Remaining Tuesday round-up

• There was a head-on crash between two SEPTA trains on July 1 (guess I was away!), and now officials are looking to improve the safety mechanisms that prevent such risks. Recurrent budget woes and other delays mean it could be another decade before all lines carry improved devices.
  
  
• Apparently Philadelphia's prisons are operating beyond capacity, and a class-action lawsuit is being brought to improve inmate conditions. Apparently the same lawyer sued the city 30 years ago, resulting in an overhaul of the system, but it hasn't kept up. The DN provides a timeline of the legal battles and judicial decisions, including some laws that have made it more difficult for inmates to assert their rights.
  
  
• Apparently the Olympic short-list will be trimmed tomorrow, leaving many on pins and needles.
  
  
• Two stories in today's DN about ongoing complaints about postal delivery in Philadelphia, seemingly due in part to the opening of a new processing facility. The bulk mailings that go missing in action must be greying many the corporate pate, but USPS folks seem optimistic that things will be back in order soon.
  
  
• Lynn Swann visited South Philly yesterday to discuss crime with a tiny crowd.
  
  
• Add the Inquirer editorial page to those unimpressed by Friday's decision that stock ownership by one's children (however young) doesn't represent a conflict of interest for lobbyists. They offer some other suggestions, too, on how to restore (create?) citizens' confidence in the oversight of gambling generally.
  
  
• I think Mark Alan Hughes is right in thinking that awareness of the tensions between old and new Philadelphians is key to politics of the years ahead. (He's not really offering much to or about Nutter here though.)
  
  
• A poster at YPP looks at the experiences of Camden and Philadelphia to point out the importance of public education to lasting regional revitalization.
  
  
• Also at YPP, Councilman Goode shares some thoughts from the Peace Weekend activities. A good take-home from Will Smith.
  
  
• Signe Wilkinson make the rare trip out from behind her cartoonist's pen to write an opinion piece about city crime, in a satirical (if painfully truthful) vein. Perhaps we can stop the violence without requiring any of her suggested prods.
  (via PhillyFuture)
  
  
• Montgomery County residents might be interested in a piece by AAJane about the paying of county commisioners there. Wacky.
  
  
• Jane also offers a quick note on Rick Taylor, who's challenging the incumbent state rep. in his district.
  
  
• Tom Ferrick offers some more strategic analysis, this time of the Casey-Santorum Senate race, and what kind of improvements over Klink's performance, region by region, would give Casey the win.
  
  
• Finally, congrats to Mark Stier for being the latest featured blog at Philly Future. He's certainly generating a lot of original content, including many ideas that are worth having more folks chew over.