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Chapter 4 - Transcript ishmael (mandingo): this song is for tinas's braiding salon voice-over i've been doing this off and on since 94. i started this in new york. in 96 i moved to reading pennsylvania and i was there for 4 years before i moved to philadelphia. ishmael: i just had a new born baby. i have two girls plus my wife - i'm taking care of. the situation right now in the country right now is tough. this is the most difficult time ever. i've been here 14 years. i first to this country in june 6 1990 - going on 14 years. this year, last year 2003 2002 has been hard, believe me. ishmael: we're trying to open a new restaurant in baltimore avenue but we have problems with the neighbors. so we trying to work on that. i know we're going to open it. they are wasting our time because we're trying to make our living and somebody says 'we don't need a restaurant here' and the place is commercial area. i don't know what to do. we did everything right. we have all the permit - everything perfect. they still don't want us to open the restaurant so we're fighting with them. we have a lawyer - let's see how far we can go with that because we have to make our living. but pretty soon we're going to win. ishmael: i was a taxi driver - gypsy, brooklyn, queens. the cost of living was too high for me. my taxi insurance tlc was 6,300 dollars a year which is too much. at that time you had to pay 1700 downpayment for your insurance and after 45 days you had to pay 1100. for me it was too crazy. ishmael: i saw a few people doing restaurant and they were making it. after when i moved here i saw them too. i thought of it, i know it's a good business because people eat food everyday. restaurant business is good business. if you have good cook definitely you'll make money. ishmael: i don't drive cab. i'm getting tired of taxi driving. i've been driving since 1990. i'm tired. i can do anything else but drive taxi. i'm tired. i'm done with it. ishmael: i like doing this, believe me. blackwell: the complaints that have come to my offices are that the businesses are that the baltimore avenue business corridor have been inundated by complaints to l&i. the reason why is the question. some people say that they don't want the african businesses there so 'let me try to get the health department or l&i in here' or not welcome one another in the community - that's why i'm here because certainly in west philadelphia everybody deserves a chance - that's what i'm about, that's why i'm here and hopefully we can move on from there. alissa: there are some neighborhood concerns regarding the restaurant that still we need to work out. one is about the vent that is going to the house next door. ishmael: i told them from day one whatever they want me to do to solve this problem, believe me i will do it. alissa: the other one is the extension part that illegaly goes across on to the sidewalk. the main thing is you got to be open because we didn't know who you were. you can't be a strange, because that's one of the fears people say - 'they're going to move in here, we don't know who they are'. ishmael: we told them already. whatever the community needs, if its fundraising or contribution jut let me know. alissa: do you have a business card? ishmael: yes, this is one of my business card. alissa: nice meeting you ishmael: thank you siddiq: ishmael, i heard that you are opening a restaurant on 46th and baltimore. and you have problem starting your business. you know we have africom, african community organization. ishmael: no problem. i just want to be part of the community. i definitely want to be part of it. if you need anything, you need my assistance, don't hesitate to call me. siddiq: when you come there we'll take care of everything. i wish you all the best ishmael: thank you |