In other news...

• Tony Payton has the lead in the 179th state house race, after a number of blank or misplaced write-in votes were thrown out. The absentees and provisionals have been counted, leaving a margin of around two dozen votes, but both sides seem to think it will still go to court. More details here.
  
  
• US Senator Rick Santorum's residency is under scrutiny again. Tom Ferrick points out that his supposed Pennsylvania residence appears to be vacant. John Baer rolls his eyes at Santorum's defensiveness about the issue and his foam-flecked charges that stalkers are watching his property.
  
  
• How's the health of the Pennsylvani GOP after recent upsets and other shifting trends? An Inquirer piece describes the party as disheartened and divided compared with a few years ago, which must be worrisome in the face of the hot general election races this fall. The state party is seeking a new chair, and Above Average Jane also catches two letters backing different candidates in a county leadership race.
  
  
• More reactions to Lynn Swann's tax plan (announced yesterday). Most agree it's a radically new idea for Pennsylvania, although opinions vary on whether it would be an actual improvement... Ben at YPP is underwhelmed by the notion that vacation homes would get breaks under the new system.
  
  
• Ray Murphy at YPP calls on progressives to get building a regional policy agenda, and picks up the topic of inclusionary zoning as a starting place for finding some points of agreement and beginning to forge a shared vision.
  
  
• Short bits:
  
  
  
  1. The PPA just changed its conflict-of-interest policy in response to the unseemly picture of one of their consultants going to work for a company whose contract he ensured.
     
     
  2. Sandra Shea puts out a last call for community input at tonight's casino design forum. See the layouts, ask your impact questions...
     
     
  3. The Pennsylvania Tourism Office is soliciting input on possible new bumpersticker slogans. They could use some help...
  
  
• The Mongomery County Democratic Committee is offering a campaign training camp in late June for new political candidates, organizers, and activists (separate tracks for different niches). It's inexepensive and looks promising.
  
  
• PhillySkyline invited some students to share an insider's view of/from their campuses and shares the resulting photos. They did him proud.
  (via PhillyFuture)