Richard Barilla

Richard Barilla was born in New York. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000 and a graduate degree from the New York University Stern School of Business in 2005. His career experience includes working as a computer engineer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an independent candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District. As an Engineer and Teacher, I possess a unique combination of skills that enable me to approach problems from multiple perspectives. I have a penchant for comedy, theater, music, and entertainment and have even tried stand-up open mic events.

My experiences in education, engineering, technology, healthcare, law, finance, operations, and humanities have equipped me with a broad understanding of the issues that affect New Jersey’s communities. My upbringing has been a journey of growth, and I believe that my entire life has led me to this moment, where I can make a positive impact as a representative of all people.

As a bona-fide multi-cultural and bi-racial citizen, I have faced and endured the same daily struggles as the people I wish to represent. I am committed to using my diverse personal and professional experiences to inform my decision-making and ensure that every individual has an equal voice.

I believe our leaders today should evermore instill guiding principles so that families, communities, schools, and other nations yearn to live to create, to share, to tap into our hearts and souls and succeed via human collaboration and warmth, not calculated competition. With bravery and intelligence at an all-time low, we must renew our education and governments to focus on truth, conscientiousness, and God-given rights as our collective objectives.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Free Speech - I firmly believe that all forms of free speech and expression must NEVER be prohibited, censured, or limited. I recognize and advocate that dissent and disagreeing are the keys to learning, compromise, and sustained liberty. While we have the right to dislike both things and other people, we do not have the right to hate, and I will uphold and protect the First Amendment rights of all individuals.Community Health and Wellness - I passionately advocate for affordable and accessible healthcare. I believe that healthcare in the United States should be publicly free and universally equal in quality, with private companies serving only as non-profits to provide additional services. Profiting from health and human services should be ILLEGAL in the U.S.A. No one person should be able to attain a higher standard of care than another.Technology and Innovation - I ferociously support digital literacy and access to technology and a Free Internet, while ensuring that advanced technologies adhere to strict ethical standards aligned with the Constitution and Bill of Rights, such as the right to privacy, security, and anonymity. I recognize the need for caution and oversight in areas like artificial intelligence, but believe that the adoption of automation will replace the laboriously mundane. This will bolster production capabilities and sustain economic growth with the creation of new unique businesses and opportunities, and individual ingenuity.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The Three Pillars Government. State versus Federal Rights, Laws and Legislation. Democracy versus Representation. Healthcare, Labor and Workforce, Civil Rights, National, Foreign, and Homeland Security, Technology and Innovation, Humanities and Human Services, Guided Free Enterprise and Capital Markets.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

It is an amalgam and mosaic of past and present heroes, revolutionaries, and truth-tellers, fighting for the good, for the happiness of the People, dispelling evil and pain.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Truth at almost all Costs. Decency. Open-mindedness. Integrity and Nobility. An understanding of pain, suffering, impact, and the dichotomy and difficulty of good vs. evil and the policies and laws we must enact to protect and defend the nation simultaneously, and the willingness to be a leader and teacher for the people and the citizens. Being a voice is not enough. And finally, most importantly, Life, Liberty, and Happiness for All, the Constitution, Freedom of Expression, and the Bill of Rights. All of these principles must power and guide an elected official's behaviors and actions.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Truth at almost all Costs. Decency. Open-mindedness. Integrity and Nobility. An understanding of pain, suffering, impact, and the dichotomy and difficulty of good vs. evil and the policies and laws we must enact to protect and defend the nation simultaneously, and the willingness to be a leader and teacher for the people and the citizens. Being a voice is not enough. And finally, most importantly, Life, Liberty, and Happiness for All, the Constitution, Freedom of Expression, and the Bill of Rights. All of these principles must power and guide an elected official's behaviors and actions.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I was the first Congressman who was joyful and happy and concurrently embodied the most honest, intelligent, and pragmatic approach to policy-making.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I haven't written it yet because I probably never will.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superorcaman, the most powerful on land and in the sea. I could fly, but the air is meant for the heavens, for God to conquer and behold.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

With or Without You by U2.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

(Not) Knowing where I belong or where to apply any God-given gifts and talents that I may possess. Not knowing my destiny in life, what I'm supposed to do, what my service was supposed to be.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The Representatives are supposed to a product of the people, the ones most closely aligned to the day-to-day realities, struggles, and livelihoods of the people that they represent back in their designed districts. A Representative does not need to be an expert subject matter, just an expert listener and member of their respective communities.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

To reconcile whether the People can actually be happier and better off if the nation itself is no longer considered to be the greatest nation on earth. Said another way, is it possible to come in 2nd place if that leads to a better life for everyone involved? If the above is not true or undesirable, then the nation must insist on being the greatest nation while still remaining true to the principles and laws of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Perhaps, but I could see 3 or 4 years as also being a good term. Perhaps for multi-representative states, there could be a tier/tranche for different term lengths for different Representatives.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

They should not exist in a simplistic, binary or black-and-white manner as is currently, and instead we should impose by law an increasingly higher number of required votes needed to elect say a President for a 3rd (4-year) term. As an example, if both 2/3 of the popular and electoral vote was in favor of a President, a 3rd term should be permissible.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

It is a mixture, amalgam, a mosaic of past and present heroes.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Too many, some too painful to repeat in a condensed manner without doing justice to the actual story and people involved.

Tell us your favorite joke.

My favorite book is the one I haven't written yet because I probably never will.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes. An easy example is switching policies every 10 years to allow certain rights for a certain time period, and then reverting, thus allowing both sides relief and the ability to have their voices heard. The notion of all-or-nothing or black-and-white or yes-and-now is an outdated concept -- compromise means sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we can share and allow someone else's ideas to flourish. We cannot predict the future, therefore trying to listen to another political ideology's point of view could actually be best and could actually lead to a better outcome for the country and for the people, often unintuitively. Many great mistakes led to great discoveries and innovations. This is a key concept that is necessary to instill in the American people -- that doing something new, even if seemingly erroneous, could actually, magically, be the correct move. Additionally, many, if not all, decisions we make have both short-term and long-term impacts which themselves are interdependent and emergent, meaning the impacts are virtually impossible to predict so the real outcomes and how things will play out in reality are unknown. We must try to be open-minded, and sometimes, experiment on a small scale to learn, and keep learning on what good policy-making actually is, and that is being flexible, skeptical, and accepting.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I would respectfully and with honor and privilege undertake all such financial and economic matters with utmost diligence.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

Always remain skeptical. There are never enough questions because the outcomes of most policies are too numerous for anyone or any party to be confident about. I believe that all legislation should be geared to protect the one percent, the small few minorities who are protected as Individuals by the Constitution. Group-rights or group privileges should, in general, not be considered an appropriate or ethical lens or perspective when trying to investigate in the search for truth and the search for impact and the betterment and welfare of our society and citizenry.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I've endorsed myself, this is most important.

What committees interest you?

All of them.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

It should be 99% transparent and itemized for public consumption. 1% should be reserved for special projects that are matters of national security requiring Congressional oversight.