Political Quotes

“Let me say as somebody who had the privilege for 18 years to be in local government, I think those of us in the Federal Government have to understand that there are jurisdictions and priorities that we need to set. Some people believe that it is as much a responsibility of the Federal Government to hire police officers as it is to maintain a military. I'm sorry. The constitutional line for those of us who are mayors and county chairmen recognized that we need the Federal Government to concentrate on our responsibilities--defending our borders, defending our national security. Those of us that served at local government would be able to address their issues much more appropriately and have a lot less burden. But I really want to speak about the opportunities we have to work in a bipartisan effort. When we talk about budget reduction, rather than denying Americans the right to live in the United States unless they buy certain insurance, why aren't we talking about doing cost reductions like California has done, not exactly a right-wing legislature? MICRA there has had such an impact on the cost of insurance on physicians that an OB/GYN in Los Angeles pays 30 to 40 percent less for insurance than the same doctor in New York. Now, you can't tell me the cost of living is that much different, except for the fact that Sacramento has recognized that tort reform and limitations of trial lawyers' impact on health care is an essential one.”