As another local politician declares candidacy for the 34th Senate district seat, a formerly small Web site grows in strength.

Penny Staver, a Republican Harrisburg lobbyist, is currently the only candidate represented by PACleanSweep.com running against incumbent Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre. However, 78 candidates are running for other state government positions through the Web site.

Staver, who contacted the Web site about participation, said, "It's time to change the look of the Legislature."

The Web site, founded by Russ Diamond, was created with the purpose of voting all elected officials out of the state General Assembly in this year's elections. The desired purge is a response to the officials' vote to raise their own salaries in the early morning hours July 7, 2005.

Corman said the issue is now common knowledge and part of the election process, and he is not adjusting his campaign to avoid it. He said he will campaign on what he believes is his positive record as senator.

"[PACleanSweep.com] has no impact on me as a candidate," he said. "I am campaigning for myself, not against the Web site."

Diamond said candidates of any party can be represented by the Web site, as long as a committee decides that the candidate in question "has their heart in the right place" after conducting an interview and reviewing the candidate's declaration.

By signing this declaration, candidates agree to do three things while in office: repeal the pay raise -- which has already been completed -- make future pay raises subject to referendum and establish a 10-day "cool-off period" before anything is signed into law, Diamond said.

"We need a transparent government," said Staver. "This period will make legislation open to the public before it becomes law."

Staver said she plans to promote legislative reform in her campaign, beginning with laws on lobbyist gifts.

Currently, Pennsylvania is the only state with no law forbidding gifts of meals and transportation from lobbyists to officials, she said.

"Things need to be accomplished in conversation or in writing," she said. "There shouldn't be any need for gifts."

Staver also said she is opposed to omitting inter-Senate monetary exchanges from the budget and ghost voting, meaning voting despite being absent.

"This is all part of the culture of corruption in Harrisburg," she said. "This just has to stop."

Democratic candidate Jon Eich, former Centre County administrator, said he is also running for the 34th seat but has not registered with the Web site because it focuses on only one issue: the pay raise.

"I looked at the Web site awhile ago and haven't looked back yet," he said. "That may change in the future, though."

Although Eich said Corman should be voted out of office, he said other issues, including the minimum wage, property taxes and public education funding, need to be a priority.

Staver, who is also vice president of the Susquenita School District board, said incumbents' campaigns for changes to public education funding are only "a quick fix for the election."

She said school boards should be allowed to request funds at least at the rate of inflation.

"It almost looks as though others are trying to intentionally destroy the public school system," she said.

Eich said the rule of thumb declares it is harder to run against an incumbent like Corman because he already has access to funds and strong name recognition in the community. He said this might not be the case in this election.

"Corman made two mistakes: He voted for the pay raise, and he said he didn't have a problem with the way it was voted for," he said. "This is an issue that was muffed badly. He's got some baggage."

The 34th state Senate district includes Centre, Mifflin, Union, Juniata and Perry counties.