Other Wednesday bits

• Amidst the Ben Franklin celebration flurry, the Inquirer takes a moment to note a more recent Philadelphia anniversary:

  On Jan. 2, 1956 - 50 years ago - Richardson Dilworth was inaugurated as the 26th mayor of modern Philadelphia. Along with a core of reformers that included Joseph S. Clark, Dilworth helped end 67 years of GOP rule in Philadelphia, gave birth to a new City Charter, rooted out endemic corruption, and set in motion the redevelopment of Society Hill, among other things.

  A landmark in local tolerance, civic reinvigoration, and foresight.
  
  
• Philadelphia's police commisioner previewed a new anti-crime initiative being developed by Mayor Street, to focus on "hot spots" of crime and on repeat offenders who have slipped through the cracks. As usual, details to be disclosed later.
  
  
• Meanwhile, the city's commitment to reducing gun violence is put into question by the recent promotion of the local gun czar to be simultaneously the head of Internal Affairs. Maybe he has more time in his day than most guys.
  
  
• The Daily News uses Codey's signature of the New Jersey anti-smoking legislation to again bewail Philadelphia's stalled smoking bill. Clever smoke-related wordplay abounds.
  
  
• Local bloggers continue to berate Allyson Schwartz for her vote on the recent bankruptcy bill, and the Patriot Act before it, both of which violate principles she claims to uphold.
  
  
• Blinq notes that Ben Franklin's self-published newsletters weren't that different from blog postings (except for the legwork required to get them into people's homes).
  
  
• And finally, Above Average Jane spurred an assortment of bloggers to use MLK Day to ruminate on the degree to which personal faith can motivate political participation, even among those who strongly believe in the separation of church and state. She offers her thoughts and some of the other contributions, and will happily link to additional folks who wish to contribute to the discussion.