The well-known Philadelphia Daily News columnist quietly gave up the elected post - which established him as an official in the city Democratic Party - after the November mayoral election.

Although Daily News editor Michael Days gave Bykofsky his blessing to run for the position in May 2006, Days "blew a sigh of relief," Bykofsky said, when he agreed to resign. "I could see pain in his eyes," he said. "So I said, 'Would you be happier if I weren't doing this?' "

The answer was clear.

The renegade columnist said nobody had called to complain about his dual positions. But there were apparently some complaints in the newsroom. Bykofsky last week chalked it up to "some jealous fool here, or someone consumed with the ideas of ethics with a capital 'E.' "

In his columns, Bykofsky often wrote about his committeeman experiences, beginning with his decision to run for the job.

Throughout his two-year tenure, he declined to accept any Election Day "street money." Why? "It didn't feel right," he said.

His successor - in Center City's Fifth Ward, Ninth Division - is already in place: a health-care consultant named Gregory Walker.

So that's that. Bykofsky is officially retired. "By the way," he said, "there's no pension." - Marcia Gelbart

GOP insurgency

Lamenting the "total and utter lack of competition in the arena of political ideas," the group's mission is to rebuild Philadelphia's Republican Party, said spokesman Ben Haney.

"Democracy is best when you have two sides debating. For way too long, we've had just one," said Haney, a 25-year-old real estate investor who is a St. Joe's Prep graduate.

Officially launched Friday, Loyal Opposition's members, for now, tally 25, and they include former City Controller Hillel Levinson; Fifth Ward leader Mike Cibik, and lawyer Robert Nix.

The goal is not to raise money, like a political committee, but to spark debate by, for example, writing newspaper op-eds, and to be a resource for political candidates.

So what of that thing called the Philadelphia Republican Party? "We're not connected with them, but they know we're around," Haney said.

Republican City Committee executive director Al Schmidt said, "We welcome their involvement."

"Let the political hacks beware and [be] forewarned," the group said in a mass e-mail last week. "Our unblinking eye is now keeping watch!"

- Marcia Gelbart
and Jeff Shields

Pay-to-pay culture

"There's not a reason out there for charging people a price to pay their bills online," Terry Phillis, the city's chief information officer, said last week. "Our intention is to end them or reduce them significantly."

The city takes in $8 million a month, mostly water bills, in a system that isn't even marketed to customers, Phillis said.

He thinks the city can collect 10 times that amount online, saving paperwork and man hours. First, Phillis, said, he must negotiate better rates with credit card companies, which charge a percentage to process transactions. That's already happening, he said. - Jeff Shields