Around the region

• Philadelphia's immigrant workers joined a nationwide job-walkout in protest over an immigration bill being discussed in the US Congress -- Inquirer story, Daily News story.

  Illegal immigrants, who now face deportation but no criminal charges if apprehended, would be felons punishable by prison time under the Border Protection Act.

  Employers would also face stiffer penalties. The protesters chose February 14 as one of the two largest business days for restaurants, where many undocumented immigrants are employed at subminimum wages, and they focused their demonstrations outside the offices of Sen. Arlen Specter, whose committee will consider the legislation.
  
  
• City budget discussions occur amidst a cloud of speculative forecasts for future revenue.
  
  
• State stand-off on property-tax reduction (and shifting around of other taxes) continues, as House and Senate continue to disagree.
  
  
• A fresh poll shows Swann trailing Rendell, and Dan at YPP thinks he has a steep uphill climb ahead.
  
  
• The Philadelphia Weekly looks at community efforts to combat crime through churches and other neighborhood institutions, arguing that a combination of efforts will be needed to really make the streets safer.
  
  
• America's Hometown notes that legal bills for all of the city corruption cases have already passed $4 million and are unlikely to be near an end.
  
  
• Albert has had it with political leaders clearing the decks of primary competition, and pushes readers to chip in for Pennacchio, as a protest if nothing else. Much Casey-directed snark along the way.
  
  
• The Inquirer editorial page calls on the Gaming Control Board to make their ethics rules air-tight.
  
  
• Finally, State Senator Vince Fumo foils a purse-snatching while on vacation in Florida. Luckily, he chose to exercise his dumb heroism when no guns were around.