With the recent news of PHA and Germantown Settlement on top of the recurring themes and stories of corruption throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, it is readily apparent that our state and local government is compromised at all levels. We can't trust any level of our government, from City Council to Controller to Mayor to General Assembly to Governor to the Judiciary to enforce laws and ethics.

It is time the federal government steps in and finds out how all of their, and our, money is spent and whom it is going to.

It is time Congressional oversight from outside our region steps in to find out exactly what is going on with tax payer money.

So far, Senator Grassley from Iowa, a ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee has started demanding answers. Contact him to let him know you support the current inquiries and request a start to end audit of federal money in Philadelphia.

Then contact Senator Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and encourage him to get involved.

Next contact the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Edolphus Towns (use zip code 11236-2806 to be allowed to use the contact form).

After that, Rep. Darrell Issa the ranking Republican on the house Oversight Committee (use zip code 92081).

Let's start by flooding them with thousands of emails that we want Congress to start asking questions and supplying us with answers.

Adam Lang
September 29, 2010

If you want ideas for a letter, start with the following:

My name is [insert name] and I am a resident of Philadelphia. I am contacting you about the need for federal intervention and oversight in the government of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

As you may be are aware, the latest issues of corruption, incompetence and graft involving Germantown Settlement and Philadelphia Housing Authority are sadly just the most recent stories of misappropriated city, state and federal funds. This is far from a new occurrence and it extends for the low level party official all the way up to our sitting Congressmen.

I am personally requesting that the federal government begins an audit of all federal monies that have been given to the City. All levels of the State and local government have been compromised and have been for decades.