by Jonathan R. Reed
Those familiar with Philadelphia politics might not know the name Pia Varma…but that’s about to change.
A Libertarian-minded Republican candidate for Philadelphia's 1st Congressional District, Pia comes from a long line of independent thinkers. Both grandfathers were freedom fighters in the Indian Independence movement, and her parents moved to America from the United Kingdom during the 80s at a time when government intervention was on the rise and economic prosperity was in decline in that nation.
As Pia grew up and became more politically aware, she realized that what attracted her parents to America – freedom from government, celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit, etc. – was quickly evaporating. Rather than stand by and watch what she loves most about the United States disappear without a fight, she decided to become an active part in the fight to return America to her Constitutional principles.
Perusing her campaign website, it’s clear that Pia is no ordinary Congressional candidate. Her outgoing personality and straight-talk approach is sure to shake up the establishment in Philadelphia and attract more attention to the Liberty movement that continues to gain momentum throughout the country.
Before her campaign begins in full-force, we wanted to speak with this inspirational candidate and get her thoughts on what she can offer to Libertarian-minded and independent-thinking voters in Philadelphia.
Q: What kind of an influence did your parents have on your values and political views?
A: I come from a family of entrepreneurs and businesspeople… and I think most people become influenced by what their family does. For instance, if you come from a family of doctors, you tend to be interested in medicine. For me, I've always had an entrepreneurial, "sky's the limit" mindset.
My parents are originally from India and grew up in England, and at that time England was known as the 'Sick Man of Europe'. Unemployment was very high, and my parents moved to the U.S. because the opportunities were greater here for people who wanted to become successful.
Q: How did you first learn about the principles of the Founding Fathers, and why did they have such an influence on you?
A: I always wanted to make a difference in the world but I didn't know how to do it. I remember picking up a book on conservatism...I don't even remember what book it was. Anyway, the floodgates sort of opened for me. Suddenly there were answers. I realized that poverty is a symptom of government policy. Crime is a symptom of policy. Ultimately, I love finding the truth and I found it the more I researched the principles of liberty and libertarianism.
Q: Why are you running as a Republican? How do you distinguish yourself as a Libertarian thinker?
A: I am a Republican and a Libertarian because, while I believe in maximum freedom, I also recognize that the U.S. is a Constitutional Republic. That's how we were founded – where laws protecting our natural birthrights reign supreme.
Like many, I became disillusioned with the Republican Party, but there's a real opportunity right now to change it.
Q: How does it feel to bring a cool, in-your-face attitude to the Republican Party?
A: I think I’m just being me. It's kind of a Howard Roark approach – I'm putting myself out there. I know my end goal, I know what I want to accomplish and I'm on this trajectory to get it done. If people want to get on board, great. And if they don't, it's their choice. I'm just doing what I need to do, saying what I need to say.
As I see it, this is reality. Things are bad, and my country's failing. If we choose to accept reality, we have an opportunity to change our country's course. If we don't accept reality, we will fail. At this point in American history, we can't afford to sugarcoat things. Maybe other politicians care about getting elected more than getting things done...I’m not one of those people.
Q: There appears to be a conflict in the Republican Party with support for establishment, middle-of-the-road candidates on one side, and support for more Constitutional, liberty candidates on the other. Do you think liberty candidates such as yourself can get the backing they need from the Republican Party?
A: Yeah. It's strange – even though I have a more libertarian view, I've received a lot of support from the Republican Party. I'm just presenting my message and they've jumped on board and been very excited about it. It might be that I'm running in a district where there aren't primaries and no one has seriously challenged Bob Brady. Perhaps, they recognize that it'll take something a little different to do that.
My target market is not the traditional liberty-minded Republican voter. I don't want to preach to the choir. I'm targeting that 24-year-old who has, perhaps, never thought seriously about politics before. Maybe he's out of a job, become very disillusioned with government and is starting to ask questions.
Q: How do you plan to present the issues when the majority of voters in the district are not pro-freedom? (Many are in favor of a single-payer health system, for example)
A: I don't think that the district is necessarily anti-freedom. I just think that this viewpoint has been shut out of the debate. I'm willing to bet that if these ideas are presented in a clear way that makes sense, people will get behind them.
Q: Can you tell us a little more about the Industrial Empowerment Zone (IEZ) program and how it influenced you to go into Philadelphia politics?
A: The IEZ project was a Clinton-Gore program designed to put industry back into the cities. Each city in the program received around $70 million. I was involved in a development project to bring green modern housing to a vacant plot of land north of Northern Liberties. It was the kind of project that you would assume the city would be excited about. It would have revitalized the neighborhood and spurred economic growth.
After months of planning, getting approvals and fundraising etc., it was blocked by the Commerce Department of the City of Philadelphia. The Commerce Department could not quite explain how vacant land had a greater economic impact than a potential residential development. We got responses like "That’s the red herring on the table," and "It’s not just about economic impact." My favorite was, "Look at what happened in Northern Liberties when the yuppies moved in. There's not a single business left!" I thought that bars and restaurants were businesses, but according to the Commerce Department I guess I was wrong.
You have to wonder where the $70 million went. The government has essentially used it as a credit line to blight neighborhoods and abuse the power of eminent domain. Many of the landowners are unable to sell their property because it's industrial zoned. The land value, if it was residential property, would be worth four times as much as it is now. My experience also made me question the green initiatives that the city government says it is involved in. They suddenly seem very disingenuous.
Q: How do you think Bob Brady feels about you running against him? Have you communicated with him?
A: I haven't spoken with him or met him, but I'm sure he knows I'm running against him.
Q: How can anyone who wants to, get involved in your campaign?
A: Right now, my campaign is very grassroots. I just started this thing with a shoestring budget, some strategic thinking and an idea. It’s not even my idea, it's the idea this country was founded on.
There will be lots of opportunities to get involved. Once my headquarters is set up, I would love to have volunteers and I want to do a lot of guerilla marketing. I want to run this as a very different kind of campaign, and I really encourage creativity. I hope people bring their own ideas to help me get the message out there.
*For more information about Pia Varma, or to donate to her campaign, please visit votepia.com