Who is Rich Hand?

I am a husband, father of two great teens, and the son of Richard and Anne Hand who still reside in the Bronx NY. I grew up as the oldest of six children, two of my siblings are handicapped which has given me a great perspective on what is truly important in life. I have a BS degree in Applied Science from Binghamton University (formally SUNY Binghamton). I am an amateur musician with three CD’s of songs I wrote, and the author of three books.

I love to read about the founding of our nation and the framing of our constitution. I am excited, nervous, anxious, and confident I am doing the right thing by getting involved in this race. I know my strengths and weaknesses.  I am a very seasoned facilitator and presenter but need help with details. I never claim to know more than anyone else but I do know my judgment has a record of being sound.

I stand on principles that I believe are common among most people. I know there is too much conflict caused by labels like republican, democrat, liberal, and conservative. The only purpose this conflict serves is to divide the electorate into camps that can be harvested for money and votes.

I love Colorado and this Country.

Why are you running for Governor?

This is a question I am getting a lot. This was also a common question in my past two runs for Congress. The first reason is I want my children to grow up in a country that is truly free. Free from an over reaching federal government and a more responsive state government. The second reason is that I always tell my kids that you can’t sit back and expect others to do the things you should do. I am teaching through example.

We can’t expect foundational and constitutional change to come from people that really don’t want that change, and that’s how I view the democratic and republican parties.

I love this state even though it is my adopted state. I am originally from the Bronx NY. We will continue to struggle at the state level until we turn the responsibility pyramid right side up. The states should have the funding necessary to provide the functions of government. We have it backwards by sending so many tax dollars to Washington D.C. and then having to beg for it back. That is upside down for me.

I will campaign on applying the Tenth Amendment and challenging the Sixteenth Amendment. Here in the state we layoff police and fire fighters while Washington is spending trillions on saving banks and big car companies. That is wrong and unconstitutional. When is the last time you called a federal bureaucracy when your house was on fire or you needed a paramedic? Those are the services that count, not some indifferent bureaucrat in D.C. trying to regulate our lives.

How can I help the campaign?

In order to compete with the party candidates it will take donations from people like you that value choices when it comes to candidates. If everyone that visited this site gave just $5 we could be competitive.

The other very important area is volunteering. I will need a lot of volunteers to help gather the necessary 1000 signatures to get on the ballot, organize meetings, walks, standouts, and house parties.

Spreading the word and getting everyone to sign up for the newsletter is extremely important to the campaign and it will hopefully be of interest, and help you understand who I am as a person.

You are running as an independent, unaffiliated candidate, what makes you think you even have a shot at winning?

I believe the majority of people are disgusted with party politics and feel both parties are more interested in their own issues of power rather than doing what is right for the citizens. I understand the reasoning behind parties but they have become part of the problem. They continue to put party interests before the people’s interest. There is this philosophy in the party system that you wait your turn and pay your dues before running for office. The parties choose who we get to vote for. I don’t need them filtering candidates; I am quite capable of making the decision myself. I think most people feel that way. Too many good citizens are discouraged out of the process due to party politics and that’s bad for our state and country.

I am sure the party faithful will criticize and discount me for being outside the party but I believe it is a strength at this critical time in history. I find it interesting that the fastest growing group in the election process is the unaffiliated voter. They are made up of people just like me that have left due to disappointment and frustration. Both parties have had the opportunity to govern and what have the results been? Both parties have failed because they always end up sacrificing our future to save theirs.

Parties discourage our youth from getting involved. Our youth see parties as an old school way to determine ways to get socially active. They are more open and merit based in their approach. I want to encourage young people to join this independent movement.

What is your experience?

First, I want to say that I believe the greatest experience a politician can have is a true understanding of the impact government has on most people’s lives. People that want to be politicians for life are very suspect to me. I am in for one term and one term only. Then I am back to private life and I hope someone like me will step up again in four years. I think common sense and a true understanding of human nature is critical. Knowing that emotion is a powerful influencer in public opinion but not the best way to make policy judgments is a must for good leadership. Politicians are always over reacting because they don’t know how to communicate and separate emotion from facts and good judgment. Sometimes the best policy a government can make is no policy. Anecdotal stories although they make great news stories are not the best evidence that a government policy is necessary. Most of the time in these stories it is an individual that has had bad luck or made bad decisions in their life, like dropping out of school or getting pregnant at fifteen. We have to overcome our own challenges in life.  

I am an Executive Director at a membership, training, and conference company. I support 6000 members, I am responsible for over 400 volunteers, and I manage a staff that produces a magazine, two newsletters, books, research, and white papers. I have been part of a team that grew the company from six million in revenue to seventeen million, and was part of the team that helped sell the company for twenty four million. I understand business, budget, process, and people. I know how technology drives efficiency and I believe that will be critical in improving government agencies as we move forward.

I started out as a garbage man back in 1977, paid my way through college, held positions in sales, customer service, process improvement and implementation, compliance, and other management positions. I have lived the American Dream and I want everyone to have that opportunity. I have worked for small business and huge corporations. The greatest way to improve the economy is reduce the burdens on small business. Small business is the engine of our economy.

I have written three books, I travel the country speaking to our membership and have been a keynote speaker in a number of countries including the United States, Canada, and Brazil.

I am a currently Vice President on a volunteer board for Help Desk Chapter’s Inc, and the President of my children’s swim team The Rocky Mountain Rapids. I am also a volunteer swimming official.

 My greatest advantage is my knowledge of business and experience at managing a large membership organization. We need more people running that have real life experience rather than political experience. Political “experience” has gotten us where we are today. Do we think it may be time for a change?

I live my life like most other people in Colorado. I just want the best for my kids and my family. I want the opportunity that I have had to continue for every American and citizen of Colorado.

What economic policies will you pursue as Governor?

The first policy is to change the federal tax burden on individuals and small business. I am going to propose an amendment to the Colorado Constitution to make the maximum federal income tax 15%. This will force a constitutional fight on the limits of the Sixteenth Amendment, and will put front and center our Tenth Amendment rights. While that is going on I am going to review the regulations on small business that hamper their ability to grow; especially federal regulations. Colorado already has a favorable tax climate but its critics believe this low tax burden hurts the ability for the state to increase its services. That may be true but I would rather have to argue for more tax payer funds than end up like California or NY. If we can reduce the federal tax burden, I believe people will be more willing to support local issues that have a direct impact on their lives. We need to simplify the process to start a new business and to run one so more people follow their dreams.

Part of the funding issue for the state is the mandatory Medicaid spending which will be challenged and then reformed as one of my major goals. Healthcare is a major opportunity to create a favorable climate for business in Colorado. Simple changes like having doctors post price lists for basic services like checkups, blood tests, cold and flu, etc, will give consumers a way to shop and compare doctors. I will push to have the consumer of healthcare pay the bill, even if it is an insurable service. I will eliminate income tax on doctors, and corporate tax on clinics, that serve patients without using insurance. Just a couple of ideas, but the premise is to eliminate large insurance companies and government bureaucrats from the doctor visit. Health insurance should only be about managing risk of expensive procedures that involve critical care. Health care should be about a doctor and patient relationship.

I want local small business to know that Colorado will be a federal free zone and that we will fight to reduce any federal regulation that inhibits their ability to expand and grow.

Education is my passion and I believe that educational structures need to be supported that are 21^st century not eighteenth century based. We have kids in Denver public schools that will never reach their potential and dreams if we don’t consider every option for educating our youth. We have done a good job in some parts of the state and a poor job in other parts of the state. I applaud the efforts being made there but it is the morass of bureaucracy that drives me crazy.

A great education system produces leaders, entrepreneurs, excellent citizens, and a booming economy. It attracts people to the state which drives business to the state and increases our ability to provide the services we need to have for a first class infrastructure. It doesn’t mean it has to be a completely public system, and that is where the battle lies. Entrenched people will have a hard time thinking different about this critical component of a great life.  

Many of my critics will say this is not possible since the federal government is too powerful and you can’t change it. That is exactly why we need a governor to stand up for Colorado’s business and citizens. We have solid footing to win this important fight in our U.S. Constitution and especially the Tenth Amendment.

And let me make this perfectly clear; I do not have all the answers, solutions or completely understand every issue I will face, but I have great experience developing strategies that work in business. I believe I can transfer those to the public sector. I also know there are really smart and passionate people that will be willing to share their views on many issues as we move forward. I will be deliberate in my decisions and policies for this great state.

What will you consider success in this campaign?

Obviously winning. But I hope this campaign motivates other citizens that are out there sitting on the fence, to get involved and not leave our destiny up to career politicians. Our government works best when everyone understands what is going on, and what is at stake. I want my kids to learn that life is not a spectator sport, and last but not least, success will be helping a new generation appreciate the U.S. Constitution and its blessings of liberty. Freedom is fragile and we must know our history to protect our future. 

What is your greatest fear?

Chaos. I am concerned that we are severely lacking leadership in Washington D.C. Trust is broken and they are over stepping their authority even more than past administrations. This lack of leadership is causing fear and panic not only in the U.S. but around the world. We need to focus on getting back to our founding principles and demand that government operate according to the law of the land. The more we turn our back on families, communities, and churches the more problems escalate. We need to follow our Tenth Amendment and bring the power back to the states where it belongs. The world is not the answer, our moral foundation, local compassion as neighbors, our churches, and strong communities are where we need to focus. I think that is the responsibility of the governors. I will work with other governors to get this balance back in order.

The more the federal government tries to “fix” things the worse it will get. The problems are so big at the federal level that the only way to stop them is by reducing the tax dollars our states are sending, we should pay for the federal services that are constitutionally mandated to support  like our military (I support the military with extreme vigor) but to have the federal government in the doctor’s office with us is crazy.

I fear we are losing our freedom one government program at a time. I fear ignorance. I believe the answer to most problems is found in a strong education. Without education and information people make bad decisions. But in the end I believe in the American people. We will do the right thing when we are faced with the choice. I hope to give the voters of Colorado a true choice.

What are your greatest hopes?

Like every other parent I pray for my kid’s success and their continued good health. That I can help return the trust back into the political arena so we can have real debates about the priorities we need at the state level. I want to see every kid in Colorado have the opportunity to be the best they can be because they understood how valuable an education is; and that they received the best one available because they lived in Colorado.

What books are you reading?

I am always reading history and politics. I am reading “The Real George Washington” and the “Reagan Diaries.” I am currently reading my latest book too much because we are in the editing process, “The Teenager’s Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” I hope very teen reads it and has success from the advice I give.