January 26, 2010
Oz Griebel to run for governor
The Republican field for governor is about to grow by one: Oz Griebel, a Greater Hartford business leader, intends to announce his candidacy at noon Thursday on the north steps of the State Capitol.
Griebel is the president and chief executive officer of the Metro Hartford Alliance, which serves as the region's chamber of commerce.
He is jumping into a race now dominated by two downstate Republicans: Tom Foley of Greenwich and Lt. Gov. Michael C. Fedele of Stamford. Lawrence DeNardis, a former congressman and university president, also is close to declaring.
A press advisory from Griebel says he will make stops Thursday in Torrington, Hartford, Mystic and Stamford to kick off his campaign.
Like Foley, who is an investor and business executive, Griebel intends to stress his business background and an economic development agenda.
Griebel was the chief executive office of BankBoston's Connecticut subsidiary from 1993 to 1999. He has been with the Metro Hartford Alliance since 2001.
He is married and lives in Simsbury.
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2010 is shaping up to be the first open season, free-for-all for Connecticut's political leadership in a generation. Fifty years of one-party rule has devastated out cities. Connecticut's cultural geography has never been more economically stratified. Mr. Griebel's experience running the Metro Hartford Alliance gives him a solid grounding in practical business realities while a bank CEO necessarily becomes grounded in the particular character, challenges and opportunities of their place and community.
Connecticut’s economic competitiveness has been strangled by too little regional cost-sharing and cooperation and a tax climate created by an increasing disparity (estimated as high as 40%) between public and private sector compensation for comparable work. Every time they talk about raising taxes OR cutting services how about also discussing civil service reform; introducing competition into public school education and restoring CT’s reputation back, from the land of steady hand-outs to the birthplace of American ingenuity which it was and still has the potential to be.
Oz Griebel will make this race more competitive and interesting - a good thing for democracy, freedom and progress in Connecticut. Hats off for jumping in!