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From YouTube: Councilwoman Bass on Bill No. 180888 12-13-2018
Description
From the Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council held Thursday, December 13, 2018:
Councilwoman Cindy Bass (8th District) makes remarks on Bill No. 180888.
Read the bill: http://bit.ly/2Sy13XO
A
Chair
recognizes
Councilwoman
bass,
Thank
You,
mr.
president,
so
you
know
thank
you
to
my
colleague,
councilman
Greenlee
for
all
of
his
work
and
getting
us
to
this
point
and
I
even
want
to
thank
the
pharmaceutical
industry
for
finally
wakin
up,
because
maybe
they
haven't
noticed
that
we
have
a
crisis
here
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
So
if
this
is
what
it
took
to
get
them
to
wake
up,
pay
attention
and
do
something
about
it,
then,
okay,
it's
about
time.
A
To
my
dismay,
the
conversation
around
this
legislation
has
become
about
profits
over
people
plain
and
simple,
but
this
bill
not
only
exposes
an
industry
that
needs
to
be
scrutinized.
It
tells
me
about
our
priorities,
passage
of
this
bill
and
my
opinion
should
have
been
simple
just
last
week
we
said
we
won't
put
profits
over
people.
Well,
when
we
look
at
the
multi-billion
dollar
with
a
bee
farmer
industry,
and
then
we
look
at
what's
happening
with
drug
addiction
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
A
The
only
conclusion
to
be
reached
is
that
there
is
a
placement
of
big
business,
far
above
the
interests
and
needs
of
our
most
vulnerable
communities.
This
bill
is
simple.
It
will
require
that
sales
representatives
register
themselves
so
that
we
can
have
some
sense
of
how
many
people
are
working
in
this
field
and
cons
and
in
contact
with
clinicians.
What's
wrong
with
that,
why
don't
we
want
to
know
if
we
have
50
people
or
5,000
or
somewhere
in
between
that
are
lobbying
our
health
care
professionals
with
drugs?
It
requires
them
to
stop
giving
out
free
samples.
A
The
pharma
industry
wants
this
restricted
just
to
opioids,
but
we
know-
and
they
know
too,
that
there
are
many
other
highly
addictive
drugs
that
are
not
classified
as
opioids
councilman
Greenlee
referenced
that
just
a
moment
ago,
they're
hitting
the
market
right
now,
they're
going
into
doctors
and
patients
hands,
we
speak
and
no
more
gifts.
How
hard
is
that?
Do
you
really
need
another
mug,
a
pen,
a
notepad?
A
Can
we
not
by
our
own
lunches?
It
should
be
simple
now
one
of
the
misnomers
circulating
is
that
this
bill
was
on
a
fast
track
and
nothing
could
be
further
from
the
truth.
This
bill
was
introduced.
October
11
scheduled
for
its
first
hearing
on
November
13th,
rescheduled
to
November
30th
to
work
with
the
pharmaceutical
industry
at
their
requests.
But
during
this
time
we
heard
absolutely
nothing
from
the
industry,
except
for
pleas
to
cancel
the
hearing
altogether
or
to
move
it
to
January
our
response
over
and
over
and
over
again
was
give
us.
A
Your
amendments
give
us
something
that
we
can
work
with,
and
let's
start
talking
about
how
we
can
make
this
bill
better.
If
that's,
what
you
truly
want
to
do,
give
us
something
to
begin
a
serious
conversation
about
how
we
can
begin
to
effectively
address
this
public
health
crisis,
1,
November
30th.
We
receive
amendments
written
by
the
pharmaceutical
industry,
which
would
essentially
gut
the
bill
completely
unacceptable.
A
But
my
question
to
the
industry
is:
where
have
you
been?
Aren't
we
that
great
city
of
EDS
and
meds,
and
if
we
are
shame
on
us
for
the
health
disparities
that
exists,
our
high
poverty
rate
or
low
rate
of
attendance
at
these
fabulous
educational
institutions?
Shame
on
us
for
this
tale
of
two
cities
and
how
so
easily
vulnerable
communities
are
always
left
behind
and
shame
on
those
within
this
administration
whomever
they
may
be,
who
try
to
work
against
their
own
bill
and
paint
on
our
health.
A
Commissioner,
as
someone
who
was
going
rogue
all
because
he
was
working
with
us
to
try
to
do
something
about
this
crisis
that
we
have
in
Philadelphia,
there's
been
a
lack
of
sincerity
on
the
pharmaceutical
industry's
interest
in
addressing
this
problem.
We
know
that
what
it
is
and
it's
my
opinion
this
is
my
opinion-
is
that
there
is
no
money
to
be
made
in
the
cure,
but
plenty
to
be
made
and
the
continuance
of
the
addiction
we
take
hard
votes
every
time
we
come
into
this
chamber.
Sometimes
we
vote.
A
Sometimes
we
abstain,
but
coming
into
this
chamber
and
recognizing
that
the
bill
will
be
held.
I
am
prepared
to
do
as
my
conscience
dictates
and
I
believe
that
this
is
the
right
thing
to
do,
to
support
this
bill
unamended
and
as
presented,
and
when
the
pharmaceutical
industry
is
truly
ready
to
put
some
skin
in
the
game.
We'll
be
there
to
talk
further,
because
we
know
that
this
is
not
the
end
of
the
conversation.
No
one
ever
said
that
this
bill
was
going
to
fix
the
crisis.
A
A
So
we
want
to
work
with
the
with
the
pharmaceutical
industry
if
they're
truly
interested
in
working,
but
this
bill
is
going
to
move
one
way
or
another
up
or
down
vote.
This
is
going
to
go
forward,
and
so
we
look
forward
to
seeing,
if
folks
really
are
interested
in
making
this
better
trying
to
find
some
compromise
and
really
helping
people,
because
that's
really
what
all
of
this
is
is
about.