Michael Bloomberg Quotes & Sayings

In our democracy, near equality is no equality. Government either treats everyone the same, or it doesn't. And right now it doesn't. — Michael Bloomberg

America was built by immigrants. Almost nobody that I know is any more than three generations, maybe four generations, American. — Michael Bloomberg

We should remember it wasn't so long ago that confidence in New York was in short supply. — Michael Bloomberg

If Warren Buffett made his money from ordinary income rather than capital gains, his tax rate would be a lot higher than his secretary's. In fact a very small percentage of people in this country pay a big chunk of the taxes. — Michael Bloomberg

What has changed is that people have stopped working together. — Michael Bloomberg

You must first be willing to fail - and you must have the courage to go for it anyway. — Michael Bloomberg

Like Israel, New York City's history has been defined by immigrants who come in search of freedom and the opportunity to build a better life. And like Israel, New York City has remained a target for terrorists who seek to destroy that freedom — Michael Bloomberg

If you can't prove it's not true then a certain number of people will glom on and say it is true. — Michael Bloomberg

My father worked all the time. — Michael Bloomberg

Despite its potential, the federal government has restricted funding for creating new cell lines - putting the burden of any future research squarely on the shoulders of the private sector. Government's most basic responsibility, however, is the health and welfare of its people, so it has a duty to encourage appropriate scientific investigations that could possibly save the lives of millions. — Michael Bloomberg

Even though New York is the safest big city in the nation, there are still far too many illegal guns on our streets. Nearly all of them arrive from out of state - and most are sold by a small group of rogue gun dealers who refuse to obey federal laws. — Michael Bloomberg

Look, we live in a very dangerous world. We know there are people who want to take away our freedoms. New Yorkers probably know that as much if not more than anybody else after the terrible tragedy of 9/11. — Michael Bloomberg

I don't know why people carry guns. Guns kill people. — Michael Bloomberg

Yes, they broke the law, but we can't deport them. Let's get over this pointing fingers and do something about that, whether it - they have to pay a fine, learn to speak English, the history, you can do that. And then you have to give visas for the skills we need. — Michael Bloomberg

The one thing computers have done is let us make bigger mistakes. We have to be careful not to depend on our machines. — Michael Bloomberg

You have to take away some of tax breaks for the wealthy, and you have to cut back on some entitlements. Because, unless we do all of these things, it just doesn't work. And what's good theater and what's good politics isn't necessarily good economic policy. — Michael Bloomberg

Mayors are very different, because mayors can't be on both sides of every issue. Mayors have to take an explicit stance. Just go with your gut and say what you believe, and you'll be fine. If you're not fine, at least you'll like what you see in the mirror. — Michael Bloomberg

We have to get control of our borders. You can only do that if you make companies obey the law and not hire undocumented or illegals. They can only do that is if they have a Social Security Card that has biometrics so they know whether the person is legal or not. — Michael Bloomberg

Government by three men in a room has turned New York State into a national symbol of governmental dysfunction. Enough is enough! — Michael Bloomberg

When it comes to public school education, we have been unwilling to measure our results. We've been unwilling to pay based on performance. We have tenure where, even if you can't teach, you can't get fired. We've been unwilling to invest in new schools. — Michael Bloomberg

I do not think that anybody should get paid for lousy performance. I've said that for a long time. If you work hard and you do good, you get paid well. — Michael Bloomberg

The public is upset. If they haven't lost their job, they know somebody that has. If they haven't lost their house, they know somebody that has. What do you do? When something's wrong, it's government's job to fix it, it must be government that's responsible for causing it. — Michael Bloomberg

I think we are not serious about attacking the long-term debt problem, and that's one of the things that he's going to have to find a way to get on the agenda. — Michael Bloomberg

There's a fascinating statistic: One out of every four people in America has visited New York since 9/11. It is astounding. Now, I don't know how you count it; it's some people coming multiple times. — Michael Bloomberg

Look at all of the great strengths of America: entrepreneurialship, work ethic, natural resources, a democracy, a transparency, a willingness to be critical. Around the world, they look at us, and they say, "Why are you criticizing yourself? Why are you people arguing during the political process to elect a president or somebody else?" That's the great strength of this country. — Michael Bloomberg

The level of analysis that is done when you see laws created, whether it's the city or state or federal level - it's much more horse-trading than analysis. — Michael Bloomberg

Now, you might say, 'why should we pay people for doing what they're supposed to do?' It's a fair question
but think of it this way. Every other anti-poverty program that's been tried has failed to get the national poverty rate below 11 percent. Why shouldn't we experiment with a program built around the one strategy that has proven time and again to work wonders
capitalism? — Michael Bloomberg

I've got the greatest job in the world. There's no other job in government where cause and effect is so tightly coupled where you can make a difference every day in so many different ways and in so many different people's lives. It's a great challenge. — Michael Bloomberg

Is your company so small you have to do everything for yourself? Wait until you're so big that you can't. That's worse. — Michael Bloomberg

You bet I did and I enjoyed it. — Michael Bloomberg

If you don't encounter setbacks in your career, if you don't have doubts and disappointments , let me tell you, you're not dreaming big enough. — Michael Bloomberg

You can't depend on polls. — Michael Bloomberg

In the game of life, when the final buzzer sounds, the only stat you carry with you is the number of assists you made. — Michael Bloomberg

When the Founding Fathers arrived here in Philadelphia to forge a new nation, they didn't come as Democrats or Republicans or to nominate a presidential candidate. They came as patriots who feared party politics. — Michael Bloomberg

We cannot continue. Our pension costs and health care costs for our employees are going to bankrupt this city. — Michael Bloomberg

If you have one farm worker, typically they create three jobs with higher compensation and higher skills - the people that pack, the people that ship, the people that inspect, the people that sell, that sort of thing. — Michael Bloomberg

Nobody should ever mistake and think that our country [USA] is weakened, or that authority is diffuse and unspecified, and that we are vulnerable. — Michael Bloomberg

I know how to make decisions and stand up to the criticism every day. — Michael Bloomberg

Someone once described the information business as exactly the opposite of sex. When it's good, it's still lousy. — Michael Bloomberg

Progress really is possible. — Michael Bloomberg

If it wasn't for O'Flanagan's Pub on Manhattan's Upper East Side, I don't know where I would have spent my Friday nights as a young man. — Michael Bloomberg

We may not always agree with every one of our neighbors. That's life. And it's part of living in such a diverse and dense city. But we also recognize that part of being a New Yorker is living with your neighbors in mutual respect and tolerance. It was exactly that spirit of openness and acceptance that was attacked on 9/11, 2001. — Michael Bloomberg

I never liked anyone who didn't have a temper. If you don't have a temper, you don't have any passion. — Michael Bloomberg

Whatever you may think of the proposed mosque and community center, lost in the heat of the debate has been a basic question: Should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion? — Michael Bloomberg

Today, you're a piranha if you are seen having coffee with somebody from the other party in many cases. — Michael Bloomberg

And if I were the president, I'd go out there and I'd emphasize the things I have done, and I'd say, 'Some things haven't worked, and I'm sorry about that, but I keep trying.' And I'm - and I think the president is a very viable candidate, and you're going to have a real horse race here no matter who the Republican nominee is. — Michael Bloomberg

You know, if it's a three-way race, the public has more choice than if it's a two-way race, and has more choice in a two-way race than a one-way race. — Michael Bloomberg

We will rebuild, renew and remain the capital of the free world. — Michael Bloomberg

To a contrarian like me, constant advice not to do something almost always starts me quickly down the risky, unpopular path. — Michael Bloomberg

Taxes are not good things, but if you want services, somebody's got to pay for them so they're a necessary evil. — Michael Bloomberg

We can only solve our biggest problems if we come together and embrace the freedoms that our Founding Fathers established right here in Philadelphia, which permitted our ancestors to create the great American exceptionalism that all of us now enjoy. — Michael Bloomberg

There is no business in America that would be prevented from taking results into account when making personnel decisions. — Michael Bloomberg

We need people from all around the world. We need entrepreneurs, we need students that we're educating in our schools that we then throw out and we should make sure they can stay here. If we don't have the new flux of immigrants, nobody's going to create the jobs for the Americans who are currently out of work. — Michael Bloomberg

What chance does a five-foot-seven billionaire Jew who's divorced really have of becoming president? — Michael Bloomberg

There are lots of threats to you in the world. There's the threat of a heart attack for genetic reasons. You can't sit there and worry about everything. Get a life. — Michael Bloomberg

Millions of Americans have contributed to building a stronger Israel; I've been proud to be one of them. Last year, I went to Jerusalem to help dedicate in my father's name a new MDA medical facility which treats people of all faiths and all nationalities absolutely equally. — Michael Bloomberg

In 1975, Congress passed a law requiring fuel efficiency standards to double over 10 years, with incremental targets that auto manufacturers were required to meet. That was the responsible approach, and it worked. But since 1985, we've done nothing - even as technology has moved at light speed. — Michael Bloomberg

Neither party has God on its side, a monopoly on good ideas, or a lock on any single fiscal, social, or moral philosophy. — Michael Bloomberg

And I think the more money you put in people's hands, the more they will spend. And if they don't spend it, they invest it. And investing it is another way of creating jobs. It puts money into mutual funds or other kinds of banks that can go out and make loans, and we need to do that. — Michael Bloomberg

Organizing around a common interest is a fundamental part of democracy. We should no more try to take away the right of individuals to collectively bargain than we should try to take away the right to a secret ballot. — Michael Bloomberg

The cold harsh reality is that we have to balance the budget. — Michael Bloomberg

Our goal here in New York is to ensure that every child who graduates high school is ready to start a career or start college and to dramatically increase the number of students that graduate from college. — Michael Bloomberg

Ironically, it is exactly because we are a city that embraces freedom, that welcomes everyone and encourages their dreams, that New York remains on the front lines in the war on terror. — Michael Bloomberg

Design does matter. And not necessarily in a way that people realize. A lot of what you do, people take for granted - that a park has always been here, that a bicycle lane has always been there, that the street is safe or clean ... — Michael Bloomberg

Well, we have to provide the world's best schools. We certainly don't have them, but that's our objective. — Michael Bloomberg

You can't sit there and worry about everything. — Michael Bloomberg

I think if you look at people, whether in business or government, who haven't had any moral compass, who've just changed to say whatever they thought the popular thing was, in the end they're losers. — Michael Bloomberg

We need our president to be successful because our futures are all tied to the success of America, which means America's government, which means, in essence, the president. — Michael Bloomberg

I am what I am and, you know, I'm a very lucky guy. — Michael Bloomberg

This is the city of dreamers and time and again it's the place where the greatest dream of all, the American dream, has been tested and has triumphed. — Michael Bloomberg

We can be certain that cities around the world will compete for the jobs that the next revival of the financial services industry will bring. — Michael Bloomberg

Basically, the UBR is a relic of an earlier vision for UDDI. The original vision for UDDI was as a standard that would help companies conduct business with each other in an automated fashion. The idea was that companies could publish how they wanted to interact, and other companies could find that information and use it to establish a relationship. — Michael Bloomberg

Others may doubt us. They may criticize us. They may try to deny us what is rightfully ours. But they will fail. And I promise you, as long as I am mayor, I will never back away from fighting any opponent
or confronting any obstacle
that would prevent our people from achieving all of their dreams in Our New York. — Michael Bloomberg

When you come in to court as a plaintiff or as a defendant, it is terribly important that you look up at the bench and feel that that person represents you and will understand you, that that person is reflective of our community and of our society. — Michael Bloomberg

Many of America's and New York's sons and daughters are around the world fighting for the freedoms that the Statue of Liberty stands for. — Michael Bloomberg

We're paying more for the privilege of getting sick and dying early. Once again, it makes no sense. And once again, no one in Washington is talking about how to fix it. — Michael Bloomberg

I mean, you know, we don't live in a perfect world. — Michael Bloomberg

Stubborn isn't a word I would use to describe myself; pigheaded is more appropriate. — Michael Bloomberg

Trees will improve property values, take pollutants out of the air, help with water runoff. — Michael Bloomberg

The next day after I got fired, literally the next day, I started a new company. — Michael Bloomberg

New York has been, and will continue to be, a magnet for people from all over the world. This is where the arts, business, research and technology converge to create the world's foremost urban economy. — Michael Bloomberg

Every one of my positions cuts - out half the country. I'm pro-choice, I'm pro-gay rights, I'm pro-immigration, I'm against guns, I believe in Darwin. — Michael Bloomberg

Last I looked - and I'm not a candidate - but last time I checked reading about the Constitution, the Electoral College has nothing to do with parties, has absolutely nothing to do with parties. It's most states are winners take all. — Michael Bloomberg

We all must recognize that homeland security funds should be allocated by threat and no other reason. — Michael Bloomberg

Most people won't have opportunity to do full-time service, but those lucky enough to have monetary wealth or some spare time really can make an enormous difference. As someone who's now in the public sector, and is seeing up-close-and-personal the real impact of what we do and what we give, I can tell you: every dollar and every volunteer help, in more ways than you can count. — Michael Bloomberg

A lot can happen in a week - just read any Bible, .. On the seventh day, Election Day, unlike the Bible, we can't rest. — Michael Bloomberg

The CIA will only hire people with impeccable credentials to be a translator. 'Impeccable credentials' means you've never lived outside the United States. — Michael Bloomberg

You are safer here tonight than you would be on the streets of any other city in the world. — Michael Bloomberg

If you really believe that you're making a difference and that you can leave a legacy of better schools and jobs and safer streets, why would you not spend the money? The objective is to improve the schools, bring down crime, build affordable housing, clean the streets - not to have a fair fight. — Michael Bloomberg

Buy what's deliverable, not what could be. — Michael Bloomberg

People have no confidence that Washington, both sides of aisle, are coming together to try and do what's right for the economy. — Michael Bloomberg

I've always respected those who tried to change the world for the better, rather than just complain about it. — Michael Bloomberg

You can't define what's middle class, what is wealthy, what is poor. — Michael Bloomberg

Well, you have the public not wanting any new spending, you have the Republicans not wanting any new taxes, you have the Democrats not wanting any new spending cuts, you have the markets not wanting any new borrowing, and you have the economists wanting all of the above. And that leads to paralysis. — Michael Bloomberg

Central planning didn't work for Stalin or Mao, and it won't work for an entrepreneur either. — Michael Bloomberg

I never lie, so if somebody asked me a question, I told them. — Michael Bloomberg

The truth of the matter is: you can create a great legacy, and inspire others, by giving it to philanthropic organizations. — Michael Bloomberg

Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it may be - given the devastation it is wreaking - should be enough to compel all elected leaders to take immediate action. — Michael Bloomberg

I'm trying to change the culture in New York City; that's hard enough! — Michael Bloomberg

I'm not going to run for president. No way, no how. — Michael Bloomberg