Roy Barnes Quotes

Open the way before the new government to prove that it is for serving the people.

I have been in public office and have been criticized. I do not object to it. A public official should be willing to be criticized. An agent of the people of this country should be called to account.

I am committed to making Georgia a model for open and honest government.

Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that. Democracy isn't a gift. It's a responsibility.

Ever since I arrived in Washington in April 2009, I have been fighting for more transparency and accountability in government.

I will run an open government that speaks with honesty, seeks opinion, listens to its citizens.

I am committed to working towards a more transparent, accountable, and ethical federal government worthy of the public's trust.

Too many people in government seem to think they are above regular folks, and I said I would expect humility in the way each member of my team served- that they would recognize that the taxpayer is boss.

The people want government that works for them at every level.

... we, the people, elect leaders not to rule but to serve.

I do believe that the majority of elected officials worked very hard and their heart is in the right place.

We need elected officials who care more about policy than politics.

The American people deserve their government to be open and accountable.

Transparency in government, no less than transparency in choosing government, remains a vital national interest in a democracy.

We should all be able to have faith that our governments are working in our best interests - and if they aren't, then they should be challenged and held to account.

After Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, I was heartened to see him issue an Open Government Initiative on his first full day in office.

The people of Zimbabwe have a responsibility to ensure that the government that they elected behaves properly.

The fight for reform comes down to a simple goal: giving our citizens the confidence that government serves the people first and the people only.

I think most people realize that our problems are our government, not me and you individually, except that we can - must have some sort of responsibility, because they're in there and they were elected, so we have to defend ourselves on those lines.

We have the incredible privilege of serving in the highest offices in the state. We must prove ourselves worthy of our fellow citizens' faith. We must be trusted to always place the public's good above our own and to always choose fairness over favoritism.

Most of all, be honest with yourself and make sure those in political office, our so called public servants, are being honest, holding them accountable for their actions!

Good government only happens when the people working in it do their jobs, and do them well.

We should be able to go to our government and get clear answers.

When I was first elected to the House in 2006, it was important to me to send a clear message to the people of NY-20: I wanted to be a representative for the people and shed some light on their government, so I became the first member of Congress to post my schedule, my financial disclosures and my earmark requests all online.

And one of the things I've tried to do in my first months in office is to give more Georgians - reporters and members of the general public alike - a closer look at how their government works.