--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If taxpayer money were limitless, we…" description: "\"If taxpayer money were limitless, we wouldn't need a budget at all.\" — Betsy DeVos" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/betsy-devos-7178_budget_if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-woul_810178.jpg" --- # If taxpayer money were limitless, we wouldn't need a… ![“If taxpayer money were limitless, we wouldn't need a budget at all.” quote by Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/betsy-devos-7178_budget_if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-woul_810178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/betsy-devos-7178_budget_if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-woul_810178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/betsy-devos-7178_budget_if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-woul_810178.jpg) > “If taxpayer money were limitless, we wouldn't need a budget at all.” [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unlimited tax revenue would eliminate the need for budgeting, exposing the role of scarcity in fiscal policy. **In simple terms:** Unlimited money removes budgeting. Key Takeaway Recognize constraints shape decisions. Themes economics public policy budgeting Mood critical analytical Type political economic When to use this quote - tax policy debates - budget planning - public finance Key Concepts fiscal discipline resource allocation government spending Questions to Reflect On - What would happen to priorities without budgets? - How do constraints drive innovation? A Different Perspective Assumes infinite resources, ignoring practical limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Budget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budget/) [Limitless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitless/) [Limitless Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitless-wouldn-246641/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Limitless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-limitless-246640/) [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Taxpayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxpayer/) [Taxpayer Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxpayer-money-246642/) ## Related quotes > [Business money is limitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/business-money-is-limitless/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [“Imagine our imaginations were limited only to the limitless. Still, it wouldn't matter without a motivation to move.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lilly/imagine-our-imaginations-were-limited-only-to-the-limitless-still-it/) [Ryan Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lilly/) > [The universe is so amazing and so limitless, who wouldn't want to study the universe?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-universe-is-so-amazing-and-so-limitless-who-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We cannot accept the status quo of throwing more taxpayer money into a broke and broken system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-rauner/we-cannot-accept-the-status-quo-of-throwing-more-taxpayer-money-into/) [Bruce Rauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-rauner/) > [It's time for Congress to stop wasting its time and taxpayer money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-malliotakis/it-s-time-for-congress-to-stop-wasting-its-time-and-taxpayer-money/) [Nicole Malliotakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-malliotakis/) > [The railways should be run in the best interest of passengers and, overall, taxpayer's money should be spent improving the network, not subsiding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-grayling/the-railways-should-be-run-in-the-best-interest-of-passengers-and/) [Chris Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-grayling/) > [Taxpayer money should not have to be spent to save a misguided and mismanaged enterprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/taxpayer-money-should-not-have-to-be-spent-to-save-a-misguided-and/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [If everyone in America can easily see who and what their lawmakers are requesting taxpayer money for, we can keep elected officials honest, end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gillibrand/if-everyone-in-america-can-easily-see-who-and-what-their-lawmakers/) [Kirsten Gillibrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gillibrand/) > [People'd be like, "Oh, spending taxpayer money." It's like, "No, no, I actually I'm paying for all of this. The only thing I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/people-d-be-like-oh-spending-taxpayer-money-it-s-like-no-no-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As Americans, we realize that there is no taxpayer money that wasn't first earned through the sweat and toil of one of our citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/as-americans-we-realize-that-there-is-no-taxpayer-money-that-wasn-t/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [I came to Congress on the promise of cutting wasteful government spending. There are plenty of examples of the government playing loose with taxpayer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-yoho/i-came-to-congress-on-the-promise-of-cutting-wasteful-government/) [Ted Yoho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-yoho/) > [It's wrong that members of Congress can purchase luxury airfare with taxpayer money when many families in my district and across the county are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-ruiz/it-s-wrong-that-members-of-congress-can-purchase-luxury-airfare-with/) [Raul Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-ruiz/) > [I never once considered that it was appropriate to put taxpayer money on the line in resolving Lehman Brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/i-never-once-considered-that-it-was-appropriate-to-put-taxpayer-money/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [I am going to be a voice for restoring fiscal sanity in our country by spending hard-earned taxpayer money responsibly and responsively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-britt/i-am-going-to-be-a-voice-for-restoring-fiscal-sanity-in-our-country/) [Katie Britt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-britt/) > [Every cent of hard-earned taxpayer money should be spent efficiently, judiciously, and accountably - without exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-britt/every-cent-of-hard-earned-taxpayer-money-should-be-spent-efficiently/) [Katie Britt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-britt/) ## More by Betsy DeVos > [Government likes committees... a lot. Committees kill all the really good ideas and generally all the really bad ideas. They produce middle-ground mush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-likes-committees-a-lot-committees-kill-all-the-really-good/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Social justice and economics are both issues to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/social-justice-and-economics-are-both-issues-to-me/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Federal law must be followed where federal dollars are in play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/federal-law-must-be-followed-where-federal-dollars-are-in-play/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [It shouldn't matter what type of school a student attends, so long as the school is the right fit for that student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/it-shouldn-t-matter-what-type-of-school-a-student-attends-so-long-as/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [If you can't get cell phone service in your living room, then your particular provider is failing you. You should have the option to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/if-you-can-t-get-cell-phone-service-in-your-living-room-then-your/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [President-elect Trump and I know it won't be Washington, D.C., that unlocks our nation's potential, nor a bigger bureaucracy, tougher mandates, or a federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/president-elect-trump-and-i-know-it-won-t-be-washington-d-c-that/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [There are not enough philanthropic dollars in America to fund what is currently the need in education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/there-are-not-enough-philanthropic-dollars-in-america-to-fund-what-is/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [I can assure you I have never made decisions on my mother's behalf on her foundation's board.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/i-can-assure-you-i-have-never-made-decisions-on-my-mother-s-behalf-on/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [We can focus on differences that divide us, or we can choose to listen and learn from each other's experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/we-can-focus-on-differences-that-divide-us-or-we-can-choose-to-listen/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Opening a complaint for investigation in no way implies that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has made a determination about the merits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/opening-a-complaint-for-investigation-in-no-way-implies-that-the/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [That's where my heart has been for three decades is to really empower and allow all families the same kind of opportunities I've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/that-s-where-my-heart-has-been-for-three-decades-is-to-really-empower/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [No student should feel like there isn't a way to seek justice, and no student should feel that the scales are tipped against him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/no-student-should-feel-like-there-isn-t-a-way-to-seek-justice-and-no/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Where conflicts are identified, they will be resolved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/where-conflicts-are-identified-they-will-be-resolved/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [It could be easy to get frustrated or discouraged when it comes to educating students with disabilities. But that's because there are too often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/it-could-be-easy-to-get-frustrated-or-discouraged-when-it-comes-to/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Government tends to stifle innovation, and it abhors improvisation. Any good military strategist will tell you that a battle plan rarely survives past the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-tends-to-stifle-innovation-and-it-abhors-improvisation-any/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) [Explore all 94 Betsy DeVos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) ## More Budget quotes > [I don't like just traveling in for a short time. I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sacco/i-don-t-like-just-traveling-in-for-a-short-time-i-ve-done-that-before/) [Joe Sacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sacco/) > [When we stop running up huge budget deficits and start acting responsibly in Washington, we will provide small-business owners with the certainty they need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/when-we-stop-running-up-huge-budget-deficits-and-start-acting/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [Many developing nations have such severe debt and budget problems that the money given by developed nations will never be spent the way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/many-developing-nations-have-such-severe-debt-and-budget-problems/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [We will make government more accountable. We will cut fraud, waste and abuse in our budget. But we will not do it by leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/we-will-make-government-more-accountable-we-will-cut-fraud-waste-and/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [Defense spending as a share of the economy dropped significantly during the early 1990s, and that was one of the things, along with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orszag/defense-spending-as-a-share-of-the-economy-dropped-significantly/) [Peter Orszag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orszag/) > [I firmly believe that if members of Congress fail to perform their most basic duty in passing a budget, then they do not deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-schrader/i-firmly-believe-that-if-members-of-congress-fail-to-perform-their/) [Kurt Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-schrader/) > [They offered me $1,500 to do a week of 'The Golden Girls.' Can you imagine that? A big show with a big budget, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soupy-sales/they-offered-me-1-500-to-do-a-week-of-the-golden-girls-can-you/) [Soupy Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soupy-sales/) > [In my mid-20s I worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/in-my-mid-20s-i-worked-at-the-white-house-office-of-management-and/) [Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/) > ['The Librarians' is a show that really needs to have ten days, but we shoot it in seven, so the workload is really tremendous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-wyle/the-librarians-is-a-show-that-really-needs-to-have-ten-days-but-we/) [Noah Wyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-wyle/) > [In a budget this massive, there are certainly areas where I think we could do much better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-thornberry/in-a-budget-this-massive-there-are-certainly-areas-where-i-think-we/) [Mac Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-thornberry/) > [As soon as you're at the higher levels of budgeting, you've got to get the film made, and the only way to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/as-soon-as-you-re-at-the-higher-levels-of-budgeting-you-ve-got-to-get/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [I don't want to revisit history or try to re-interpret it, you know, but starting from where we are now, given the experience that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-don-t-want-to-revisit-history-or-try-to-re-interpret-it-you-know/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [If we're going to have an unconventional budget, we probably need an unconventional process to get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-foxx/if-we-re-going-to-have-an-unconventional-budget-we-probably-need-an/) [Anthony Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-foxx/) > [The American people, in their own families, they understand that you have to do that. You have to make the tough decisions. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/the-american-people-in-their-own-families-they-understand-that-you/) [Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/) > [There is no excuse for waste, fraud, and abuse in the Defense Department budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bolton/there-is-no-excuse-for-waste-fraud-and-abuse-in-the-defense/) [John Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bolton/) [Browse all 855 Budget quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budget/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If taxpayer money were limitless, we wouldn't need a budget at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Betsy DeVos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-wouldn-t-need-a-budget-at-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Budget" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-wouldn-t-need-a-budget-at-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/betsy-devos-7178_budget_if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-woul_810178.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/betsy-devos-7178_budget_if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-woul_810178.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/betsy-devos-7178_budget_if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-woul_810178.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If taxpayer money were limitless, we wouldn't need a budget at all.” — Betsy DeVos", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Betsy DeVos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If taxpayer money were limitless, we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-wouldn-t-need-a-budget-at-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/if-taxpayer-money-were-limitless-we-wouldn-t-need-a-budget-at-all/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```