December 12, 2005
by Dylan Skriloff
If the reactions of RBA membership are any judge, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (D) is looking strong in the upcoming gubernatorial elections, among Republicans and Democrats alike. The Attorney General himself said he was pleasantly surprised at the size and spirit of the reception he received from the business community during the RBA's Annual Celebrity Dinner on November 16.
RBA member Hector May, President of Executive Compensation Planners Inc, is a local Republican who is supporting Spitzer. After hearing Spitzer speak at the dinner, May has stepped up fundraising efforts for his campaign, especially among Republicans, he said. He finds Spitzer’s ideas good for business and feels good about his prosecution of corruption in the financial sector.
"I think that Eliot is a very focused individual. His record speaks clearly. He is not anti-business, he is anti-fraud. If he were anti-business he would have left things the status-quo," May said.
At the speech Spitzer spoke of the need to reform the tax structure in New York and to make spending more efficient in wasteful areas like Medicare, energy and education; topics long close to the hearts and minds of business leaders in the state. He also said he believed in a government of competence and strong ethics that gets things done in a timely manner, not the whiny, crony-like politics he feels has been pervasive in Albany for a long time.
May said he believed Spitzer’s can-do attitude will have a trickle-down effect in Albany making it possible for him to achieve his goals if elected governor.
Fred Hachtel of Citibank said he thinks highly of Spitzer, even though his company had been prosecuted by the Attorney General in a recent lawsuit.
"I have no qualms, I want to see a clean ship," said Hachtel, a New Jersey resident.
"If I lived in New York, without a doubt I’d vote for Spitzer. I’d take him over Corzine (New Jersey’s governor) any day," he said.
Hachtel, and some others, did have one problem with Spitzer’s speech; "He talks too fast, a mile a minute."
Jan Degenshein of Degenshein Architects said he was still waiting to see who the Republican’s nominate, but was impressed with how articulately Spitzer pointed out the state’s unresolved problems. In the future rounds of the campaign he wanted to hear more solutions offered from Spitzer.
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"I am interested in working with him on solutions and I hope the RBA can work with him should he be elected. As a lifelong New Yorker I want to see the state be what it once was and beyond that," Degenshein said.
Scott Liebert of CLG Financial Corp. also gave Spitzer favorable reviews but was waiting for the Republicans to announce a candidate before making a decision.
"I'd like to see (former Massachusetts Governor) William Weld run," Liebert said.
(Editor’s Note: The RBA does not make official endorsements of any political candidate. This piece is simply a sampling of the random response of RBA members polled by the newsletter writer.)
Other Quotes
"I think he is on the right track. He understands the issues and wants to stop playing the games that New York has been playing for too long."
Roger Scheiber, RBA Vice President
"His dedication to ethics and competence is something elected officials should strive for…I am hoping Spitzer is our next governor."
Dave Heinrich, Smart Money Mortgage Center Inc.
"He seems pro-business but I am waiting to see the issues unfold."
Scott Liebert, CLG Financial Corp.
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Jeanine Pirro to speak at RBA General Membership Luncheon
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