Tuesday round-up

• Politicians
  
  
  
  • Mayoral musings
    John Saidel has opened a campaign office, but still no formal announcement. Meanwhile, there's a resurgence of rumors that Brady will run, and lots of rustling in the bushes.
    
    
  • City Council
    
    
    
    • The new short-term council-members were sworn in yesterday in what sounds like a real show of ring-kissing and other self-congratulatory insiderness. More here.
      
      
    • The Daily News offers some advice to the rookies, especially to try to prove themselves before the voters have a say next year.
      
      
    • Neighborhood Networks is sponsoring an open forum for all prospective At-Large City Council candidates (running in May): it's next Thursday, December 7, at 8:00pm at the Italian Bistro (211 S. Broad St.). A rare chance to see the candidates in person and hear what they think about city issues. Spread the word!
    
    
  • Legislators et al.
    
    
    
    • Tabulation of absentee ballots in the contested Chester County state rep. race is taking place today. Young Philly Politics is reporting that the results are in and the slim margin was reversed, giving the seat to Smith, and thus the state House to the Democrats. Expect much discussion tomorrow!
      
      
    • Meanwhile, a DN letter writer expresses disbelief in Perzel as reformer.
      
      
    • A recent New Yorker had a short piece on newly elected US Rep. Chris Carney, who could find himself in the middle if Democrats decide to undertake more thorough investigations of the decision-making process that led to the Iraq war, since he was part of the Pentagon's counterterrorism group at the time.
  
  
• Other news
  
  
  
  • The Inquirer notes that the smoking ban seems not much in evidence, at least outside Center City -- perhaps Nutter's departure from Council leaves nobody who cares to see that it's enforced.
    
    
  • Inga Saffron notes that the onetime Strawbridges building at 8th and Market may be getting new tenants, with Family Court moving into the upper floors while a retail tenant like Boscovs occupies the main floors.
    
    
  • New Jersey legislators are poised to institute civil unions that would be separate but equal legal equivalents of marriage under the recent court ruling there. The debate has taken some wacky turns, as with gay marriage opponents suggesting that such unions be extended to any pair of partners, romantically involved or not, who wish to look after each other over the long term.
    
    
  • A recycling test program in the Northeast has show substantial success, increasing the amount of waste recycled by some 29%. Sadly, no amount of success appears capable of rousing our leaders to take the next step...
    
    
  • The new City Ethics Board was sworn in yesterday. There's certainly plenty to do!
    
    
  • The New York Times discovers Philly again.
    (via America's Hometown)
    
    
  • On PhillyFuture, a cop complains about special units, which drain personnel from regular patrols at a time when numbers of police are in decline.
    
    
  • Another PF post describes the problem of homelessness on the Main Line, which is less used to dealing with displaced families and individuals.
    
    
  • Ray Murphy has some ruminations about shared goals among progressive activists and, for that matter, many others who live in the city, as well as questions about how to get some momentum behind our priorities. A good discussion to be a part of.
    
    In related news, AAJane alerts us to an effort by the Progressive States Network to come up with a Progressive States Agenda for key issues and policies to promote nationwide. Their list might provide some interesting counters to the discussion at YPP, as their efforts seem both more narrow and better detailed (which has pros and cons).