Other Wednesday bits

• The PA state legislature just passed restrictions on the use of eminent domain, which, among other things, define the criteria that can be used to call a property "blighted," such as safety risks or property abandonment. Seems like a positive step, even if several current cases were grandfathered in order to get the measure passed.
  
  
• Mayor Street has finally released his plan for reorganization of Philadelphia's housing agencies (see prev. here), and it calls for cutting the budgets of two agencies (Redevelopment Authority and Philadelphia Housing and Development Corp.) in half as well as letting go some 100 employees, although some may be transferred to the Neighborhood Transformation Office. Union members were protesting yesterday, and I'm sure there will be many other with things to say once they get a look at the details...
  
  
• The Philadelphia Weekly looks at the city's ongoing shortage of paramedics (and ambulances), sounding the alarm again on a serious and frightening problem that the authorities seem unwilling to address.
  
  
• Above Average Jane applies her evaluative criteria (provided yesterday) to the current campaign of Patrick Murphy and finds that he and his staff are highly commendable. I share her hope that he keeps that perspective as he enters the muddy waters of Congress...
  
  
• Finally, in the news of the bizarre, a local man stole a bunch of newstands (not the honor boxes, but the full size paper-and-cigarette manned booths) and had them moved all over town, to corners where he hoped to get (but did not yet have) permits. It wasn't even subtle, as he had to hire a crane to pull of his heist. Too wacky...