With election season underway, Westfair Communications, the Business Journal”™s parent company, is hosting its first political panel, “Is Government Choking Business?”
Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino and Walter Raquet, a Greenwich-based businessman and author, will discuss government”™s role in business at a breakfast Sept. 27 in the Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies at 400 Westchester Ave. in Harrison.
Westfair Publisher Dee DelBello, who conceptualized the event, said, “I can”™t escape the long background I have had in government and business. That”™s why I”™m passionate about this program because I believe that these sectors must work together to achieve equity for the taxpayer and stability for our economy. I thank our participants who will bring a forceful dialogue to the program.”
The CEO of Green Earth Technologies Inc. in Greenwich, Raquet this year authored “Government is Killing the Economy” and a subsequent column published in the Business Journals, “A Modest Proposal to Reform the U.S. Government.” In these writings, he outlines his ideas on the impact of regulation and his thesis that the federal government should be run like a business with a board of directors.
Raquet has worked in the financial sector, where, according to his biography, he uncovered the largest tax fraud in U.S. history, created the first sophisticated equity trading system and was a corporate comptroller on Wall Street.
A Republican, Astorino has served as county executive since 2010 and won election to a second term in 2013 with a continued emphasis on protecting taxpayers, preserving essential public services and promoting economic growth. He previously was a councilman on the Mount Pleasant Town Board and member of the Westchester County Board of Legislators. In 2014 he was the Republican Party”™s candidate for governor, when he was defeated by another Westchester resident, Democratic incumbent Andrew Cuomo.
Astorino had a long career in the radio industry before his upset defeat of incumbent Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano in 2009.
Bob Berkowitz, founding correspondent for CNN, will moderate the event. Berkowitz has reported for ABC News, NBC, CNBC and the Associated Press. He is the recipient of the Overseas Press Club award and the Freedom Foundation award for journalism. Berkowitz has extensive experience in media and presentation training.
The event is open to the public. Registration is available at westfaironline.com/government-event. For more information, contact Danielle Brody at 914-358-0757 or dbrody@westfairinc.com.
