As a former state legislator who sought major reforms in the legislative process without success in the 1990s, I have been very pleased to witness, admittedly from the sidelines, the extensive, ongoing media coverage and public anger over the pay-raise bill and the process by which it became law.

The Butler Eagle's recent offer to share my perspectives has prompted me to give up the comfortable sidelines. I, too, need to be active in this new effort to give Pennsylvanians a state government that promotes public involvement in policymaking, a democratic legislative process, honesty, cost-effectiveness, and adherence to the commonwealth's constitution.

Today's reform movement is very different from our earlier failed attempt. We tried to reform from within

the House of Representatives, but discovered, with dismay, that a large majority of the members had no interest in rules that would, for example, give them adequate time to read legislation before voting and assure them that their bills would get considered and not buried.

We didn't want House members to have to make deals with their leaders to be effective. We wanted to end interest groups' campaign contributions affecting the flow of legislation. Bills that called for term limits and reduced size of the House and Senate never moved because they were threatening to legislators who wanted long legislative careers.

This time, the reform movement is being waged outside

the legislature and a number of groups have joined in coalition.

Hundreds of people traveled to the Capitol to rally against the pay raise and how it was passed. Petitions with thousands of signatures were delivered to House and Senate leaders. There is no longer just a handful of reformers from within.

Another important difference is today's availability of the Internet. Pennsylvanians can access www.declarationofaction.org and www.democracyrisingpa.org and learn about the failures of our political system and the critical need for change. The reforms that we sought a decade ago are not forgotten, and many more have been identified.

Our reform group crisscrossed the state to meet with newspaper editorial boards to make the case for changes in the legislative process. Our discussions always led to a positive one-day editorial or column, but this time press and media coverage haven't stopped. They are trying to keep the issues alive and to convince Pennsylvanians to take action.

A very important difference between our earlier efforts and today's campaign to change Harrisburg is that the pay-raise bill and how it was accomplished clearly exposed our legislature's lack of respect for the people of Pennsylvania. They boldly showed off their power and their self-interest and got your attention.

Having given my reasons why I believe reform now has a chance, I still am concerned that it will not happen unless thousands of Pennsylvanians get involved now and for many months to come. If you take the following actions, you will help make the difference in Pennsylvania's future.

If you are not yet upset with the legislature, the governor and the state Supreme Court, please go to the two Web sites - www.declarationofaction.org and www.democracyrisingpa.org. Learn what others know about your elected officials' behaviors and what these reformers want to achieve for Pennsylvania. I'm betting that learning more will persuade you to act.

Many of us have family, friends or colleagues who live in other parts of Pennsylvania. Send them these Web sites and ask them to get involved.

Social and community organizations: Put reform of state government on your agendas for discussion. Invite reformers as well as your legislators to give their perspectives.

Local members of statewide business, professional and union organizations: Ask your state leadership to get on the reform bandwagon. Join the effort to make lawmaking and policymaking fair to all sides, without the need to provide huge sums of money to the leaderships' campaign coffers.

Contact your state representative and senator and ask for their commitment for legislative reform and new House and Senate leadership. If you agree with the mission of Democracy Rising PA, ask your legislators to accept this mission and work for its success.

If you are not satisfied that your legislator or legislators will work for change and replace their caucus leaders, then are you willing to seek office with vigor and serve for a few years? If the answer is yes, then begin at once to create a political action committee (PAC). You need a chairperson and a treasurer. Once you have created a PAC, you can raise money. Ask your friends and associates to be campaign volunteers.

If you aren't able to run or don't feel sufficiently qualified, then you have a different task. Draft a quality candidate within the next few weeks. It is very hard to turn down a genuine draft.

Employers: Enable your employee to seek office and win without losing his/her economic security for self and family. Pennsylvania needs citizen legislators, not career legislators.

If you are supportive of your incumbent legislators and believe that they will work diligently for reform, then help a candidate who is challenging an incumbent in another part of the state - an incumbent who accepts how Harrisburg operates today and is loyal to the current leadership.

A few days after the November 2006 general election, the leaders of the four caucuses will be chosen by their newly elected members. If most of the incumbents who support the current leaders are re-elected, representative democracy will remain broken.

I am especially passionate about the need for a legislature that honors representative democracy, because you have no other means to make policy or alter your state government. You can't place an initiative on the ballot. The state constitution provides no clear way for calling a constitutional convention - except, of course, by the legislature.

Pennsylvanians are bound and muzzled.

You can take actions that will change the character and operation of the Pennsylvania Legislature. Without your actions multiplied thousands of times, I worry that Pennsylvania's government will not serve the public's interests for another generation.

Pat Carone represented the 12th District in the state House of Representatives for eight years during the 1990s. Three days into office, she made a pledge that she would not become a "career politician" and would not serve more than eight years.