Roy Barnes Quotes

Our struggle is to identify the sources of revenue and the means to obtain the funds. Without funds, all the planning and research studies can't help us.

The amount of money we spend on education is important, but not nearly as important as how the money is spent.

I'm not one of those who thinks the only way to fix what's wrong with American education is to throw more money at it. We also need to do it much better.

There shouldn't be budget problems. There is so much money that goes untapped. If every athlete gave 5% of what they earned, there wouldn't be any budget problems.

Filmmaking is a business and at the bottom line people who don't make fiscally responsible decisions end up going into another line of work.

All the education programmes provided by our foundations are in pursuit of a common vision to upgrade education standards and quality of life.

I couldn't sell water in a desert. I have no business acumen. I can tell you why you have no business acumen, and I can tell you why your project may or may not work, but I have no ability to make money.

If something can be proven to work, we should try it... Making sure that our young folk get the best education is the only thing that matters to me, and if something can be shown to work in doing that or if something's worth trying to do that, then I'll certainly be in the market for it.

If people are persuaded of the need for education and the need to invest in education, they're also persuaded of the need not to waste that investment by having low-quality education but to have high-quality education.

Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.

When I took office in 2011, I made a commitment that the Office of Attorney General would find ways to do more while spending fewer taxpayer dollars.

The PUP came into office in 1998 when the public debt of Belize was over $600 million and the economy was at a standstill. When we left office in 2008, ten years later, the debt was higher, but a lot was accomplished: the economy was transformed and the social and physical infrastructure of the country significantly upgraded.

I see city finances within the context of an economic strategy... We are going to solve our financial problems by growing the economy, and I have rejected some corners that have called for a slash-and-burn approach, and I've rejected others who have called for raising taxes and leaving government as is.

Cutting the fiscal deficit is not popular. That is the experience of all governments in all countries. Expenditure cuts hurt certain vested interests, and they don't like it.

You could make a case for job creation or education, police on the street, but none of those things can happen unless we got our financial house in order.

I have no salary from the Lugar Center. Essentially, the moneys we have received has been from foundations.

Quit being 'busy' and start actively owning and operating your company, and you'll be able to understand where the money is coming from and how to make more of it.

As much as you need to know your operations, if you don't understand the finance side and how to do the business, you're never going to be successful. So you might be the best operator or visionary, but if you don't understand the finance side... I'm successful because I know the finance side, but I also know operations; it's not an accident.

I've had some bad business lessons and learned some things. It's not always about going platinum. So long as I know who is buying my records and I generate revenue that's mine, then it's cool.

Who's going to do a better job of spending your money? You or the government?

This is always one of my big pet peeves is that 65% of NBA players, three years out of the NBA, are broke. I mean, so, maybe maturing a little more on the front end and getting an education might serve you well down the road.

Parents and grandparents ought to understand the importance of making sure the next generation excels - and charter schools have proven extraordinarily successful nearly everywhere they've been tried.

Africa is experiencing rising rates of growth, but will growth get translated into development?

The Pentagon should use data to guide financial decision-making.

I think if you have a big enough wallet you can solve anything but the key is to solve it with the least amount of expenditure.