America is a place where you can be born into a low-income household but still lift yourself up, and it doesn't matter what color you are.

I believe that if you are elderly, physically or mentally handicapped we have an obligation too you, but if you are able-bodied, you should be working.

HUD's mission is to provide decency and sanitary housing for low and moderate income people in this country.

For the first half of my adult life, I was a Democrat.

But we look back now, and we realize the Great Society was not a success.

But I do know this: that the two and a half years that I've been at HUD, I am absolutely convinced that some of the best workers in the world are in Federal Government.

As you know, in this country Anglo-Americans are about 75 to 76 percent home ownership in this country, where Hispanics, African Americans are less than 50 percent.

And what most people don't understand is the bulk of business in this country is small business.

And I'm the kind of manager that doesn't believe that you micro-manage professionals. They should understand their responsibility and carry out those responsibility.

And for far too long, the Democrats have had a monopoly on black votes in this country.

After leaving law school, I intentionally said that I never wanted to hold a job more than six years.

One of the problems that we are confronted with is, when we decide to buy or build a home, we don't get a clear picture of what closing costs will be of that home.

I think serving your government is the greatest thing in the world.

And I always like to stress, it's not a quota, not a set-aside, it's not about race, it's about giving opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to do work with the Federal Government.

The dream doesn't lie in victimization or blame; it lies in hard work, determination and a good education.