diff --git a/src/py/crankshaft/crankshaft/pysal_utils/pysal_utils.py b/src/py/crankshaft/crankshaft/pysal_utils/pysal_utils.py
index 6dbcbd8..358270f 100644
--- a/src/py/crankshaft/crankshaft/pysal_utils/pysal_utils.py
+++ b/src/py/crankshaft/crankshaft/pysal_utils/pysal_utils.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def query_attr_select(params):
     """
 
     attr_string = ""
-    template = "i.\"%(col)s\"::numeric As attr%(alias_num)s, "
+    template = 'i."%(col)s"::numeric As attr%(alias_num)s, '
 
     if 'time_cols' in params:
         # if markov analysis
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def query_attr_where(params):
           NULL AND idx_replace."time3" IS NOT NULL'
     """
     attr_string = []
-    template = "idx_replace.\"%s\" IS NOT NULL"
+    template = 'idx_replace."%s" IS NOT NULL'
 
     if 'time_cols' in params:
         # markov where clauses
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def query_attr_where(params):
             attr_string.append(template % params[attr])
 
         if len(attrs) == 2:
-            attr_string.append("idx_replace.\"%s\" <> 0" % params[attrs[1]])
+            attr_string.append('idx_replace."%s" <> 0' % params[attrs[1]])
 
     out = " AND ".join(attr_string)
 
@@ -129,22 +129,23 @@ def knn(params):
                     "attr_where_i": attr_where.replace("idx_replace", "i"),
                     "attr_where_j": attr_where.replace("idx_replace", "j")}
 
-    query = "SELECT " \
-                "i.\"{id_col}\" As id, " \
-                "%(attr_select)s" \
-                "(SELECT ARRAY(SELECT j.\"{id_col}\" " \
-                              "FROM ({subquery}) As j " \
-                              "WHERE " \
-                                "i.\"{id_col}\" <> j.\"{id_col}\" AND " \
-                                "%(attr_where_j)s " \
-                              "ORDER BY " \
-                                "j.\"{geom_col}\" <-> i.\"{geom_col}\" ASC " \
-                              "LIMIT {num_ngbrs})" \
-                ") As neighbors " \
-            "FROM ({subquery}) As i " \
-            "WHERE " \
-                "%(attr_where_i)s " \
-            "ORDER BY i.\"{id_col}\" ASC;" % replacements
+    query = '''
+        SELECT
+          i."{id_col}" As id,
+                %(attr_select)s
+                (SELECT ARRAY(SELECT j."{id_col}"
+                              FROM ({subquery}) As j
+                              WHERE
+                                i."{id_col}" <> j."{id_col}" AND
+                                %(attr_where_j)s
+                              ORDER BY
+                                j."{geom_col}" <-> i."{geom_col}" ASC
+                              LIMIT {num_ngbrs})
+                ) As neighbors
+          FROM ({subquery}) As i
+         WHERE %(attr_where_i)s
+        ORDER BY i."{id_col}" ASC;
+            ''' % replacements
 
     return query.format(**params)
 
@@ -161,19 +162,20 @@ def queen(params):
                     "attr_where_i": attr_where.replace("idx_replace", "i"),
                     "attr_where_j": attr_where.replace("idx_replace", "j")}
 
-    query = "SELECT " \
-                "i.\"{id_col}\" As id, " \
-                "%(attr_select)s" \
-                "(SELECT ARRAY(SELECT j.\"{id_col}\" " \
-                 "FROM ({subquery}) As j " \
-                 "WHERE i.\"{id_col}\" <> j.\"{id_col}\" AND " \
-                       "ST_Touches(i.\"{geom_col}\", j.\"{geom_col}\") AND " \
-                       "%(attr_where_j)s)" \
-                ") As neighbors " \
-            "FROM ({subquery}) As i " \
-            "WHERE " \
-                "%(attr_where_i)s " \
-            "ORDER BY i.\"{id_col}\" ASC;" % replacements
+    query = '''
+        SELECT
+          i."{id_col}" As id,
+          %(attr_select)s
+          (SELECT ARRAY(SELECT j."{id_col}"
+             FROM ({subquery}) As j
+            WHERE i."{id_col}" <> j."{id_col}" AND
+                  ST_Touches(i."{geom_col}", j."{geom_col}") AND
+                  %(attr_where_j)s
+                  ) As neighbors
+          FROM ({subquery}) As i
+         WHERE %(attr_where_i)s
+        ORDER BY i."{id_col}" ASC;
+            ''' % replacements
 
     return query.format(**params)