--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have to be realistic about what the…" description: "\"We have to be realistic about what the state can afford, and put an end to abuses of the system that cost millions.\" — Jerry Brown" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/jerry-brown-7257_abuse_we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-s_82305.jpg" --- # We have to be realistic about what the state can afford… ![“We have to be realistic about what the state can afford, and put an end to abuses of the system that cost millions.” quote by Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/jerry-brown-7257_abuse_we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-s_82305.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/jerry-brown-7257_abuse_we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-s_82305.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/jerry-brown-7257_abuse_we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-s_82305.jpg) > “We have to be realistic about what the state can afford, and put an end to abuses of the system that cost millions.” [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A call for fiscal prudence, urging policymakers to align spending with actual budget limits and eliminate wasteful practices that drain public resources. **In simple terms:** Fiscal responsibility and anti‑waste. Key Takeaway Align spending with capacity, cut systemic abuse. Themes public finance governance accountability efficiency policy reform Mood concerned determined Type policy statement call to action When to use this quote - state budgeting - public procurement - social welfare programs - infrastructure projects Key Concepts budget constraints systemic abuse resource allocation Practical Applications - policy audits - budgetary reforms Questions to Reflect On - How can we identify hidden inefficiencies? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Abuses Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuses-cost-1045658/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Cost Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-millions-1030685/) [End Abuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-abuses-1045659/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Realistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realistic/) [Realistic State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realistic-state-1045657/) [State Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-afford-992625/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [As for my state of Mississippi, our governor, Phil Bryant, said the state could not afford the matching funds required to trigger the federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-musgrove/as-for-my-state-of-mississippi-our-governor-phil-bryant-said-the/) [Ronnie Musgrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-musgrove/) > [I please myself with imagining a State at last which can afford to be just to all men, and to treat the individual with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-please-myself-with-imagining-a-state-at-last-which-can-afford-to-be/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It's foolish how conflict between two men, can cost millions of lives to benefit themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-foolish-how-conflict-between-two-men-can-cost-millions-of-lives/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The few pounds we spend for an item of clothing isn't the true cost - the real cost is the millions of gallons of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-dooley/the-few-pounds-we-spend-for-an-item-of-clothing-isn-t-the-true-cost/) [Stacey Dooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-dooley/) > [What would have happened if Derrick Rose had torn his knee in college, or Greg Oden? It would have cost them millions of dollars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-vaccaro/what-would-have-happened-if-derrick-rose-had-torn-his-knee-in-college/) [Sonny Vaccaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-vaccaro/) > [The much greater crimes of the Soviet Gulags occurred over decades and cost millions of lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marie-le-pen/the-much-greater-crimes-of-the-soviet-gulags-occurred-over-decades/) [Jean-Marie Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marie-le-pen/) > [“Difference in opinions has cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether the juice of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/difference-in-opinions-has-cost-many-millions-of-lives-for-instance/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Even after I had just done Twilight, which made $400 million at the worldwide box office, I could not get financing for three or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-hardwicke/even-after-i-had-just-done-twilight-which-made-400-million-at-the/) [Catherine Hardwicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-hardwicke/) > [“I want the best of everything for everybody, and it will cost millions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carey/i-want-the-best-of-everything-for-everybody-and-it-will-cost-millions/) [Joyce Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carey/) > [The less obvious hurdle is that of preparing parents emotionally and putting forward realistic images of parenthood and motherhood. There also needs to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/the-less-obvious-hurdle-is-that-of-preparing-parents-emotionally-and/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [Since I started playing, really, since I was like three. I imagined myself famous but the vision was blurry, I guess. What you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-angelo/since-i-started-playing-really-since-i-was-like-three-i-imagined/) [D'Angelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-angelo/) > [One day, if I had to do a horror movie, it will be a very realistic war movie. For me, war is horror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaspar-noe/one-day-if-i-had-to-do-a-horror-movie-it-will-be-a-very-realistic-war/) [Gaspar Noe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaspar-noe/) > [We don't make glamorous movies today. Everything now is very realistic, artistic - and depressing. When is the last time you you saw a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/we-don-t-make-glamorous-movies-today-everything-now-is-very-realistic/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/people-in-great-groups-have-blinders-on-their-work-is-all-they-see/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) ## More by Jerry Brown > [We have to restore power to the family, to the neighborhood, and the community with a non-market principle, a principle of equality, of charity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-restore-power-to-the-family-to-the-neighborhood-and-the/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [We have to deal with where we are. We have to create cooperatives, we have to create intentional communities, we have to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-deal-with-where-we-are-we-have-to-create-cooperatives-we/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [America and the world is not yet on the proper trajectory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/america-and-the-world-is-not-yet-on-the-proper-trajectory/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [I will defend everybody, every man, woman and child who's come to California for a better life and has contributed to the well-being of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/i-will-defend-everybody-every-man-woman-and-child-who-s-come-to/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [The sovereignty of America has just been eroded in plain daylight by Clinton and the Congress, who take an oath to the Constitution. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/the-sovereignty-of-america-has-just-been-eroded-in-plain-daylight-by/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [We're going to move left and right at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-re-going-to-move-left-and-right-at-the-same-time/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [Without the truth of the people, politics degenerates into mere spectacle and democracy declines, leaving demagoguery and cynicism to fill the void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/without-the-truth-of-the-people-politics-degenerates-into-mere/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [Equal treatment for children in unequal situations is not justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/equal-treatment-for-children-in-unequal-situations-is-not-justice/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [Nuclear power will be the Vietnam issue of the 1980s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/nuclear-power-will-be-the-vietnam-issue-of-the-1980s/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [My principles are simple. Protect the Earth. Serve the People, and Explore the Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/my-principles-are-simple-protect-the-earth-serve-the-people-and/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [ The way people are treated in them \[prisons\] is very similar to gulags. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/the-way-people-are-treated-in-them-prisons-is-very-similar-to-gulags/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [The great problem with government is that it never goes bankrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/the-great-problem-with-government-is-that-it-never-goes-bankrupt/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [The Republicans are committed to global warming as a hoax, or irrelevant, or as not a problem. That is their belief. I'm not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/the-republicans-are-committed-to-global-warming-as-a-hoax-or/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [I supported to reduce oil consumption in California by 50 percent, 50 percent in the next 15 years. They didn't even bother to show up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/i-supported-to-reduce-oil-consumption-in-california-by-50-percent-50/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [Republican attacks are without basis, but when the Democrats attack me they're usually right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/republican-attacks-are-without-basis-but-when-the-democrats-attack-me/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) [Explore all 93 Jerry Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have to be realistic about what the state can afford, and put an end to abuses of the system that cost millions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jerry Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-state-can-afford-and-put-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-state-can-afford-and-put-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/jerry-brown-7257_abuse_we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-s_82305.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/jerry-brown-7257_abuse_we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-s_82305.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/jerry-brown-7257_abuse_we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-s_82305.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have to be realistic about what the state can afford, and put an end to abuses of the system that cost…” — Jerry Brown", "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": "Jerry Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have to be realistic about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-state-can-afford-and-put-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-be-realistic-about-what-the-state-can-afford-and-put-an/#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 } } ] } ```