John Bates Clark Quotes

I've spent enough time in the business community to know there are certain regulators who are very constructive in their approach - those who enforce the laws and who actually want to help you comply - and there are others who have a prosecutorial attitude.

Many businesses oppose any government mandates, even if they are already following them.

Road testing the effects of regulation on European business must become second nature to the European Union.

Is regulation per se bad? Is better regulation bad? I think better regulation is good for the business community, and I think that's something we should get together on.

I tell them the rules are made by the government. Every firm should comply. It doesn't mean they can't compete.

To say that only those businesses affected with a public interest may be regulated is but another way of stating that all those businesses which may be regulated are affected with a public interest.

No one doing big business can avoid some contact with government agencies, regulators, and policy makers.

The steps which my predecessor took and the legislation passed on his recommendation have accomplished much, have caused a general halt in the vicious policies which created popular alarm, and have brought about in the business world a much higher regard for existing law.

The mere declaration by a legislature that a business is affected with a public interest is not conclusive of the question whether its attempted regulation on that ground is justified.

Fines have to be incentives to enforce the law. We cannot allow them to become just another cost of doing business

Every business action of the individual is supervised and hedged about with red tape and paternal restrictions.

Rational as distinguished from vindictive regulation by public authority turns out to be an extremely delicate problem which not every government agency, particularly when in full cry against big business, can be trusted to solve.

Every sandwich I sold, the city got more sales tax, the state got more. But they came in and they would want to give me a ticket because I have a sign outside trying to get more business, right?

More than 50% of significant new regulations that impact on business in the UK now emanate from the EU.

It's hardly a radical idea to suggest that regulators and legislators understand the law now, is it?

In a literal sense, even a private company, of course, cannot do everything that it wants without some discussion with government. As a good corporate citizen, Severstal discussed the idea of a merger with Arcelor with the Russian government.

Our experience is that it is not terribly difficult to do business in China. But the issue is, how much stability do you have in terms of what you negotiate up front and when you've got your feet and your investments on the ground.

I do not believe that the government is in any position to say exactly how every single business and every single activity shall reach those performances.

I manage my business; politicians are doing their business. I can only work within their rules and regulations. I can't pick up a political fight.

All I can say is that with business and the interest of any party before me, I will consider and apply the law as it is written by Congress and informed by precedent.

No legal fee can be too high for a large corporation with billions at stake on a phrase in a law or the timing of a regulation.

It should be as much the aim of those who seek social betterment to rid the business world of crimes of cunning as to rid the entire body politic of crimes of violence.

It is absolutely essential that bank supervisory bodies have the enforcement tools, the independence, and the political support to take tough enforcement measures when they are needed. Everything else—more uniform accounting standards, improved disclosure, and risk-based supervision—will count for little if supervisors lack effective powers of enforcement and the will to use them.

… strong national regulation of interstate corporations

In the past few months, as a result of our action, we have demanded of many citizens that they surrender certain licenses to do as they please in their business relationships; but we have asked this in exchange for the protection which the state can give against exploitation by their fellow men or by combinations of their fellow men.