Wednesday news round-up

• Politicians:
  
  
  1. The latest increment of news in the US Senate race looks at the candidates' courtship of the Jewish vote, especially via trips to Israel.
     
     
  2. Across the river, New Jersey's presumptive Republican Senatorial candidate, Thomas Kean, got a big endorsement from Elizabeth Dole. It's not yet clear who his opponent will be, but it's clear that the GOP is focusing on this as a potential pick-up of a decades-long Democratic seat.
     
     
  3. The Daily News opinion page is a bit snarky about the decision of Judge Shepphard to bring suit against the pay-raise rollback (see prev. here).
  
  
• Lots of chat about the Business Privilege Tax and the desirability of cutting same:
  
  
  1. The Daily News opinionizers weigh in urges City Council to vote for the phasing-out of the BPT (while griping about general tax costs along the way; where do they think the extra will come from?).
     
     
  2. Ray Murphy at Young Philly Politics argues that slashing the BPT is taking an unwise gamble with Philadelphia's future, and points out that number of jobs is often overvalued relative to the wages paid.
     
     
  3. Meanwhile, it appears that the Chamber of Commerce is taking no chances, making lavish outlays to Council members about to vote on (and previously supportive of) the issue. [This story from the blogs to the press?]
  
  
• Here's an unexpected twist: neighborhood in an uproar because their street *did* get paved. There's no pleasing some people...
  
  
• Today's Inquirer piece about public housing appears to be their editorial summarizing the history and remarkable turn-around of the PHA. They've also collected their entire series on this topic in one convenient link (until it gets archived? only time will tell).
  
  
• Also related to neighborhood development is this story in the new Philadelphia Weekly looking at a conflict between the residents and a developer over the shape of things to come in a section of Bella Vista, and especially whether the widely lauded idea of a public park there can survive changing plans.
  
  
• Not actually from today, but of interest whenever, is this profile of state House speaker Perzel's career. A rags-to-riches course, and a real strategic whip-wielding leader now. (via Grassroots PA)