A Memo to the President

RE: Notice to implement the U.S. Constitution in the great state of Colorado

Dear: Mr. President

It will be my constitutional duty if elected to the office of Governor, to take charge and responsibility for managing the affairs of the citizens of the great state of Colorado. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly, so therefore I must prepare you for the changes you will encounter shortly after my election. My intention is to inform you of the changes so you can properly prepare for the impact those changes will have on your ability to manage the federal government.

As you know, the federal government was created by the states to carry out the limited functions that we agreed were better suited to be handled by a concerted effort of the states by an established agent; the federal government. We did not hand over unlimited authority to the federal government. As clearly stated in Article I section 8, the powers of the federal government are limited. It has been clear that over the years the federal government has been acting as a fully authorized agent of all of the affairs of state, without the authority of said states. This is a clear violation of the constitution. The Supreme Court has been an agent of the federal government’s pursuit to usurp the constitutional authority of the states, and therefore we consider Supreme Court precedence null and void for future considerations of our constitutional authority. We expect all constitutional arguments to be weighed against the original constitution and not the tortured logic we have seen utilized over the years, specifically the “commerce”, “privacy” and “supremacy” clauses.

As outlined in the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which we have both sworn to uphold it is clearly and brilliantly stated by our predecessors “"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." As Colorado Governor I will be working with our legislature, and the like minded Governors of the other 49 states, to reconsider all federal programs, and prepare for a responsible retraction of those programs to bring the federal government back into compliance with the original intent of our constitutional republic.

This process will take some time but immediately after my inauguration as Governor, I will be introducing an amendment to the Colorado Constitution to limit the maximum amount of federal taxation to 15% of personal and corporate income of the citizens and businesses in Colorado. This amount will be a sum great enough to pay the authorized powers we have granted the federal government through the US Constitution. We expect our military will be your first priority. We understand the Sixteenth Amendment granted you the right to tax our citizens directly but I don’t believe we ever agreed that the right, and amount of taxation, was unlimited. As a matter of fact it is limited based on the limited authority you have to create federal programs. We have been remiss of our responsibility in the states to enforce this limitation, but no more. We will now limit that authority to a percentage we believe will give you enough funding for constitutional programs like defense and border control. If you believe 15% is too much or too little, I will be willing to discuss that with you and will invite our state legislators to join us, as well as any other Governor, to discuss the right percentage to run the federal government. In the spirit of cooperation we welcome your suggestions.

I know you will agree, we have drifted from the law of our land, and it is each of our responsibilities to become once again compliant with the law of our land; the U.S. Constitution. Neither of us should knowingly be outlaws when we have both sworn to uphold our constitution. I understand we have been living as if there were no constitution to bind us from providing endless government services, but I am sure you will agree, if we want to pursue that course of action we must take the proper steps by convening a constitutional convention, or embarking on an amendment process that will give you the additional authority you need to maintain the current path of endless federal takeovers, healthcare, and environmental policy that you seem to believe some Americans want. I can assure you, in Colorado we will be more than capable of taking care of ourselves.

In the spirit of transparency and my prayer for a return to constitutional law, I hereby give you notice of my intentions if given the honor to represent Colorado as our Governor. This is the greatest country in the world because our leaders have always understood that individual liberty and state freedom trump any form of centralized control and authority. Our prosperity has been the result of an unwavering belief in God, compliance with the principles outlined in our Declaration of Independence, and respect for the United States Constitution. I am sure you share my concern and commitment to return our country to the principles that have given us unprecedented wealth and unbridled compassion that has been a beacon for the rest of the world.

With greatest respect for the office of our president.

I look forward to working with you.

In Pursuit of Liberty,

Rich Hand
Unaffiliated Candidate for Governor of Colorado