Friday bits

• State Sen. Vince Fumo is also the Chairman of PSB Bank, an involvement that has been the subject of scrutiny and criticism in the past. Now the bank's impending sale is likely to net him on the order of $20 million. More here.
  
  
• DN columnist Jill Porter is angry that Mayor Street isn't showing more leadership on the violence issue and creating a sense of urgency about finding solutions. Maybe he saves all his indignation for Michael Nutter.
  
  
• More anticipatory discussion about the first Senatorial debate, this Sunday on Meet the Press.
  
  
• Speaking of debates, AAJane notices a strange trend among Republican incumbents in PA, in which they make much of repeated requests for more debates, even after the invitations are accepted, and even though incumbents usually minimize such encounters.
  
  
• Jane also notes the latest assessments of our local legislative races.
  
  
• The Inquirer editorial page joins the chorus of criticism of the special election process, by which Ward Leaders present their City Council picks to the voters as a fait accompli.
  
  
• The Daily News opinion page wags a finger over a minority contracting fraud kerfluffle that I seem to have missed. A second editorial wonders what's going on with the smoking ban in City Hall (in more ways than one).
  
  
• Apparently there's a proposal to install a water-park in Fairmont Park, with rides and other fun. Still early days.
  
  
• Two architectural notes from Inga Saffron of interest this week: one looks at the proposed designs for the memorial to the first White House/slave quarters on Independence Mall (see the proposals here); the other looks at a cancelled riverfront condo tower and what it does or doesn't indicate for Philly's housing boom.