both
sides
of
this
issue.
For
those
who
support
the
bill
to
raise
their
voices
and
say
we
are
so
sick
and
tired
of
being
sick
and
tired,
and
for
those
who
oppose
it
so
that
I
have
an
opportunity
to
clarify
misinformation
that
has
been
circulating
from
many
different
sources,
but
first
on
background.
B
B
As
we
prepare
to
take
this
most
important
vote,
there's
been
so
much
confusion
on
this
bill.
Some
is
simple
misunderstanding
and
some
is
the
intentional
spreading
of
inaccuracies.
But
I
want
to
be
clear
as
to
who
I'm
addressing
with
this
legislation
the
owners
of
stopping
goes
there
referring
to
themselves
as
beer
delis
now,
which
I
think
is
laughable,
because
I've
been
a
Philadelphian.
All
my
life
and
I
know
what
a
deli
is,
and
this
isn't
that
you
can't
get
a
pastrami
on
rye
in
any
of
these
places.
B
So
let
me
be
clear
as
to
who
this
bill
addresses.
This
bill
is
for
establishments
that
sell
beer,
and/or
shots
of
liquor,
cold
medicine
that
can
be
converted
into
drugs
to
get
high
crack
pipes
and
other
drug
paraphernalia
fruit,
flavored
cigarettes
and
candy
and
snacks
for
children.
Sometimes
they
sell
food
mostly
they
don't.
They
only
exist
in
vulnerable
neighborhoods.
Where
self-medication
happens
frequently,
they
aren't
delis
they're
places
to
buy
products
to
get
high,
they're
the
modern-day
pusher,
a
legal
storefront,
Pro
addictions,
an
indoor
open-air
drug
market.
B
It's
the
get
on
place
in
the
neighborhood
masquerading
as
restaurants.
They
sell
almost
everything
you
need
to
get
high
and
if
they
don't
have
it
often
someone
loitering
inside
or
outside
has
the
rest.
You
see
the
addicted,
clearly
intoxicated
drinking
a
shot
of
liquor,
standing
in
the
small
area
Lau,
while
neighborhood
children,
mingle
and
consume
chips
and
candy.
Who
can
defend
this?
How
can
anyone
defend
this?
We
don't
allow
children
and
bars
for
a
reason,
and
yet
we
have
a
hybrid
bar
liquor,
store
beer
distributor
operating
right
now
in
these
very
vulnerable
communities.
B
If
they
were
selling
hypodermic
needles
synonymous
with
using
heroin,
there
will
be
an
immediate
call
to
shut
these
places
down,
but
selling
crack
plates
and
cheek
cheap
alcohol.
Well,
let's
just
admit
it
that
it's
a
different
kind
of
addict,
so
they
get
a
different
kind
of
response.
As
a
member
of
council
I
believe
my
job
is
somewhat
like
a
police
officer
just
without
a
badge
sworn
to
protect
and
serve
all
people.
B
B
I've
never
heard
so
many
people
defending
a
group
of
businesses
that
were
primarily
focused
on
selling
people,
things
that
would
allow
the
continuance
of
an
addiction
all
under
the
guise
of
safety
first.
Well,
let
me
to
be
the
first
to
tell
you
that
you've
been
had
now.
I
have
no
doubt
that
safety
is
a
real
concern,
a
significant
concern
when
we
talk
to
businesses
and
those
with
those
concerns
about
the
removal
of
bulletproof
glass.
We
also
talked
about
lighting
cameras,
security
guards
with
wands
individual
assessments
from
security
professionals,
all
to
be
told.
B
No,
the
only
option
is
glass.
Well,
let
me
say
this:
I
have
an
agreement
that
was
signed
by
mr.
Chu
and
mr.
Murphy,
representing
the
asian-american,
license
beverage
association
or
known
as
Alba.
It's
a
great
and
agreement
dated
December
16
2004
nearly
13
years
ago
to
the
day
in
which
they
agreed
to
hire
security
guards.
B
It's
signed
by
the
very
people
who
now
say
no
to
security
guards.
This
document,
which
Councilwoman
Blackwell,
worked
on
since
1993
25
years.
This
document
states
that
they
will
stop
selling
drug
paraphernalia.
It
reads:
Alba,
through
its
members
cell,
no
longer
so
items
that
are
associated
with
the
use
of
illegal
drugs.
These
items
include,
but
are
not
limited
to
rolling
papers
or
cigarettes
that
can
commonly
be
used
for
rolling
tobacco.
B
Any
forms
of
glass
stems
that
are
used
for
pens
straight
shooters
or
roses
and,
as
it
becomes
apparent
over
time,
any
product
that
can
be
primarily
used
for
drugs.
What
it
does
say
is
that
those
papers
are
currently
used
for
smoking,
marijuana
and
other
substances,
and
what
it
doesn't
say
is
that
those
forms
of
glass
stems
are
used
as
crack
pipes.
B
It
also
states
regarding
education
and
training.
The
Alba
Schell
assists
its
members
to
seek
out
and
successfully
complete
responsible
alcohol,
meny
management,
training
programs,
which
essentially
means
that
you
have
to
know
when
to
cut
people
off.
You
can't
serve
people
who
are
visibly
intoxicated
regarding
safety
and
security.
B
If
the
need
arises,
that's
in
their
document
the
bylaws
attached
to
this
document
further
states
that
Apple
will,
among
other
things,
completely
abolished
the
sale
of
loose
cigarettes,
completely
abolish
the
sale
of
new
and
unused
glass
vials,
which
are
frequently
used
as
drug
paraphernalia,
specifically
for
the
packaging
of
crack,
cocaine
and
PCP
for
illegal
street
sales.
This
is
in
their
document
a
security
and
surveillance,
video
camera
that
shall
be
maintained
to
cover
interior,
the
interior
area
of
the
front
entrance
seating
area
and
counter
area
of
the
premises.
B
B
The
premises
shall
immediately
acquire
a
maintain
an
identification
verification
machine
in
the
front
counter
area
and
shall
be
utilized
by
all
employees
whenever
a
valid
identification
is
read
is
requested
and
produced
by
the
customer.
All
licensees
in
their
alcohol
serving
staff
shall
immediately
undergo
a
success
and
successfully
complete
the
Pennsylvania
Liquor
Control
Board,
sponsor
responsible
alcohol
management
program,
training,
a
valid
certificate
of
completion
shall
be
posted
and
a
conspicuous
location
on
the
premises.
B
Operating
hours
shall
be
concerned,
curtail
licensees
shall
closed
for
business
order
before
1
a.m.
from
Sunday
night
through
Thursday
night
and
2
a.m.
on
Friday
night
and
Saturday
night,
and
so
here
we
have
this
document
signed
by
the
leaders
of
Alba,
acknowledging
that
their
members
sell
drug
paraphernalia,
including
blunt
wrappers,
and
crack
pipes.
B
Acknowledging
that
their
members
need
better
training
and
to
be
more
responsible
regarding
serving
alcohol,
acknowledging
that
their
members
sell
products
other
products
to
get
you
high,
cold
and
allergy
medicines,
etc.
Acknowledging
that
their
members
would
hire
security
guards.
My
question
to
Alba
is:
how
much
of
this
have
you
done?
Some
of
it
any
of
it.
I
think
I
have
the
answer.
None
of
it,
you
found
out,
you
didn't
legally,
have
to
do
it,
so
you
did
nothing
except
say:
staying
the
neighbourhood
get
high
spot
in
the
area.
B
Here
is
what
you
did.
You
came
to
council
mr.
chew
and
Michelle
the
owners
of
Wayne
Junction
deli,
and
you
brought
with
you
someone
that
we
and
your
establishment
that
a
minute
he
sold
Lucy's
in
front
of
the
Channel
6
News
crew,
that
was
with
us
and
you're
the
owner
of
this
organization
of
this
establishment
and
the
leader
of
this
organization.
B
You
created
a
culture
and
climate
of
foolishness
and
your
business
and
a
city
neighborhoods
you
preyed
upon
addicts,
people
with
a
habit,
a
dependency
that
forced
them
to
seek
you
out.
This
is
not
a
willing
customer
how
many
lives
were
destroyed
by
your
encouraging
hand.
Those
who
opposed
the
bill
have
told
me
said
to
me
that
I
could
have
blood
on
my
hands,
but
you
do
have
blood
on
your
hands
the
blood
of
the
thousands
that
have
and
continue
to
fight
their
addiction.
B
And
the
blood
of
those
that
we
have
lost,
how
many
families
have
been
destroyed
by
these
operations
that
sell
dollar
beers
to
people
already
intoxicated
we'll,
never
be
able
to
count
them,
but
we
all
know
some
of
them
by
opposing
this
bill,
you
stand
against
the
people
and
the
community,
and
you
stand
the
deep
with
the
dealer,
no
matter
what
they
are,
you
or
their
ethnicity.
A
dealer
is
a
dealer
as
a
dealer,
and
you
did
all
of
this
for
years.
Your
document
acknowledges
conversation
and
work
on
this
issue.
B
Since
1993
it
took
11
years
to
get
animal
to
the
table
with
a
document,
and
then
amble
walked
away
from
this
document
as
quickly
as
it
could.
That
was
2004.
This
is
2017
almost
18.
This
is
a
25
plus
year
journey,
and
now
stop-and-go
owners
still
don't
want
to
change.
Do
we
have
to
wait
another
25
years
for
change,
maybe
50
years
I?
B
Think
not
this
business
model
is
over.
It's
done.
There's
only
one
way
for
to
go
all
of
us
to
go
and
that's
forward.
This
bill
will
conform,
a
city
with
state
law
allowing
for
enforcement
and
times
up
we're
going
to
say
goodbye
to
the
breakfast
booze
spots
and
the
like.
Taking
our
communities
back,
you
are
invited
to
join
us
or
you
can
make
your
decision
not
to,
but
what
was
is
just
that
what
was
in
past
tense
there's
no
looking
back
and
there's
no
going
back.
There
is
only
going
forward.
B
This
is
a
full
word
March
and
we're
all
going
black
white
brown
Asian.
It
doesn't
matter
we're
all
going
we're
all
moving
Philadelphia
forwards,
all
neighborhoods
together,
some
are
going
to
walk.
Some
are
going
to
have
to
be
pulled
forward,
but
we're
going
to
stop
leaving
Philadelphia
neighborhoods
behind
and
it
starts
now.