Our advocacy is based on answers to two questions:

• What does the Constitution say?
• What's the best in America?

Democracy Rising PA began with our outrage over how the governor, legislature and courts have misinterpreted our Constitution and deprived citizens of basic democratic rights.

Our work to expose the corrupt passage of the slots gambling law and, a year later, to repeal the pay raise was grounded in our reading of the Constitution.

We soon discovered that Pennsylvania ranks last or nearly last in every measure of government integrity. But it doesn't have to be that way. It can be our turn to be first if we decide to elect only public officials who will compete for the title "Best State Government in America."

Some of the issues to the right include a reference to a "Coalition Position" as well as a DR position. The Coalition refers to nine organizations (including DR) that published a "Roadmap to Reform," stating the groups' expectations for reforms by the legislature before Election Day 2005.

The "Roadmap to Reform" included 10 steps on the path to integrity, value, transparency and citizen confidence. But there are far more steps than 10 we have to take. Those issues appear to the right also.