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Business versus Government

Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the contrast between business and government:

“In government, everyone thinks that in business you say jump and everybody jumps. That’s not the way a good company is run. Good companies are run by leaders who delegate and build consensus. In business, people think that everybody in government is lazy and incompetent. That’s also not true.”

“In business, innovation is a lot easier, because you don’t have to justify everything. In government, you do. There are a lot of checks and balances. The bulk of them get in the way of progress. Having said that, they are virtually all there because of abuses in the past.”

Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding, Daniel Doctoroff on New York City’s place in the globalized economy:

“Historically, New York has had the reputation of being the kind of place that says to business, ‘Hey, we’re New York. If you want to come, great. If you don’t want to come, that’s fine too.’ In an increasingly competitive world, we can’t afford to be that way. We aren’t just talking about competition with New Jersey, Chicago, or Los Angeles. We’re not even just talking about competition with London, which may be our most direct competitor in some ways. Look at Shanghai. Look at what Shanghai was two years ago, and look at what Shanghai is today–a completely different place.”

From “Blomberg’s Game” by John Cassidy, published in the April 4, 2005 New Yorker.