Charles Vest Quotes

There is such a desire to give everybody a piece, we're probably wasting a great deal of homeland security money trying to be politically correct, when we really need to make sure that our cities get the money they need.

How in heaven's name can a nation with a $1 trillion surplus threaten so much scientific research so vital to its future?

For every dollar we have given to athletics, we have given about 27 to higher education or medical research.

No man pays double or twice for the same thing, forasmuch as nothing can be spent but once.

Literally from the moment I came in the door of MIT, it was very clear that a highly productive 40-year partnership between U.S. research universities and the federal government was badly eroding.

Our biggest single theme is trying to make the NIH work better with the same amount of money.

I'm not going to deprive my constituents of money that's out there.

Never base your budget requests on realistic assumptions, as this could lead to a decrease in your funding.

Government spending is not wasteful. The question is, “Is it necessary?”

Institutions are increasingly persuaded that political maneuvering is more important than scientific justification in securing federal funds.

You have to spend a lot of money to build strong sides.

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.

When times are good, there is budget available for increased research on secondary products or customers.

It is absolutely key that funding is used to support the best scientists with the best ideas.

We are putting so much money into retirement benefits that there is little money left for other state services

Austerity [in the Defense Department] meant that risks had to be managed, not eliminated.

We in Congress have the money but we don’t have the expertise.

Prioritizing spending and maximizing the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars is absolutely essential. We must draw the line, realigning programs when necessary and also eliminating failed programs.

The overall policing budget is protected.

We can't spend money on programs just because they sound good... Meals on Wheels sounds great.

We ought to prioritize national disasters... in a fiscally responsible way.

I feel that your ambitions should always exceed the budget.

For me, the scale of the budget is part of the creative process. 'Swingers' is the movie it is because we made it for exactly the right budget. Had it been made for a higher number, it would not have been as imaginative as we had to make it, given the budget constraints we had.

From a productivity standpoint, you're supposed to reduce headcount on par with declining revenue. If you believe the environment isn't going to improve, you should take a bigger cut to get in front of the problems.

Disgracefully, the arts have too often borne the brunt of short-sighted cuts to educational budgets.