Tuesday news

• Politicians
  
  
  
  • State House speaker John Perzel has made a big splash with his announced intention to introduce a bill to hire 10,000 new police officers statewide, at least 1300 of them in Philadelphia (some others are in towns to small to even have police currently). Cities would have to partially match state funds. Guess Perzel has noticed it's an election year. Also mentioned here are plans to have a summit of local power-brokers (including Brady, Fumo, and Street) to further address violence problems. Tom Ferrick offers his take on Perzel's plan (and what it would cost the city).
    
    
  • Above Average Jane watched Bob Casey address the Democratic State Committee and found him more animated and feisty than usual.
    
    
  • Tom Ferrick looks at the latest campaign ads from the Santorum and Casey camps and about what themes (or weak spots) they are currently emphasizing. Apparently Alleghany folks are continuing to make hay out of the residency question. (via Pennsyltucky Politics)
  
  
• Other bits
  
  
  
  • In response to several related scandals, New Jerseys' licensing procedure for daycare centers now require explicit determination that there are no contaminated sites within 400 feet of the proposed facility. Seems like a good safeguard, maybe for schools too.
    
    
  • The state gambling board started official license hearings yesterday for casinos to be opened at racetracks, which will represent half of the total casino licenses issued.
    
    
  • A Daily News editorial takes on the notion that the state should control local casino development, rather than cities and neighborhoods having a say in what happens to them.
    
    
  • Seth Williams' investigators continue to root out corruption, most recently at the top of the L & I (licensing and inspections) hierarchy.
    
    
  • Temple's nurses are concerned over patient ratios, something that everybody should support them in. Unfortunately, a shortage of trained nurses can give hospital administrators less choice in the matter than they might like.
    
    
  • Two interesting recent pieces at Skyline Online: a look at the new compromise on the Dilworth House, which Inga Saffron thinks serves neither preservation nor architecture very well; and a look at SEPTA's conservatism about technology, which may be keeping them from moving into the 21st century.
    
    
  • Finally I just want to point to Friday's Signe cartoon, which combines promotion of the Fringe Festival with mockery of a host of local woes.