Andrew cuomo quotes

My father was against the death penalty, and that was hard in the Son of Sam summer when fear was driving the desire for the death penalty.

I have a portrait of Saint Thomas More in my office.

People go into politics because they want the affirmation, and they want the applause.

I don't think anyone would argue with the notion that there have been serious abuses on Wall Street.

I believe we need to attract a new generation of the best and brightest to public service and I believe that government can be a source of inspiration, not degradation.

We need marriage equality in every state in this nation. Otherwise, no state really has marriage equality, and we will not rest until it is a reality.

I'm a Queens boy at the end of the day.

I think naturally my orientation is from my father.

I don't think bonuses are always bad.

Lesson 1 from Spitzer: Don't alienate the legislature on Day 1.

Lesson from Pataki's success is: Use the political moment.

I'm running for governor; I'm not running for a legislative office.

I believe public education is the new civil rights battle and I support charter schools.

I believe global warming and climate change are real threats to our planet.

People are rightfully upset about Wall Street abuses and excess.

I've been not only articulating the dissatisfaction with Albany, I've been acting on it. I've been very aggressive in bringing public integrity cases and public corruption cases and bringing cases against sitting legislators

Fight as hard as you can, and then understand there's going to have to be some amount of reasonable compromise.

He was the keynote speaker for our better angels.

Showed good business judgment, knowing that these continued lawsuits would be the untimely death of the gun industry.

I am fiscally prudent and socially progressive. I believe in protecting a woman's right to choose. I believe in marriage equality.

Too often government responds to the whispers of lobbyists before the cries of the people.

I haven't lost my head yet.

There's no such thing as a 100-year flood.

The time has come to return integrity, performance and dignity to New York and make it the Empire State once again.

I respect the state workers and I respect their unions, but we simply can't afford to pay benefits and pensions that are out of line with economic reality.

I'm a harsh critic of the status quo.

I think there's a lot to learn from Rockefeller on how to pass legislation.

I was elected to come to an incredibly dysfunctional capital and make the government work better, and that's what I'm doing.

The need to understand prescription information can literally be a matter of life and death.

I did experiment with marijuana when I was a youth.

The Declaration of Independence says when government fails, the people have the right to replace it. Well, New York State government has failed and the people have the right, indeed the people have the the people have the obligation, to act.

I am against the death penalty.

People who assume I want to run for elected office may be dealing from a bad assumption.

Once you start saying, 'Let's talk political, my own politics, my own aspirations,' it can become not just distracting in that it takes time, but it can become confusing and frustrating, and is this now a political agenda or a governmental agenda.

I believe women still face a glass ceiling that must be shattered.

The other states look to New York for the progressive direction. New York made a powerful statement [legalizing marriage equality], not just for the people of New York, but for people all across this nation.

I want to be the candidate placed on the ballot by the people, not the party.

Climate change is a controversial subject, right? People will debate whether there is climate change... that's a whole political debate that I don't want to get into. I want to talk about the frequency of extreme weather situations, which is not political.

As my Sicilian grandfather used to say, you get more flies with honey than with vinegar, right?

I know how bad Albany is. I know it better than most. I understand why people are angry. I'm angry. The question is going to be, how do you change Albany, what is the plan for change, and then how do you actually get it done?

What made Manhattan Manhattan was the underground infrastructure, that engineering marvel.

To be clear... no one is above the law.

Flooding damage is not customary for New York, especially downstate.

There are 10,000 local governments in the state of New York. Ten thousand! Town, village, lighting district, water district, sewer district, a special district to count the other districts in case you missed a district.

Anyone who says there is not a change in weather patterns is denying reality.

There's a rhythm to the legislative session and there are rhythms to legislative sessions. So I think that's very important to take into consideration when you are deciding what to do when.

The essential job of government is to facilitate, not frustrate, job development

I believe discrimination still exists in society and we must fight it in every form.

New York State is upside down and backwards; high taxes and low performance. The New York State government was at one time a national model. Now, unfortunately, it's a national disgrace. Sometimes, the corruption in Albany could even make Boss Tweed blush.

Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that's who they are and they're the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York.

New York State is upside down and backwards; high taxes and low performance.

Ninety percent of the students take the 'preferred lender.' Why? Because that's the nature of the relationship. You trust the school. The school is in a position of authority.

If there's a silver bullet in the battle to recapture Albany, it is the re-engagement of our citizens. This capital has become a physical metaphor for the isolation and alienation of our people.

It's time for the people of the Empire State to strike back.

I don't know people who don't say 'boy, the government is working better now.'

A governor can be a very good friend to people. A governor can be a formidable force.

There is energy and power in a crisis.

I've worked on the urban agenda all my life. All. My. Life.

There is no dispute that Albany needs to be changed. There is no dispute that the current situation in Albany is untenable. Nobody knows that better than I do.

I'm in politics. I'm in government, so nothing surprises me

There is also something called the Legislature. There is something called the press. There is something called people. These are all different players on the stage.

I never thought I would be divorced.

If I'm breathing in 2016, I'll be happy.

There was never a war on poverty. Maybe there was a skirmish on poverty

I'm going to change everything you believe about HUD.

I believe Wall Street needs serious ongoing regulation.

Politicians are good listeners. Because if they're not, they aren't politicians for very long.