... Or rather, people I am not sick of, specifically three of them (Link:)

After learning that battered women in Philadelphia are largely responsible for serving their attackers with court stay-away orders, aghast City Council members yesterday called upon the Committee on Public Safety to explore alternatives to a process they deemed dangerous for abuse victims.

"The current system . . . is absolutely preposterous and untenable," Councilman Bill Green said in a statement. "Not only are we causing the abuse victim additional mental anguish, but we are placing the victim in additional danger of physical harm."

Green, along with Council members Maria Quinones Sanchez, Curtis Jones Jr. and Blondell Reynolds Brown, introduced a resolution authorizing the safety committee to hold hearings on the service of protection-from-abuse orders, or PFAs.

Yesterday's resolution was prompted by a Daily News series on domestic violence that ran in late December.

The series followed one victim's exhausting and frightening quest to serve her alleged attacker with a temporary PFA issued by Family Court.

Quinones Sanchez, Green, and Jones, Jr. To paraphrase my hero, Ronald Reagan, there they go again.

Basically, we have a stupid, asinine law that women who get protective orders against their abusers must... actually serve those orders themselves. If women felt like they were in danger, they could call 911 and get police to accompany them, which about half do.

I am sure calling 911 is a barrier for some women in the first place. And, even if the police do a good job of accompanying them whenever they are asked, it is ridiculous that we are putting abused women in the position where they have to unnecessarily confront their alleged abuser.

We have some good Councilpeople who have served for a while (Kenney, Tasco, Goode, etc.), but sometimes bringing in new people is simply helpful because they can look at stupid things that have gone for a long time, and simply say "WTF?"

My BFF, Donna Miller, is chair of the Public Safety Committee, and yet to set hearings. Hopefully this happens soon.

Nice job, Daily News. This is just another example of how important local print media can be.

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Update: Please see the comments below from Seth Levi, from Councilman Green's office, who clarifies (and corrects me, on) what exactly happens when woman get protective orders.

Doing the whole more with less thing, the Daily News continues to put out quality stories on the City. There was the article on violence and the police force from Dave Davies that Gaetano discussed a few days ago, and today, as Mayor Street leaves office, Mark McDonald looks at the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, in the first of a two part series.

I will refrain from commenting more until I see tomorrow's piece, except to say that I think NTI was a great idea, that was not really carried through in the way it was intended.

Also in the DN is the update on Nutter's cabinet appointments- including these three:

Deputy mayor for public safety: Everett Gillison will work with the Police Department and all other criminal justice agencies to coordinate crime-fighting efforts.

He is a senior trial lawyer for the Defender Association of Philadelphia.

Deputy mayor of health and opportunity and health commissioner: Donald Schwartz, associate professor of child advocacy at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, will take on this new position, which was designed to coordinate health policy and better deliver health and social services.

Director of multicultural affairs: Longtime community activist Izzy Colon will act as the mayor's adviser and liaison on multicultural issues.

I don't know any of these people- I am sure most of us don't. But, someone with a lot of experience with kids, an activist from Angel Ortiz's office, and a Deputy Mayor for Public Safety who is a 20 year Public Defender seem like pretty interesting, admirable choices. As always, the proof will be in the pudding.

Finally, there is this weird article:

The civic watchdog group Committee of Seventy today will propose city-charter changes giving Philadelphia's police commissioner more management authority and permitting the city to hire cops willing to move in from the suburbs.

The proposals would involve a relaxation of civil-service rules for promoting and transferring police commanders.

If approved, they would allow incoming commissioner Charles Ramsey to bring more commanders in from other cities if he chooses.

"In the 21st century, any CEO needs the ability to manage his or her organization," said the Committee of Seventy's president and chief executive officer, Zack Stalberg.

"That's especially true for a paramilitary organization like the police department, and under the existing rules, the commissioner has very limited control."

This is a little strange. I understand they are a good government group, so getting their opinion on taking away civil service jobs and moving them to appointments makes sense. But, doesn't it seem strange that instead of being asked about whether they would support a move, they are actually proposing policing policy changes?

I don't know, something is strange about 1)hearing from the Committee of Seventy about the need for more control over our "paramilitary organization" and then 2)this quote, when asked about the potential for a return to a patronage system in the force:

"I'm concerned, but I'm not so concerned that I want the current public safety crisis to go on," he said.

Again, if I were the Mayor or Commissioner, I would want Seventy's input. But, it seems more like the Committee of Seventy is either greatly expanding its mission, or that someone asked them to issue this call for change, so as to use their goodwill in the media, etc.

That is not to say our "paramilitary organization" does not need changes. I am sure it does. But, still, pretty weird.