June 16, 2016
What soda tax?
On Thursday, Philadelphia City Council formally passed a resolution denouncing presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
.@PHLCouncil stands up against @realDonaldTr's hate speech! Read the resolution here: https://t.co/4P4SRNZ3Tv pic.twitter.com/VFPfN7LV4J
— Helen Gym (@HelenGymAtLarge) June 16, 2016
The resolution, introduced last week by Councilwoman Helen Gym, called for an official condemnation of "the racist, sexist, xenophobic, and anti-American values that have been espoused by Donald Trump during his bid for the United States Presidency, which are at odds with the deeply-held values of the city of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection."
Results from a recent poll suggest this symbolic decision shouldn't be too much of a shock. Pennsylvania voters told Public Policy Polling (PPP) that they feel the Phillie Phanatic (46 percent) is more qualified to run the United States than Donald Trump (40 percent).
The three votes against the resolution came from Al Taubenberger, Brian J. O'Neill and David Oh—Council's only Republican members. They objected on grounds that City Council shouldn't take an official stance on the presidential candidates. The Philadelphia Republican Party praised their position on Twitter.
Thanks to the Republican Councilmen for speaking up against using our City Hall as a campaign commercial https://t.co/VzmDa9Ytzq
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) June 16, 2016
Nationally, however, mainstream Republican support for Trump remains tenuous, even as his candidacy appears inevitable in the home stretch. Three prominent Republicans — Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Michigan Rep. Fred Upton — have all said they can't endorse Trump.
When some GOP leaders recoiled at Trump's immediately political response to the Orlando massacre at Pulse nightclub, Trump responded to them at an Atlanta rally: "Don't talk. Please be quiet."
Philadelphia City Council's resolution won't seriously change the course of the presidential race, but it does provide a full summary of the case he's built against himself as a candidate.
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has demonized people of color, characterizing Mexicans as criminals, drug dealers, and rapists; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has attacked Islam and Judaism by calling for a ban on Muslims entering this country and perpetuating stereotypes against Jews; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has demeaned women, at one point describing pregnancy as “an inconvenience for a business” and at other points vilifying women’s bodies on national television; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has defended calling a female lawyer “disgusting” when she sought an opportunity to be excused in order to pump breast milk in the course of a deposition she took of him; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has disrespected our servicemen and women, as well as veterans, by diminishing Senator John McCain’s service and sacrifices, labeling the former prisoner of war a “loser” and saying “I like people who weren’t captured”; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has shown contempt for people who live with disabilities by publicly mocking a reporter and operating several businesses that have been in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has engaged in predatory business practices that have swindled vulnerable Americans, including the poor and elderly, through the now-defunct Trump University; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has advanced xenophobic foreign policies by stoking an irrational fear of immigrants and proposing to build a wall that would divide our country from Mexico; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has engaged in racist persecution of a sitting federal judge, repeatedly suggesting that a person's racial or ethnic heritage compromises his or her professional impartiality, and expressing contempt for the rule of law and separation of powers; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has escalated the level of vitriol in American political culture by inciting violence against his opponents and dissenters at presidential campaign rallies, often seemingly based on race; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia prides itself on being a Sanctuary City that welcomes immigrants and celebrates their contributions–regardless of their legal status; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia in its Fair Practices Ordinance has established wide-ranging legal protections against discrimination based on age, ancestry, breastfeeding, color, disability, domestic and sexual violence, ethnicity, gender identity, genetic information, familial status, marital status, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth or related medical condition, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation; and
WHEREAS, America was built by immigrants and Philadelphia as the birthplace of American democracy, believes that all of its residents are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Philadelphia that it hereby condemns the racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-American values that have been espoused by Donald Trump during his bid for the United States Presidency, which are at odds with the deeply-held values of the City of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.
