---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One has to say that they [Eleanor and…"
description: "\"One has to say that they [Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt] were pioneering to some extent. They didn't know that some of the housing projects that they ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/william-a-rusher-20922_cracks_one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-fra_1164374.jpg"
---

#  One has to say that they \[Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt\]…

![“One has to say that they &#91;Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt&#93; were pioneering to some extent. They didn't know that some of the housing projects that they were putting up for the poor were going to turn into crack dens and rapists' bowers and things of that sort, which they have since become. But you…” quote by William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/william-a-rusher-20922_cracks_one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-fra_1164374.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/william-a-rusher-20922_cracks_one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-fra_1164374.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/william-a-rusher-20922_cracks_one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-fra_1164374.jpg)

> “One has to say that they \[Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt\] were pioneering to some extent. They didn't know that some of the housing projects that they were putting up for the poor were going to turn into crack dens and rapists' bowers and things of that sort, which they have since become. But you can't always foresee the future. I'm sure their intentions were the best.”

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote reflects on the unintended negative outcomes of well‑intentioned public housing initiatives, acknowledging that good intentions cannot always predict future misuse.

**In simple terms:** Good intentions can lead to bad results.

Key Takeaway

Plan for long‑term impacts and monitor outcomes.

Themes

urban policy public housing unintended consequences historical reflection

Mood

cautious reflective critical

Type

historical analytical commentary

When to use this quote

- city planning
- government programs
- community development
- housing reform
- social services

Key Concepts

social engineering policy failure systemic risk

Questions to Reflect On

- How can policymakers anticipate misuse of projects?
- What safeguards can prevent such outcomes?

A Different Perspective

Even with best intentions, lack of foresight can cause harm.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Franklin roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/franklin-roosevelt/) [Housing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housing/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/)

## Related quotes

> [ And he \[Franklin Roosevelt\] got the votes of every southern white voting state in the country and wouldn't have been elected president once, let… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/and-he-franklin-roosevelt-got-the-votes-of-every-southern-white/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ Well, at the time, we certainly regarded them \[Elianor and Franklin Roosevelt\] as partners. We did not know what has since come out about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/well-at-the-time-we-certainly-regarded-them-elianor-and-franklin/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I don't think she ever had a single initiative at the United Nations that was not previously \[vetted\] by the people at the State… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-don-t-think-she-ever-had-a-single-initiative-at-the-united-nations/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [In his State of the Union speech in January 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt declared America's commitment to Four Freedoms in the struggle against Nazi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/in-his-state-of-the-union-speech-in-january-1941-president-franklin/)

[Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/)

> [“For better than thirty years, as a working historian, I have written on leaders I knew, such as Lyndon Johnson, and interviewed intimates of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/for-better-than-thirty-years-as-a-working-historian-i-have-written-on/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [Well, Mr Obama inherited probably the biggest inventory of problems, certainly foreign policy problems, than any American president ever has. I think the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hagel/well-mr-obama-inherited-probably-the-biggest-inventory-of-problems/)

[Chuck Hagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hagel/)

> [Capitalism can be alright, I mean Karl Marx didn't live to see what Roosevelt did with that Depression. He pulled everybody out of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/capitalism-can-be-alright-i-mean-karl-marx-didn-t-live-to-see-what/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [Franklin Roosevelt had a pretty clear line. Ronald Reagan had a pretty clear line, people who rescue parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/franklin-roosevelt-had-a-pretty-clear-line-ronald-reagan-had-a-pretty/)

[Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/)

> [George Washington sets the nation on its democratic path. Abraham Lincoln preserves it. Franklin Roosevelt sees the nation through depression and war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/george-washington-sets-the-nation-on-its-democratic-path-abraham/)

[Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/)

> [Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them." - Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/those-who-have-long-enjoyed-such-privileges-as-we-enjoy-forget-in/)

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

> [Few expected very much of Franklin Roosevelt on Inauguration Day in 1933. Like Barack Obama seventy-six years later, he was succeeding a failed Republican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/few-expected-very-much-of-franklin-roosevelt-on-inauguration-day-in/)

[Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/)

> [Franklin Roosevelt didn't poll, because he had great political instincts. Now we have polls; we don't need instincts. But is that a change in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/franklin-roosevelt-didn-t-poll-because-he-had-great-political/)

[Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/)

> [I think Franklin Roosevelt was a lousy president. What he did- which is to impose this great nanny state on America- was a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-crane/i-think-franklin-roosevelt-was-a-lousy-president-what-he-did-which-is/)

[Ed Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-crane/)

> [You know who was a hero? Franklin Roosevelt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-know-who-was-a-hero-franklin-roosevelt/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [I was born during the Depression in a little community just outside Waco, and I grew up listening to Franklin Roosevelt on the radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-richards/i-was-born-during-the-depression-in-a-little-community-just-outside/)

[Ann Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-richards/)

## More by William A. Rusher

> [Our Navy was very largely sunk. And we were at war in no time at all. I share, in retrospect, the distress we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/our-navy-was-very-largely-sunk-and-we-were-at-war-in-no-time-at-all-i/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [One of the most influential women of the 20th century? Well, that may be overdoing it. When one thinks of really influential women, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/one-of-the-most-influential-women-of-the-20th-century-well-that-may/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I think the fact that she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] was a woman probably in those days would have been an additional criticism, although first ladies… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-the-fact-that-she-eleanor-roosevelt-was-a-woman-probably-in/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [And at the UN she took the advice - she had to take the advice - of the State Department and the Assistant Secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/and-at-the-un-she-took-the-advice-she-had-to-take-the-advice-of-the/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers and her detractors. And they admired her and detracted from her for many of the same reasons. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers-and-her-detractors-and-they/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [She was obviously useful at the UN because she had a public persona before she ever got there. She was well known. She was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/she-was-obviously-useful-at-the-un-because-she-had-a-public-persona/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [These people looked Japanese, were originally Japanese, were numerous. We had no way of knowing to what extent they had been infiltrated. To their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/these-people-looked-japanese-were-originally-japanese-were-numerous/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [Well, you have to remember that until 1948, when Hubert Humphrey and others forced the Democratic Party to adopt a new policy on civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/well-you-have-to-remember-that-until-1948-when-hubert-humphrey-and/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [I think that it is true that Eleanor Roosevelt, by being so active on that front, contributed to that impression very substantially. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-that-it-is-true-that-eleanor-roosevelt-by-being-so-active-on/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ That was a general impression that one got, that she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] was always flitting around the country and descending on some place in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/that-was-a-general-impression-that-one-got-that-she-eleanor-roosevelt/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [People who thought that she was busy going around trying to stir up difficulty where there was none or less than she imagined, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/people-who-thought-that-she-was-busy-going-around-trying-to-stir-up/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I think she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] never was called because she probably didn't know an awful lot. The whole burden of the criticism of her… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-she-eleanor-roosevelt-never-was-called-because-she-probably/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I don't think she ever had a single initiative at the United Nations that was not previously \[vetted\] by the people at the State… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-don-t-think-she-ever-had-a-single-initiative-at-the-united-nations/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [In terms of legacy, I'm not sure that I see some great historic deposit there, as a result of her passing our way. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/in-terms-of-legacy-i-m-not-sure-that-i-see-some-great-historic/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [These were in the days before anybody thought to criticize Congressmen, let alone first ladies, for making money on speeches. So Eleanor raked in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/these-were-in-the-days-before-anybody-thought-to-criticize/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

[Explore all 30 William A. Rusher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

## More Cracks quotes

> [Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our teeples, drowned the cocks! You sulphurour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blow-winds-and-crack-your-cheeks-rage-blow-you-cataracts-and/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I'm 45 years old. I used to be a club girl, but that's not my world anymore. That doesn't mean I can't make music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-m-45-years-old-i-used-to-be-a-club-girl-but-that-s-not-my-world/)

[Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/)

> [There's material that I read that I fall in love with, and I always get a little bit sad because I know that, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-chriqui/there-s-material-that-i-read-that-i-fall-in-love-with-and-i-always/)

[Emmanuelle Chriqui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-chriqui/)

> [The world is a stone wall ... and they have put the stones so close together that there is not a single crack through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eiji-yoshikawa/the-world-is-a-stone-wall-and-they-have-put-the-stones-so-close/)

[Eiji Yoshikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eiji-yoshikawa/)

> [Interesting, isn’t it? What do you have to say about that, Fury? (Savitar) They’re on crack. (Fury) Anyone else on crack? (Savitar)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/interesting-isn-t-it-what-do-you-have-to-say-about-that-fury-savitar/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [You boys know what tropism is, it's what makes a plant grow toward the light. Everything aspires to the light. You don't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/you-boys-know-what-tropism-is-it-s-what-makes-a-plant-grow-toward-the/)

[Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/)

> [What am I doing with my life am I living it or am I just going to some hum drum job that I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-greene/what-am-i-doing-with-my-life-am-i-living-it-or-am-i-just-going-to/)

[Kai Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kai-greene/)

> [Then there were the shabti, magical figurines that were supposed to come to life when summoned. A few months ago, I’d fallen for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/then-there-were-the-shabti-magical-figurines-that-were-supposed-to/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [When I was younger, I used humour as a tool to avoid getting too serious with people - if there was deep emotional stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/when-i-was-younger-i-used-humour-as-a-tool-to-avoid-getting-too/)

[Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/)

> [I'm a girl who has been tamping down her emotions and keeping them tightly guarded her whole life. And that works really well for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-m-a-girl-who-has-been-tamping-down-her-emotions-and-keeping-them/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [I was on the verge of something numinous and profound and in one more second the universe was going to crack open and arcana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/i-was-on-the-verge-of-something-numinous-and-profound-and-in-one-more/)

[Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/)

> [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [People do look at it as an insult that I say I don't listen to country music, which cracks me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-maines/people-do-look-at-it-as-an-insult-that-i-say-i-don-t-listen-to/)

[Natalie Maines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-maines/)

> [In any story, the villain is the catalyst. The hero's not a person who will bend the rules or show the cracks in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/in-any-story-the-villain-is-the-catalyst-the-hero-s-not-a-person-who/)

[Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/)

> [There is some really good crack when I come back here. This is where I learned to swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/there-is-some-really-good-crack-when-i-come-back-here-this-is-where-i/)

[Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/)

Browse all 1,039 Cracks quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "One has to say that they [Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt] were pioneering to some extent. They didn't know that some of the housing projects that they were putting up for the poor were going to turn into crack dens and rapists' bowers and things of that sort, which they have since become. But you can't always foresee the future. I'm sure their intentions were the best.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William A. Rusher"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-franklin-roosevelt-were/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cracks"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-franklin-roosevelt-were/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/william-a-rusher-20922_cracks_one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-fra_1164374.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/william-a-rusher-20922_cracks_one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-fra_1164374.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/william-a-rusher-20922_cracks_one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-fra_1164374.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One has to say that they [Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt] were pioneering to some extent. They didn't know…” — William A. Rusher",
                "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": "William A. Rusher",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "One has to say that they...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-franklin-roosevelt-were/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-franklin-roosevelt-were/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
