Misc goodies

A lot of noteworthy stories and blog posts, so presented in brief:

1. Above Average Jane puts the SEPTA labor dispute in sharp perspective by a look at the approach Whole Foods takes to benefits.
   
   
2. America's Hometown notes a business leaving the suburbs for Center City in a pleasant reversal of historic trends.
   
   
3. Attytood asks for reader suggestions on the future course of the Philadelphia Daily News.
   
   
4. John Baer bemoans the vague legislative agenda for Harrisburg this year, as state legislators try to duck voter outrage over the spring pay-hike.
   
   
5. A Philadelphia Weekly story bemoans the seedy side of the gayborhood, but it feels a bit overwrought to me.
   
   
6. The automatic intersection cameras touted as reducing red-light-running, turn out to increase the incidence of rear-end collisions. We at ASFR are not lovers of general citizen surveillance (see prev. here and here) and welcome the availability of statistics concerning camera effectiveness.
   
   
7. Philadelphia Will Do catches a double-edged statistic: hotel occupancy is up because the number of rooms is down, due largely to condo conversions. oops!