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Take action on Marcellus Shale tax vote

UPSET ABOUT the Marcellus Shale tax vote, and Pennsylvania campaign finance in general? Take action: GET ANGRY. Go to www.commoncause.org/pa and download their report on campaign contributions and natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania, "Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets."

UPSET ABOUT the Marcellus Shale tax vote, and Pennsylvania campaign finance in general?

Take action:

GET ANGRY. Go to www.commoncause.org/pa and download their report on campaign contributions and natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania, "Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets."

DEMAND REAL-TIME DISCLOSURE from elected officials. Call or e-mail your state representative or senator (see on Committee of Seventy Web site,

http://guide.seventy.org) and tell them that you expect them to disclose - within one business day - any donations they accept between Sept. 8 and Oct. 1 from the natural-gas industry or other groups lobbying them about the gas tax.

Common Cause Pennsylvania will host the information online. When a legislator accepts a donation, he or she can e-mail it to Common Cause's Alex Kaplan (akaplan@commoncause.org or It's Our Money (waxmab@phillynews.com). Disclosures will be posted on www.commoncause.org/pa and It's Our Money (www.ourmoneyphilly.com).

TELL DWIGHT EVANS to advance campaign finance reform. The House State Government Committee has approved HB 2162, which would finally place a cap on campaign contributions in Pennsylvania. This wouldn't address the lag-time issue, but it's a good start.

First, though, it needs to get out of the Appropriations Committee. Evans is the chairman. Encourage him to introduce it for a vote: 717-783-1540.