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Founder's Statement It is my personal opinion that the General Assembly of Pennsylvania has been allowed to evolve into a corrupt institution which has bullied and beat up the taxpayers of the Commonwealth through malfeasance, negligence and irresponsibility with regards to maintaining an atmosphere where Pennsylvanians can pursue their rights to life, liberty and property. While many of my fellow Pennsylvanians have recently become irate over the General Assembly's self-aggrandizing pay raise, I view this particular action as merely the latest and most egregious in a long train of offenses which have served to impose severe burdens on the citizenry of the Commonwealth. Undoubtedly, there are people in the General Assembly who, outside of that body, are decent, kind and moral individuals. However these same individuals, upon entering the hallowed halls of our Capitol building, Pennsylvania's Palace of Art, have been blinded by its opulence and gilded features. They have somehow forgotten the reasons for which the people have sent them there and have tarnished the reputation of an institution originally intended to protect liberties and freedoms which are dear to the people. In my eyes, they are much like the money changers in the temple of Biblical lore. Greed, collusion and the lust for power have become the driving force behind the activities of the General Assembly, yet not one of these otherwise upstanding individuals currently holding office in that body have resigned in disgust or even protested loudly. Along the way, they have succeeded in dividing and conquering the citizens of Pennsylvania with the false gods of party labels. They have convinced many poor souls that the terms Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitution, Green and others are more important than anything else. They could not be further from the truth. There comes a time in every person's life when they simply need to stop and say enough is enough. For this one individual, that time has come. Many citizens across Pennsylvania apparently share this opinion. The battle to shake ourselves loose from the yoke of this corrupt institution will not be quick, easy or tidy. Those currently within the institution will use every tool at their disposal to defend the positions they hold. They will use the unjust power they have obtained to attack us from every angle. They will attempt to divide us. They will use the temptation of public largesse to lure us back into silence and apathy. They may even attempt to establish their innocence and benevolence by reversing recent egregious decisions. But it is too late. The current General Assembly is beyond repair. All hope of reform among its current members has been vanquished. They have collectively soiled the concept of public service and are incapable of restoring themselves to the good graces of the people. The correction of these inequities must be assigned to a separate group of individuals, a group whose collective hands are clean and prepared for the task ahead. I expect no grand reward in exchange for assisting this mission. I seek no seat or office in the General Assembly, but if no other individual has the moral fortitude to step forward in my own legislative districts and face the incumbents, I will. The only thing I desire is to return to my own personal pursuit of life, liberty and property after this battle has been won. Actually, I expect to be persecuted, hounded and brow-beaten by those I seek to defeat. They will surely use every tool at their disposal to discredit this effort, to cast doubt upon my integrity and punish me for my desire to subvert the wishes of political figureheads and their various committees. But that is quite all right. I am one individual, with no family to consider, and while they may break me financially or in reputation, I take comfort in the knowledge that I stand on the side of everything that is right, decent and proper. During this battle I will exercise all the rights I deem necessary. I am well aware of what my inherent rights are, and that they have been bestowed upon me by my Creator. No human, or group of humans, can withhold or eradicate my rights, no matter what manner of persecution they choose in an attempt to keep me under their control. Although I am aware that the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not grant me any rights, but instead merely enumerates some of the inherent rights I own as an individual, I take comfort in the words of Article 1, Section 7: "The printing press shall be free to every person who may undertake to examine the proceedings of the Legislature or any branch of government, and no law shall ever be made to restrain the right thereof. The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the invaluable rights of man, and every citizen may freely speak, write and print on any subject, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty. "No conviction shall be had in any prosecution for the publication of papers relating to the official conduct of officers or men in public capacity, or to any other matter proper for public investigation or information, where the fact that such publication was not maliciously or negligently made shall be established to the satisfaction of the jury; and in all indictments for libels the jury shall have the right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the court, as in other cases."  Every citizen must make their own decision as to what actions they take, or refuse to take, for whatever reasons they deem necessary. I urge you to join me on this mission to restore honor, dignity and integrity to the halls of our state Capitol. It is for these reasons that I commit my life, fortune and sacred honor to this effort.Russ Diamond, founder PACleanSweep.com July 28, 2005 |
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Paid for by the PACleanSweep PAC | 109 West Main Street, Annville PA 17003 | Russ Diamond, Chair | Leo Knepper, Treasurer