"...some are discovering a capacity to contribute in ways they never did before. We also have people with a bit of political acumen and they are bringing everyone else up to speed with their experience."
-Clean Sweep Founder Russ Diamond (on the combination of seasoned activists and political novices)
When the Bucks County contingent of PA Clean Sweep gathered last Thursday
at the Blue Fountain Diner in Langhorne, I was in attendance. I wanted
to get a better idea of what's been driving this popular movement. The Clean Sweep campaign has seen a swell of grass-roots
participation since it began in earnest in July. According to
founder Russ Diamond, the movement surpassed his expectations "on day
2." At the Bucks County get-together last week, the range of political
backgrounds and enthusiasm of the attendees was impressive.
Perhaps that's because this movement gives people a focus that crosses
party lines, a focus that was hammered home at last week's event by Bucks County coordinator
Rob Lusch and another county resident, Clean Sweep board member
Tom Lingenfelter:
Get people into state legislative office who will
repeal last July's salary increase.
And that focus is proving popular with longtime activists and political newcomers alike.
The movement began with Russ Diamond, something of a Renaissance man in
the music business (he's played pretty much every role from musician to
studio owner) as well as being a former third-party candidate for
political office. As someone who'd been getting progressively fed up
with the political process, he was inspired to action on the Clean
Sweep idea when he noticed his "usually-politically inattentive"
nephew's reaction to the legislative pay raise.
Diamond characterizes the rapid transformation of Clean Sweep from one-man
operation to group effort as "relatively smooth" overall. "The only
problem with fast growth," he notes, "is that the economy of
decision-making does diminish slightly with more people involved. That
is balanced, however, by the benefits of having reliable people in key
positions and combining their best skills and talents."
He admits his excitement at seeing so many first-time activists, and
observes, "some are discovering a capacity to contribute in ways they
never did before. We also have people with a bit of political acumen
and they are bringing everyone else up to speed with their experience."
While Diamond admits to being "very pleased" with Clean Sweep's early
progress, this is just the beginning of the campaign. It seems everyone
involved, from seasoned activists to political virgins, will have ample
opportunity to gain experience. The next opportunity for concerned
folks to get involved will be this coming Monday in Harrisburg, as PA
Clean Sweep joins several other broad-based organizations for the Rock
the Capitol Rally (noon to 6 p.m.). But if you can't make the rally,
you can still find out more about Clean Sweep at www.pacleansweep.com.
As Mr. Diamond notes, "It's always good to see something that brings
out the best in people." And the unity of a wide cross-section of
Pennsylvania voters rising up in opposition to an irresponsible
salary hike is indeed an inspiring sight.
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