Citizen heroes of the pay-raise rebellion
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Citizen heroes of the pay-raise rebellion
Tony Phyrillas , tphyr...@pottsmerc.com
Last month I wrote a column titled "Enemies of the State (of
Pennsylvania),"
where I listed the villains responsible for the Great Pay Grab of 2005
and
other abuses of power by the ruling political elite in Harrisburg.
If you see a limousine driving by with any of the following people
riding in
the back sipping on champagne and you have a ripe tomato or an egg at
your
disposal, you might want to lob it toward their direction: House
Speaker
John Perzel, Pennsylvania Chief Justice Ralph Cappy, Gov. Ed Rendell,
Senate
Pro Temp Robert Jubilirer, Senate Majority Leader David J. Brightbill,
Senate Minority Leader Robert J. Mellow, Senate Minority Whip Michael
A. O'Pake,
House Majority Leader Samuel H. Smith, House Minority Leader William
DeWeese, House Majority Whip David G. Argall, House Minority Whip Mike
Veon.
This time, I'd like to focus on the heroes of the people's
revolution to
take back the state from self-serving, greedy politicians. The
grassroots
effort to reclaim the state is remarkable. Over the past three months,
dozens of Pennsylvania residents have risen to lead the revolt against
the
legislative aristocracy and their blue blood brethren in the
governor's
mansion and the state courts.
Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, independents, Green Party
members,
conservatives and liberals have banded together for one common goal:
remove
the elected nobility that has bled Pennsylvania dry and restore
Constitutional order in a state where lawmakers openly flaunt their
disregard for the law.
Here are some of the key leaders (in no particular order) of the
citizen
revolt against the Harrisburg Hogs:
TIM POTTS: A one-time worker for Democratic legislators, Potts has
escaped
the Dark Side and is now working hard to restore accountability in
Harrisburg. He is a co-founder of a group called Democracy Rising PA,
which
has four goals: make it easier for people to participate in public
life,
encourage competition of ideas for solving the state's problems, give
people
maximum accountability for their taxes and set the highest standards of
public integrity in the nation. For more information, go to
www.democracyrisingpa.org
GENE STILP: The granddaddy of the pay- raise protest, Stilp was the man
who
filed a lawsuit when the legislators pulled the same pay- raise stunt
in
1995. Stilp filed a lawsuit against the pay raise this year and most
recently filed another lawsuit seeking an audit of financial records.
Updates on his efforts to expose the corruption in Harrisburg can be
found
at http://genestilp.blogspot.com Stilp is also the man responsible for
the
25-foot inflatable pink pig that was the backdrop for the Sept. 26
anti-pay-raise rally in Harrisburg.
CHRIS LILIK: The founder of Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania, Lilik
is
confronting the pay-jackers on several fronts. His Web site,
www.grassrootspa.com, is the best place to start your day for a recap
of all
the news involving the state legislature and efforts to repeal the pay
hike.
A second Web site, www.informedpa.com, is the launching pad of a
campaign by
the Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania to expose the legislative
leaders
who pushed through the pay heist. The group has raised money to pay for
radio ads and billboards exposing the career politicians who need to be
thrown out of office.
RUSS DIAMOND: The founder of the Web site www.pacleansweep.com, Diamond
wants every member of the bloated Pennsylvania legislature kicked out
of
office. His Web site offers practical advice on how to organize a
campaign
to run against the entrenched legislators. He is also recruiting
candidates
who are willing to sign a pledge to repeal the pay raise and restore
decency
in state government.
BARRY KAUFFMAN: The executive director of the non-partisan citizens'
watchdog group Common Cause/Pennsylvania, Kauffman has been exposing
unethical behavior in Harrisburg for years. He was one of the leaders
who
filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of the July 7
pay
raise. His Web site is www.commoncause.org, which has a link to the
Pennsylvania organization.
JOHN KENNEDY: A maverick former state representative from central
Pennsylvania who bucked the trend for years by refusing to accept many
of
the perks fellow legislators gave themselves, Kennedy has set up a Web
site
to help fight the pay raise, www.declarationofaction.org. Kennedy
served in
the state House from 1981 to 1988 and is living proof that legislators
don't
have to mooch off the public all their lives.
As I've said before, the revolution cannot be won overnight. But we
cannot
live under the tyranny of 253 renegade legislators. Visit the Web sites
mentioned here to educate yourself and spread the word. We must
organize and
gain strength if we are to have any hope of driving out the 253
kidnappers
who took Democracy hostage in Pennsylvania.
E-mail Tony Phyrillas at tphyr...@pottsmerc.com