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VISION:

The vision of Citizens for a Free Pennsylvania is to help bring about a restoration of Pennsylvania, the other states, and the Republic of the United States of America itself, to a constitution based, limited, and republic form of government with all the checks and balances envisioned and intended by the founding fathers; and to aid in the restoration of the spiritual, political, social, and economic freedoms previously enjoyed in these United States.

MISSION:

To educate the public, both locally and nationally, regarding matters related to government structure, government function, the constitution, the intent of the founding fathers, personal freedom, personal responsibility, and related issues in the current political environment; and to encourage participation by the citizens in all levels of government, to the end that the government may once again become an instrument of the people for the good of the republic.

How the Government is supposed to work in the United States of America:

1. Government starts with the individual; the individual lives in a family, and families live in communities or neighborhoods. A neighborhood or community may consist of a street, a block, a single building, such as an apartment building, or a rural village. Neighbors know each other, look out for one another, and have a level of relationship with one another.

2. My neighbors, may family and I vote for local representatives at the municipal level. Generally this would be a city council, township supervisors, aldermen, etc., as well as county commissioners and, today, school board members. These municipal leaders have the responsibility to collect local taxes, disburse the revenue, and maintain such services as I delegate to them by local ordinance, such as law enforcement, fire safety, etc. These local representatives ought also to be responsible, individually and collectively, for protecting my local and personal rights against encroachment by the state and federal governments.

3. I vote for state representatives and senators, and for a governor. Again, these state representatives are charged with collecting taxes and disbursing revenue at the state level IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE CONSTITUTION, which limits the powers of these state representatives. Any power not specifically reserved to the state by the constitution remains at the local government level, and/or with the individual. My elected representatives at the state level ought always to examine legislation to see if it addresses something NOT delegated to the state, that is, reserved to the local municipalities and the people themselves. If so, they ought automatically to oppose the legislation based on constitutional grounds. These state leaders have the additional responsibility of expressing my interests, along with the citizenry, to elected federal representatives; this includes protecting the rights of my home state against encroachment by the federal government.

4. I vote for federal representatives, and for a national President. These federal representatives are limited by the Constitution of the United States to just a handful of functions, which include protecting the borders, the sovereignty, and the integrity of the United States; Providing mediation in disputes between the states; acting as an agent of the people in dealing with foreign powers. They may also have certain responsibilities that I delegate to them, but these MUST be powers I hold myself. I cannot delegate to another what I cannot legally do, or possess, myself.

THE PROBLEM:

Today the government at all levels is badly out of alignment. The federal government has become a bloated bureaucracy which has overstepped it's constitutional bounds on almost all levels and has lost it's ability to respond to the will of the people. This has resulted in a loss of the checks and balances intended by the founding fathers, an increase in tyrannical power by non-elected bureaucrats, and a loss of personal freedom at all levels. The state governments have failed to safeguard personal freedoms and failed to maintain states rights within the framework of the republic. Rather than take a stand against bloated federal bureaucracy, the state governments often are complicit in allowing the federal government to overstep it's constitutional constraints. In addition, the state governments are often guilty of weakening government at the local, municipal level, which is closest to the people and therefore most efficient for many governmental tasks. The increasing corruption, inefficiency, and complexity of government have caused much of the citizenry to disengage; people are overwhelmed by the government spawned chaos in our political arenas, and they have stopped participating in government. Without the diligence of the citizens, participating in the process of government, we move either closer to tyranny, or closer to anarchy.

THE NEED:

1. Educate the public on the constitution, the intentions of the founding fathers, and the original structure and limitations of the government of the United States of America and the various states.

2. Educate people on the need for personal responsibility - encouraging people NOT to look to government for the solutions to every inconvenience of life, but rather to take responsibility for their lives and to build a legacy of personal freedom for future generations.

3. Educate citizens on how to effectively re-engage in the political process and take back the personal freedoms that are rightfully theirs.

4. Give people the tools and the information they need to take back control of their government at all levels.

5. Create a process by which people can be informed and educated, and by which people can be empowered to participate meaningfully in government at all levels, without an overly burdensome sacrifice of time and resources.

THE SOLUTION

1. This website and others like it will serve as a clearing house and a discussion board for government issues at all levels.

2. Individuals are encouraged to "adopt" one government body: city council, township, school board, county, state, etc. and to take responsibility for understanding the structure and function of that government body, it's powers, and it's limitations. 3. The individual will commit to attend the meetings of their "adopted" government body, and provide a report to the rest of us, via this website, on the activities, issues, and items of interest relative to that body. In this way we can all stay abreast of the pertinent issues at all levels of government.

4. "Action Items" will be identified, helping citizens to know when action is needed and what kind of action, and providing instructions on how to take action.

5. Other sites with similar or complimentary purposes will be linked here. In this way we will avoid "re-inventing the wheel". If some individual or group has already researched an area or issue, we will link to their information so that we can all share the fruit of their labors. In this way it is our hope that we can help promote a "popular revolution" - not a revolution of guns and warfare and anarchy, but a revolution of thought and action, using the tools the founding fathers gave us: the ballot box and education. If enough people can be educated in constitutional concepts and encouraged to re-engage in the process of government, we could make significant strides toward restoring this nation in one generation.