Candidate says Americans need independent voices

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Shortly after Ken Waszkiewicz's daughter Ivy was born in November 2009, the U.S. National Debt topped a record-high $12 trillion. Divided evenly among the U.S. population, it amounted to $38,974.34 for every man, woman and child.

Waszkiewicz soon decided he was fed up with the nation's politicians and that he would run for Congress as an unaffiliated candidate. He wants to represent Colorado residents of the 4th Congressional District, a seat now held by Democrat Betsy Markey. Cory Gardener is the likely Republican candidate for the office, and there could be some minor party candidates as well.

"Once I started seeing the debt rack up, I decided I was not going to wait around anymore," the 38-year-old Fort Collins residents said in an interview with the North Forty News. "I was tired of sitting there hoping someone else would fix the problem."

Waszkiewicz moved from Alaska to Colorado in 1990 to attend Colorado State University. His parents followed three years later and now live in Red Feather Lakes.

With a degree in human nutrition, Waszkiewicz is one of many Americans working jobs outside their field of interest and training. He is currently a full-time seasonal employee for the Fort Collins traffic department.

"I dig ditches," Waszkiewicz said. "I'm a shovel man."

To get on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate in Colorado, Waszkiewicz has to collect 800 valid signatures from voters in the district. He plans to gather 20 to 30 percent more as a buffer against invalid signatures. June 15 is the deadline to submit his petitions to the secretary of state.

Waszkiewicz said he's enjoyed going door-to-door talking with citizens, getting signatures and discussing their issues. His is and will continue to be a low-budget campaign.

"I don't want your money, I want your trust first," he said.

He intends to recruit supporters through YouTube messages and word of mouth. "Money doesn't buy you votes," he said. "Beliefs do."

Waszkiewicz especially believes in fiscal responsibility. He wants Americans to "focus on being producers again, not just consumers."

Republicans and Democrats, he said, have lost ties with average middle-class Americans like himself. "I'm tired of not being represented in Washington," he added.

Waszkiewicz said he will refine his thoughts on the major campaign issues after qualifying for the ballot.

In addition to reducing the national debt, his key theme to date is advocacy of an "energy revolution." Energy in the United States, he said, needs to be independent, efficient and sustainable, and fixing the energy transmission grid is of primary importance. An energy revolution will create jobs, he added.

Waszkiewicz said he agrees health-care reform is needed, but politicians incorrectly mixed together the problems with health care and the problems with health insurance. He would not have voted on the large, complicated bill that passed Congress this year, he said, because representatives didn't have time to read it.

"They should focus on what the issue is and take care of it," he said. "Keep it simple."

Waszkiewicz sees a career in politics as something to avoid, so he favors term limits. "I am running as a representative, not as a politician," he said.

He believes members of the House of Representatives should be limited to two two-year terms. Senators should serve no more than two three-year terms – a change from the current six-year terms. He would leave presidential terms as is – two four-year terms. He would also like to place term limits on members of the U.S. Supreme Court, who are currently appointed for life.

Like himself, most Americans are tired of voting against someone rather than voting for someone, Waszkiewicz said, but an independent candidate representing average Americans is someone they can vote for.