Having recently completed Tour de PAC, an almost 300-mile bicycle ride across Pennsylvania, a common theme emerged — local, state and federal government officials were more responsive to the rich and powerful, who lavish them with gifts, than to the people who elect them.

In Pennsylvania, we constantly witness our elected officials being corrupted in broad daylight. They are “gifted” — aka legally bribed — with everything from expensive vacations to “cash gifts” — all of which is legal. Is it any wonder that less than 20% of Pennsylvanians trust politicians to do the right thing? And, neither the red team nor the blue team can claim the high moral ground; corruption is a bipartisan stain on our democracy.

Now is the time for Pennsylvania to join 47 other states and pass a gift ban! I have lobbied in the Capitol, marched, gone to jail and now ridden my bike across the Commonwealth over the course of more than six years. I have been demanding that Harrisburg make corruption illegal, and during that time they have decided to protect their own corruption instead of working to serve the public.

Now is the time to act. House Majority Leader Matthew Bradford (D) has the power to call the Gift Ban, HB 484, to a vote. My representative, Tim Bonner, R-17th, is a co-sponsor. Tell your representative to sign on. Then contact Rep. Bradford today and demand he schedule HB 484 for a floor vote in the House this session.

Michael Bagdes-Canning,

Cherry Valley