Brickley to make formal announcement on May 6

Press release from GOP congressional hopeful Ann Brickley:

I am seeking the Republican nomination for US Representative 1st District Connecticut because I am deeply concerned about the direction the country is taking that will have very troubling consequences for future generations.  I am distressed by the economy and the number of people out of work, the runaway federal government spending, the government mandates that are not sustainable, the dysfunctional political process in Washington that does not represent the will of the people, and the expansion of the size and scope of the federal government. I can no longer sit by as our country heads in the wrong direction. 

I will formally announce my candidacy on Thursday, May 6 at the Hartford State Capital North Entrance.  Cheryl Lounsbury, Southington Town Chair, will introduce me at 10:00am.  

I am not a politician and have never been a politician.  Instead, I have been solving business problems for my entire professional career.   I help companies improve quality and productivity to become more competitive and profitable.  I am a working mother - my son Dave is a Boston University graduate working in Boston, and Rob is senior at the University of Connecticut.  I’m a lifelong resident of Connecticut, 55 years old, and live in Wethersfield where I grew up. I earned my BS and MS degrees in engineering from the University of Connecticut, and am a licensed Professional Engineer.

I worked for United Technologies Research Center, led business process improvement for GE’s Industrial Division, and held a variety of executive leadership roles at GE.  I started my own firm to help businesses in various industries improve performance to become more competitive. 

In short, I feel based on my experience that I know how to solve problems, and if there ever was anything that needed to be solved, it’s the issues in Congress now.  At this stage of my career I am ready to go to Washington to apply my experience to try to make a difference. 

During the past year, our incumbent, together with Speaker Pelosi has promoted the stimulus bill, a wasteful misuse of taxpayer dollars, and supported healthcare, an unsustainable entitlement.  He has supported cap & trade, which will drive energy costs higher, and supported the bailout of big banks, including Goldman Sachs.

These actions will have a detrimental effect to Connecticut both short and long term.  Furthermore, Connecticut has come up empty handed in the federal stimulus grants for education and health information, and received a small fraction of the federal transportation grants while our incumbent presides in a leadership role.  

Our country was founded under the principles of equal rights, limited government, and popular consent. I consider the constitution sacred. 

I believe in these principles:

•  Free enterprise.  I oppose measures that put government in competition with the private sector. 

•  Smaller government with limited power.  The federal government is too big and too powerful, and the passage of healthcare and the stimulus bills have made it even worse.

•  Fiscal responsibility.  Spending more than we can afford at the expense of our children and future generations is shameful.

•  Peace though strength.  Peace through trust and disarmament will not work because there will always be countries who dislike us, and can not be trusted.

I would be humbled and honored to have the opportunity to put my experience to work for the 1^st district, to find realistic, fiscally responsible solutions.  My aspiration is to provide the same type of leadership as the Honorable Congresswoman Johnson, who was known as one of the best informed members of Congress.  

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