Once again, the Post-Gazette has published an editorial accusing me of everything from "insulting the intelligence of Pennsylvania residents" to squandering the Democratic progress agenda ("DeWeese Must Go," Dec. 23). And, once again, I am responding to set the facts straight for both you and your readers.

I understand that politics is a rough-and-tumble game, and my skin is as thick as anyone's, but the shrill tone of your recent criticism has reached an all-time high in a cause that is not in the best interests of Pennsylvanians, particularly those who live in the western part of the state. We could all benefit from a return to civility, but that is a discussion for another day. Today, I am writing to set the facts straight.

First of all, anyone who thinks that the House Democrats' agenda is in "the deep freeze" simply hasn't been paying attention. We listened in the fall of 2006 when Pennsylvania voters sent a clear message demanding reform in the state Legislature, and we acted.

Our first order of business last January was unseating Republican Speaker John Perzel, no friend of reform, and establishing a Speaker's Reform Commission charged with reforming the legislative process from top to bottom. I was a prime mover in the effort to cashier Mr. Perzel (which your own paper called "a nice piece of political jujitsu"), and, along with Rep. Dwight Evans, I was a prime mover behind the Speaker's Reform Commission.

The bipartisan commission got right down to work in January and by mid-March had implemented 32 separate reforms, ranging from banning voting in the middle of the night to giving the public more time to review pending legislation through a more honest and open process. This was no minor accomplishment for a body that has been in existence for more than 300 years, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gave the Legislature minimal credit for having done so.

During the same period we passed legislation addressing other priorities of Pennsylvanians, including improving the state's roads, bridges and mass-transit systems of all sizes without raising the gas tax; protecting patients in medical facilities from hospital-acquired infections; and advancing Pennsylvania's capacity in biotechnology, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, and research and development.

Despite this progress on our legislative agenda, the Post-Gazette has chosen to focus on the controversy surrounding bonus payments, which, although a legitimate issue, is not the only concern of Pennsylvanians. But let me be clear about what happened.

When I first learned about the bonus allegations, I looked to my staff for answers and provided their answers to the public. When I realized that I hadn't gotten the full story, I did what any effective corporate executive would do. I called in an outside firm to assess our practices, to assist us in implementing the best practices of the private sector for ensuring integrity and promoting public confidence, and to cooperate with the attorney general's investigation. I chose the firm that I did because it is headed by Bill Chadwick, a former prosecutor and inspector general to Gov. Bob Casey, for whom I had great respect. I should point out that my decision to bring a former prosecutor into the caucus was not popular with some, but I did it because it was the right thing to do.

Bill and his team, in addition to spearheading our cooperation with the attorney general's investigation, have assisted us in revamping the caucus' internal controls, which, like the legislative procedures, were in need of reform. In this we are leading by example. We are the only caucus of the Legislature that has implemented a corporate-style compliance program complete with a compliance officer, training programs, certifications and audits. This is a model that should be adopted by the other three caucuses. The Post-Gazette should be calling on the other caucuses to implement similar reform measures for the future, rather than simply focusing on what wasn't done in the past.

As to the investigation itself, we are continuing to cooperate with the attorney general's office in its search for the truth, and I am confident that in the end my conduct will be seen as appropriate and honorable.

In the meantime I will continue to lead the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in efforts to lower property taxes, provide health care for the uninsured and get a strong open records law to the governor's desk.