Citiesonahill: Quick Hits - District or City?

While New York governor-elect Eliot Spitzer may not think Sarbones-Oxley has much to do with the IPO exodus from the U.S., Hong Kong Treasury Secretary Henry Tang disagrees. With Hong Kong likely to end the year as the world's biggest market for stock offerings, Tang last week told a Canadian free-market think tank that "Our success is giving [Treasury Secretary] Hank Paulson a few raised eyebrows… Thank you, Mr. Sarbanes and Mr. Oxley." [Hat-Tip: newsalert.]

North Virginia examines traffic, and takes a blunt instrument to the patient.

D.C.'s fight for the franchise moves forward. The question remains: Is the capitol a district or a city?

In Philly, former City Controller Jonathan Saidel has dropped out of the mayoral race, opening the door to a run by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, who controls Philly's powerful, if dysfunctional, Democratic machine. A run would put Brady into a likely five-candidate Democratic field also including the city's other Congressional representative, Chaka Fattah. Brady appears to have muscled out his long-time friend and ally Saidel, as the two men's bases significantly overlapped, but while Saidel had appeal to progressive reformers, Brady is much more of an old-time boss, and may have trouble expanding his appeal beyond that base.