PACleanSweep raised nearly 100 candidates to run in the 2006 primary election in its effort to change the face of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly. 35 of those candidates won their primary race with seven of those victories coming at the expense of incumbents. The group was also instrumental in the first-ever non- retention of a state Supreme Court Justice when Russell Nigro lost his seat last November. “We did well over the last year, and that’s something to be proud of. But true reform is not a once-and- done thing. We’ve only gotten lip service and reform- lite so far as a result of the public outrage over the pay raise. The people of Pennsylvania need to maintain their focus on everything that’s wrong in Harrisburg and continue to keep the pressure on elected officials;” concluded Diamond. Diamond did not meet the stringent requirements to get on this November ballot but his supporters are recommending a “Write In” in Nov.
Today is July 7, 2006. It's the first anniversary of the now-infamous Great Pay Raise Fiasco that took place in Harrisburg at 2:00 am, when legislators raised their salaries 16-54% while you were sleeping.Lawmakers thought the ensuing outrage would go away in a week or two – but thanks to concerned citizens like you, that's not what happened. First, Pennsylvania voters ousted a Supreme Court Justice for the first time in history. Then the pay raise was repealed. After that, 30 incumbents decided to retire rather than face re-election. Two incumbents lost their spots on the ballot in a primary petition challenge; 17 incumbents lost their seats in primary battles across the state, including the top two members of the Pennsylvania Senate and analysts have their eye on the November elections closely to see how many more incumbents will be thrown out of the legislature. But our work is far from over. Many communities suffer the threat of invasion from casinos, made possible by Act 71 of 2004 –- the slots bill -- passed in the middle of the night the same way the pay raise was rammed through, without proper review by the citizenry. Property tax "reform" has turned out to be an election year gimmick, offering no immediate relief, and doing nothing to prevent the government from removing citizens from their homes. And arrogance and greed is still a way of life in Harrisburg, as legislators block access by the State Auditor General to records concerning their $187 million slush fund. Together, we can stop this. But time is running out. I pledge to finish the work I started with PACleanSweep by running for Governor as an Independent. But to do so, I need 67,070 signatures just to get on the ballot - the Democrat and Republican only needed 2,000 each – and I can’t do it without your help. To help me cross this hurdle, please go to Signature Central at: http://www.russdiamond.org/petition.html Thank you for all your help with my campaign.
Russ Diamond
Audio/Podcasts:
http://www.russdiamond.org/cgi-bin/audio.cgi?sort_on=4
Abandon All Hope? In the wake of the most recent failure of the General Assembly - on property taxes - Pennsylvanians are left scratching their heads regarding the usefulness of the oldest legislative body in the nation. Is this group really so pathetic that they cannot even accomplish the one thing they're actually well-practiced at - creating transparent giveaways for likely voters, conveniently timed to coincide with an election? Apparently so. What's a Commonwealth to do? The old maxim "abandon all hope" immediately comes to mind, but while there may be no hope whatsoever for the current legislative unit, there is hope for the citizenry as a whole. On May 16, Pennsylvanians have an historic opportunity to change directions and improve their lot. What began with a few scattered activists has transformed into the last vestige of hope for the future. But the activists have done about as much as they can do. They've set the table. They've unveiled the entrée. The rest is up to the voters - only they can partake of this meal, or not. If they do - by turning out a significant number of sitting legislators - the race for reform is on. If they don't, it will be an omen of impending doom. If you think legislators are arrogant and out of touch now, imagine what it will be like if they're overwhelmingly retained. Abandon all hope indeed. Every voter in the Commonwealth must make a personal choice: do we continue down the road to nowhere, or do we switch gears and try something different? While a majority of Pennsylvanians are unhappy with the legislature, half are still supportive of their own particular legislator. This defies logic, as each of them has failed to bring about a cure for a non-functioning body. Therefore, they must be part of the problem. Your particular legislator is culpable. If you're not registered to vote, shame on you. No complaining allowed. If you're registered and eligible, but fail to show up and vote, shame on you, too. You trample the legacy of those who've fought for the freedom to choose our own government. If you do vote, but fail to educate yourself first or vote in any particular manner out of habit - you're worse than the first two groups. You're the true sheep, blindly filing into the slaughterhouse. If you vote with a possible piece of the public treasury as your priority, you're jumping on the train which destroys free societies. If, however, you vote with an eye on what's best for the Commonwealth overall and make your choices based on informed opinion and judgment, you're on the right track. Fighting for the common good isn't just for legislative bodies. In Pennsylvania, it seems to have disappeared from the official Lawmaker Job Description - in favor of self service and a lifetime of comfort and security at the expense of taxpayers. In the end, we'll always get exactly the government we deserve. Educate yourself and go out and vote your conscience - and urge ten others to do the same. Before you do, however, there’s one other item of great importance to consider:we are being watched. Not just by the media, but by the entire nation. Disapproval of the federal government is not insignificant and Pennsylvania's primary election could become a "teachable moment" for the rest of America. Activists elsewhere are considering taking back government in their own states, but some are considering a national effort. They're waiting to see what Pennsylvanians do on May 16 first. They want us to lead the way - which is only natural. Our Commonwealth was instrumental in the first American Revolution. Why shouldn't we likewise be the 'tip of the spear' for the second, more peaceful installment? Abandon all hope? Not quite yet, but we are at a point of no return. For all intents and purposes, it’s now or never. If Pennsylvanians don't get the job done this year, there will likely not be a similar opportunity in the foreseeable future. Even sadder is that our fair Commonwealth would become an empty husk, bled completely dry by the greed, arrogance and hubris of elected officials who care more about their own self interest than the greater good. There is hope – for a new Pennsylvania. And it all starts with you. Complete PACleanSweep Candidate List Pennsylvania Voter Survival Guide Take the Latest PACleanSweep Poll About PACleanSweep PACleanSweep is a non-partisan effort dedicated to defeating incumbent elected officials in Pennsylvania and replacing them with true public servants. For more information, please visit www.PACleanSweep.com.
PA CleanSweep Claims Victory for PennsylvaniansANNVILLE, PA [11.09.05] - PACleanSweep declared a victory for the citizens of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth's Constitution after learning the voters had ousted Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro in Tuesday's election. No appellate court justice has ever been not retained previously in Pennsylvania. The race was largely viewed as the first volley in a battle for the future direction of government in the Commonwealth. In the other Supreme Court retention race on the ballot, Justice Sandra Schultz Newman narrowly retained her seat with apparently less than 54 percent of the vote. Judicial candidates for retention in Pennsylvania traditionally enjoy being retained with at least 75 percent of the vote in their favor. Newman will be forced to retire in 2007 when she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70. "Our attention now turns to the Governor and the Senate, who are charged with appointing and confirming a temporary replacement to the bench until a contested election can be held in 2007. We advise Mr. Rendell to tread carefully in this matter, as he is up for re-election in 2006 along with the 228 incumbent lawmakers we've been targeting since July 18th." "These results should put the entire legislature on notice," added Strategic Director Mike Bergmaier. "We intend to hold every last one of them to the constitutional fire in the upcoming months. The people have simply had enough, and it's time for lawmakers to focus on public service, not self service. Otherwise, they'll likely find themselves in the unemployment line next to Russell Nigro." About PACleanSweep PACleanSweep is a non-partisan effort dedicated to defeating incumbent elected officials in Pennsylvania and replacing them with true public servants. For more information, please visit www.PACleanSweep.com.
For More Information and now we have won
Congratulations, Pennsylvania, you are again leading the nation in a new Declaration of Independence. Last July 7th 2005 the legislators illegally signed themselves in a pay raise ranging between 18 and 54%. On Monday, September 26th, 2005, Pennsylvanians stood up and Rocked the State Capital.
Apparently these legislators prefer to meet at 2 AM in secret to vote this illegal raise in but could not show up at 3 PM to face their constituents. After presenting the petitions Bob Durgin and others rolled 'carpets' of petitions down the steps of the state capitol for everyone to see how many people signed it and also as a symbol to show how our state politicians have tried to make a doormat of taxpayers. Let’s help Bob Durgin keep this on the minds of the taxpayers clear through the next election. Politicians do not want to hear what we have to say and apparently can’t read the State Constitution which prohibits this action but they do understand two things: Money and Votes. Right now we are working on taking away the money; let’s remember to also take away their votes come next election.
"It's sad that one can tell the party a person favors by what they say,
how they act & how they treat one another". ****************************************************************************************
Yes I want to change this darned political
system For Comments, Questions or More Information About the Pennsylvania ARP - Contact Us:
Bettyjean Kling -
bj@pondarama.com -
PARTY SECRETARY
Bring back government
accountability
Why would someone spend $150,000 to retain an $81,000
a year job every two years?
Subject: American Reform Party Endorses Russ
Diamond
Russ Diamond "Whenever our affairs go obviously wrong, the good sense of the people will interpose and set them to rights." -Thomas Jefferson "It is the duty of every patriot to protect his country from its government." -Thomas Paine The American Reform Party (ARP) has endorsed Independent Russ Diamond for Governor of Pennsylvania. The endorsement, conferred by the national ARP leadership, was jointly announced by the Diamond campaign and the ARP today. "We are pleased to endorse Russ," said Bettyjean Kling, the ARP's National Secretary. "His efforts with PACleanSweep clearly indicate his dedication to reform. The ARP views Pennsylvania as a model for other citizen-led movements that must take place in every state of the country." Ms. Kling resides in Shippensburg, PA, and has been a follower of PACleanSweep since its inception. "I am honored by this endorsement," said Diamond. "Reforming government in Pennsylvania and restoring honor, dignity and integrity to Harrisburg is my number one priority, and I'm pleased to be joined in this effort by the American Reform Party. They understand that a real reformer proves himself with a track record of action, not by naming a bus."
In order to obtain ballot access, Diamond needed to gather 67,070 signatures
from registered voters by the end of July. LEARN MORE & GET INVOLVED
AMERICAN REFORM PARTY - Changing Our Present for the
Future
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Hi, I'm Marilyn Woodman, and I'm running
on the Democratic ticket for State Representative in Pennsylvania District
162, which covers all or part of Crum Lynn, Ridley Park, Ridley Township,
Prospect Park, Norwood, Glenolden, Collingdale and Sharon Hill.
