All power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness. For the advancement of these ends they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think proper.

That carries the unmistakable air of revolution, our American Revolution, in the summer of 1776. But it's part of the Pennsylvania Constitution, part of its Declaration of Rights, penned that same year.

Less than two weeks after signing the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin walked down the same storied hall to chair the state convention. And among the rights declared for all Pennsylvanians in perpetuity is "the right in a peaceable manner to assemble together for their common good, and to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances or other proper purposes by petition, address or remonstrance.''

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PG STORE

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Brian O'Neill's book, "The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the Twenty-first Century," is available in the PG store.

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It's past time to do just that.

Our Pennsylvania General Assembly is a triple threat: corrupt, incompetent and expensive. After the unconstitutional mid-term pay grab of 2005, the illegal bonuses that followed and the 253-headed monster's chronic inability to pass a budget on time, the only thing we're left to argue is the degree of shame.

"Most Pennsylvania citizens believe it's time to reclaim their government through a Constitution convention. Most lawmakers want to stop us.''

That's from Tim Potts of Carlisle, who heads Democracy Rising Pennsylvania. It has been pushing for a convention for four years.

Apart from Mr. Potts' odd fear of adjectives -- he believes it important to call this a "Constitution'' convention rather than a "constitutional one'' because "I don't want the implication that there's such a thing as an 'unconstitutional convention.''' -- there's every reason to heed his call.

Using whatever grammar we like, Pennsylvanians need to take a cleaver to our oversized, over-compensated statehouse and begin anew.

We haven't had a constitutional convention in more than 40 years, and four advocacy groups -- representing a pretty good cross-section of political thought -- have joined to produce a how-to guide for a new convention, though the study isn't taking a position like Mr. Potts on whether to have one.

Even if this Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention Commission ain't saying we should drive the car, it has kicked the tires and looked under the hood. Here is some of what this collective -- Democracy Rising, the Commonwealth Foundation, Common Cause and the League of Women Voters -- found.

• We haven't had a full, no-holds-barred constitutional convention since the 1870s. The last one, in 1967-68, was limited to five changes the Legislature couldn't resolve; each change was later approved by voters.

• "The Pennsylvania Constitution is silent on constitutional conventions. ... The procedures for calling a convention are the invention of the General Assembly and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court."

• "The court has decreed that conventions are an acceptable way to change the constitution (if only because the current constitution does not specifically prohibit them), and that conventions can be called only by the General Assembly through special statute.''

Famous men such as Franklin, Thomas Paine and that ultimate square, David Rittenhouse, were at the first state convention, but "most delegates were farmers or business owners with no legal background or elected office experience.''

We need people like them, people like us, to take the reins of our state again. Democracy Rising has a petition on its Web site, www.democracyrisingpa.com, to "place a referendum on the ballot for the general election of November 2010, asking citizens whether they wish to hold a Constitution convention.''

It also asks our legislators to ensure that the way we select delegates results in a true cross-section of citizens

Given that calling a convention is entirely in the hands of the very legislative body we want to slice and dice, what would compel it to do the right thing?

"The answer is 'nothing but the voters,''' Mr. Potts said.

Nothing compelled the legislators to repeal their unconstitutional pay grab, but they did it, nearly unanimously, because they feared the voters.

"We're hoping to generate the same kind of dynamic. We need to tell them they're going to pay a price if they don't authorize a referendum before the [May] primary.''

That begins with us. That begins with you.

Those who can't access the online petition may write Democracy Rising Pennsylvania; PO Box 618; Carlisle, Pa. 17013. The group will send back a petition to sign.