POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN PENNSYLVANIA
(If you’re familiar with this issue and just want updates, go to FDPA and MOH)
This page is addressed to any PA resident who wants to help fight the extreme political corruption in our state government. I begin my presentations by asking,
Aren’t you proud that Pennsylvania has the best laws- that money can buy?
And it’s true- PA legislators may receive gifts and/or money from anyone with virtually no restrictions on or recording of this legalized bribery. Plain and simple, our legislators- and the laws they enact- are bought by the highest bidders. Shocking? It certainly was for me when I first heard this, still is to this day. Along with the extreme gerrymandering in our Commonwealth and other anti-democratic practices, we consistently rank among the most corrupt and least effective state governments.
I’m involved in 2 NONPOLITICAL organizations- FDPA (Fair Districts PA) , and MOH (March on Harrisburg) that are fighting to right these wrongs. I hope you will support our causes by reading on below.
YOUR PA LEGISLATORS
First, if you don’t already know your PA representative or senator, find it by filling out this form. Governor Wolf can be contacted here.
If you’re in PA House District 30 (Rep. Lori Mizgorski) please go here to learn how you can support a MOH campaign. If that isn’t the case, read on below, there’s still much to learn and do.
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FDPA (Fair Districts PA)
FDPA is Fair Districts PA, a nonpartisan, all-volunteeer, statewide coalition of individuals and organizations working to ensure Pennsylvania’s redistricting process is transparent, impartial, accountable, and fair. Our objective is to eliminate gerrymandering in Pennsylvania, widely recognized as one of the most gerrymandered states in the US.
PA Constitutional Amendment
Our long-sought goal was to amend the PA Constitution to establish an independent redistricting commission that would remove politicians from the procedure. This amendment would assure a fair, transparent, and equitable process in drawing the new districts reapportioned by the 2020 census.
A Disappointing Outcome
However, in spite of the fact that a large majority of Pennsylvanians support this goal, and in spite of the fact that our bills were among the most widely sponsored of any for the last two legislative sessions, the bills died in committee, never even given a chance for a vote on the floor of the chambers.
Why, you ask? The answer is simple: the legislative leaders rule the roost with an iron fist, and they aren’t about to give up the privileges they steal from our democracy without a fight. Disappointing though this outcome has been, we’re not nearly defeated. Two identical bills, House Bill 2638 and Senate Bill 1242 (collectively called LACRA– the Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Act) were recently introduced that would accomplish a great deal of what we seek, although politicians, unfortunately, would still be part of the process.
How You Can Help
The FDPA website has very thorough instructions for contacting your legislators as well as other things you can do. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
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MOH (March on Harrisburg)
MOH (March On Harrisburg) is an organization dedicated to three political goals in Pennsylvania: ending gerrymandering, instituting a gift ban, and automatic voter registration. We use 3 tactics to achieve these goals: community-powered lobbying, marching, and non-violent civil disobedience.
MOH played a major role in the No-Excuse Absentee Ballot Reform (Senate Bill 421) that gave all PA voters the option to mail in ballots. Imagine if we were still forced to travel to a polling place, risking exposure to the virus. Instead, we now have the option to vote by mail. The people speak with power!
Learn more about MOH here. And, again, we greatly appreciate any support you can give to fight these threats to our democracy.
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