Richard Lamm Quotes
The earlier you start to solve a problem, the less draconian the solution needs to be.
Richard Lamm, Colorado Governor (Democrat), C-SPAN, University of Denver, Social Security Reform and Public Policy, April 15, 1998
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Referring to the problem of the necessity of using sophisticated technology and instruments to measure air quality:
Ideally problems of government would be prevented by good planning and anticipation. Once the political problem becomes evident, it is usually too late to resolve it well at reasonable cost. Machiavelli warned against waiting. However, he never imagined that a political problem would become evident, and the government officials or legislators would not deal with it and delay attempted resolution. However “kicking the can down the road” became very common in the latter part of the 20th century. By the beginning of the 21st century, the extreme political polarization of Congress had caused so much gridlock that almost no problem could be legislated upon, even well after it had been recognized.
Ironically, he had to drop out of the presidential nomination race because he was immersed in a personal scandal that erupted. He could not cope with it. Had he taken his own advice and dealt with it BEFORE the crises erupted, he might have weathered the storm. But he waited and was caught flat-footed.
His message is that man has to do something to produce solutions. Problems will come inevitability.
Richard Douglas Lamm is an American politician, writer, and attorney. He served three terms as 38th Governor of Colorado as a Democrat (1975–1987) and ran for the Reform Party's nomination for President of the United States in 1996. Lamm is a Certified Public Accountant and currently the Co-Director of the Institute for Public Policy Studies at the University of Denver.
