"The politics of partisanship and the resulting inaction and excuses have paralyzed decision-making, primarily at the federal level, and the big issues of the day are not being addressed, leaving our future in jeopardy."

"Government is dysfunctional."

"Nobody is going to delegate a lot of power to a secretary that they can't control."

"We may not always agree with every one of our neighbors. That's life. And it's part of living in such a diverse and dense city. But we also recognize that part of being a New Yorker is living with your neighbors in mutual respect and tolerance. It was exactly that spirit of openness and acceptance that was attacked on 9/11, 2001."

"Ataturk sent several Turkish staff officers to Afghanistan, helped them build their own army."

"Architecture is a visual art, and the buildings speak for themselves."

"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality."