Resource Prioritization Quotes

Programmer time is expensive; conserve it in preference to machine time

Some people have criticized the United States and the United States military for guarding oil fields and not guarding the Iraqi National Museum which had priceless antiquities in it. They say that this shows a fundamental lack of respect for Iraqi history. I want to remind those people of this: The oldest relics in the museum, 5,000 or 6,000 years old. That oil is 65 million years old. You had to guard that. ... Those antiquities will only last another 5,000 or 6,000 years. When we burn that oil, those fumes will linger long after.

In a budget, how important is art versus music versus athletics versus computer programming? At the end of the day, some of those trade-offs will be made politically.

It's very hard for someone who makes $1,000 a year or some who makes less than $1 a day to care about the environment.

With shrinking resources, interest groups are pitted against each other.

It's more useful to have knowledge about cuts of meat than a lot of money.

Every three years, we have to go to the governments and say, okay, you know you're saving millions of lives and even though your budgets are tight, helping Africa avoid this disaster really is a priority.

I come from a farming culture, where we valued raw materials above all.

I write this letter because I wish you to believe of us (as we certainly believe of you) that we are doing the very best we can. You do not receive arms from us as fast as you need them; but it is because we have not near enough to meet all the pressing demands; and we are obliged to share around what we have, sending the larger share to the points which appear to need them most. As to Kentucky, you do not estimate that state as more important than I do; but I am compelled to watch all points

It isn't as much you a spending problem as a priorities, and that is what the budget is, setting priorities. It's about timing. And it's about timing as to when make cuts, as well.

Save the stonewall to build the levees.

Corn is a necessary, silver is only a superfluity.

You could build three hospitals with the cost of one film and I take that very seriously.

I'm not going to risk our precious military resources on an ineffective, unproductive mission.