Forbes to Headline Business Council Dinner

Once and possibly future GOP presidential candidate Steve Forbes will be the keynote speaker at the Orange County Business Council’s annual dinner April 30.

The publishing magnate, who is chief executive of Forbes Inc. and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine, stirred up the 1996 presidential campaign with his proposal for a flat income tax. The subject of his speech hasn’t been announced, but the council expects him to cover both political and economic issues.

The council’s Sandy Davis, who is organizing the meeting, said that Forbes was asked to headline the event because he is expected to throw his hat into the presidential ring again in 2000, and because he can “bring insight” on government and business topics.

“We did tell him that we were interested in his perspective on the direction of the country, the major business issues facing the country, and what he’d like to see in terms of public policy direction,” said Julie Puentes, the council’s executive vice president of public affairs.

Past keynote speakers have included Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, William Bennett, Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher and Willie Brown.

Patrice Apodaca covers economic issues for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5979 and at patrice.apodaca@latimes.com