Jim Bednarski
Correction Aug. 30, 2011 — Jim Bednarski, of Manheim Township, was a spokesman for former U.S. Rep. Bob Walker during a Walker re-election campaign. Bednarski's position was misstated in the article below.
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Manheim Township businessman Jim Bednarski will run as an independent for the 16th Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts.
He plans to run his campaign without many of the traditional trappings — first and foremost, money.
Bednarski, until recently a Republican, said his goal is to take little or no campaign contributions. Instead he'll use technology and an army of volunteers to spread his message.
"The longer my team and I work at it, the more feasible it appears," he said. "There are tools available in the 21st century that simply weren't available before."
Bednarski's platform contains just one plank: "Fix the Congress and the economy."
He realizes that won't be easy.
"It's a huge, huge task," he said. "I'm not trying to minimize it in any way. But I believe if we fix those two things, the other things that are wrong with America will fall in line."
Pitts, a Republican, has represented the 16th District, which includes all of Lancaster County, since 1997.
F. Patrick O'Keeffe, of Lititz, announced in June that he will seek the Democratic nomination for the seat.
Bednarski has held public office only once, as a Manheim Township School Board member in the 1980s.
He was a spokesman for Republican Bob Walker, who represented the 16th District for 20 years, during Walker's 1990 re-election campaign.
Walker could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Bednarski, 65, will draw on his varied experience, which includes selling IBM computers to Fortune 500 companies and handling marketing and public relations for Lancaster General.
A Reading native, he met his wife Jean at Franklin & Marshall College. He has owned his own consulting business, now called The Patriot Group, for 32 years.
Bednarski, an assistant scoutmaster, has been active in Boy Scouts on and off for 35 years. He also wrote two books, "Scouting for Boys" and "The Free Market Manifesto."
He said he became an independent five years ago, when he grew "sick and tired of the nonsense going on in the parties."
Bednarski launched his campaign without fanfare earlier this summer. So far he has spent a small amount of his own money to secure jimbednarski.com and related Internet domain names.
He currently has no campaign manager; his webmaster and treasurer are volunteers. (A campaign treasurer is required. If money has to change hands, he'll take care of it.)
Friends initially suggested Bednarski run for Congress, he said. "You could have knocked my socks off," he said. "I'd never even thought about it."
Joe Frank, a Lancaster Township entrepreneur and registered Democrat who made the original suggestion, said Bednarski, his friend of 30 years, has varied skills and bright ideas. He's also serious about fixing the country's problems.
"What makes Jim so attractive is his personal integrity," said Frank, now a campaign volunteer. "Our political class today has just failed us in a spectacular way. He would be a breath of fresh air."
A favorite quotation from 18th century statesman Edmund Burke ultimately convinced Bednarski to run: "All that is required for the forces of evil to succeed in the world is for enough good people to do nothing."
"I wouldn't be counted as someone who did nothing," he said. "I have four kids and eight grandkids. I want to see them have an America when this is all over."
Bednarski said he hopes to shun campaign contributions because he doesn't want to risk becoming a "bought -and-paid-for Congressman." He also doesn't want to spend much of his own money.
During his last re-election campaign, Pitts raised more than $750,000, Federal Election Commission records show.
Bednarski said his candidacy isn't about Pitts.
"I believe all candidates should focus on what they're going to do for their constituents," he said. "There's no reason to talk about the opponent at all."
To fix Congress, Bednarski suggests eliminating campaign funding, lobbyists and special privileges for members, as well as the concept of "professional" representatives.
To fix the economy, he proposes ending deficit spending, reducing the debt and allowing the private sector to create jobs and businesses, with a special focus on manufacturing.
So far 100 friends from all over the political spectrum have volunteered to help Bednarski's campaign. Their role is simply to urge people to vote for him.
"If I have 700 people on my campaign team, in 17 seconds, I can touch every one of them [with technology]," Bednarski said.
Retired attorney Francine Z. Taylor, of Lancaster Township, described Bednarski, her former boss and friend of 32 years, as compassionate, demanding and with a strong moral compass.
"He is an A-plus guy," said Taylor, who calls herself an independent-leaning Democrat. "I would vote for him for anything. ... He has always wanted to make a difference."
Bednarski doesn't yet know the exact shape his campaign will take, or whether it will include traditional campaign events and speeches.
As for campaign signs, "There won't be any," he said. "I'm not going to litter Lancaster's highways."
He won't hand out buttons either.
