Doug Ducey Quotes

Powerful Doug Ducey for Daily Growth

About Doug Ducey

Douglas Anthony Ducey, popularly known as Doug Ducey, was born on April 9, 1964, in Towanda, Pennsylvania, but raised primarily in Arizona. Growing up in a family of modest means, he learned the value of hard work from his parents, Jim and Carolyn Ducey. He attended Cornell University, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Government in 1987. Before venturing into politics, Ducey had a successful career in business. He co-founded Cold Stone Creamery, a popular ice cream chain that grew to over 1,400 stores worldwide. In 2008, he sold the company for $475 million. Ducey's political journey began in 2010 when he was elected as Arizona's State Treasurer. Two years later, he was appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to serve as Arizona's Interim State Senator, a position he held until his election as the 23rd Governor of Arizona in 2014. As Governor, Ducey has been known for his pro-business policies and efforts to reform education. He has also been active in national politics, often criticizing the Biden administration's policies. In August 2021, he announced he would not seek reelection as governor, ending his tenure on January 5, 2023. Throughout his life and career, Doug Ducey has been influenced by his family values, business acumen, and the spirit of entrepreneurship that Arizona embodies. He is remembered for his quotable statements, including: "Government doesn't create jobs; it creates an environment in which jobs can be created" and "We don't want to be a state that is just surviving. We want to be a state that is thriving."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Arizona is open for business and always will be."

The statement "Arizona is open for business and always will be" by Doug Ducey signifies a commitment to attracting and fostering economic growth in the state of Arizona. This phrase indicates that Arizona welcomes businesses, investments, and entrepreneurs with open arms, promising a supportive environment conducive to success. It suggests continuity in this pro-business approach, implying that this is not a temporary stance but an enduring promise. Overall, it represents an invitation for economic development and prosperity in Arizona.

"We believe in limited government, lower taxes, and a strong, growing economy."

This quote by Doug Ducey advocates for smaller government intervention, lower taxation rates, and an emphasis on economic growth. The essence of this statement suggests a libertarian or conservative approach to governance, where the role of the state is minimal, taxes are kept low, and the economy is fostered through natural market mechanisms rather than extensive government regulation.

"The Arizona Way means working together to get things done."

This quote by Doug Ducey emphasizes the importance of unity, cooperation, and collaboration in achieving progress within the state of Arizona. Essentially, "The Arizona Way" represents a collective effort towards problem-solving and accomplishing goals, implying that working together is more effective than individual actions. It highlights an ethos where political, social, or economic differences are set aside for the greater good, fostering a spirit of unity and mutual respect among Arizonans.

"A strong economy and vibrant communities start with families, not government."

This quote suggests that the foundation for a robust economy and thriving communities lies in the strength of families, not the role of government. It implies that the well-being and success of societies are rooted in strong family units, which may foster financial stability, social cohesion, and community engagement. In this perspective, the role of government is to support and nurture these family units rather than assuming the primary responsibility for economic development and societal progress.

"Innovation is the key to a better future for everyone in our state."

This quote by Doug Ducey emphasizes that innovation, or the act of introducing new ideas, methods, or products, is crucial for achieving a brighter future for all citizens within his state. Innovation not only drives economic growth but also enhances quality of life, promotes social progress, and prepares society for challenges ahead by equipping it with novel solutions. In essence, Ducey highlights the transformative power of innovation in shaping a prosperous and forward-thinking community.

I built a company, a team, and a brand that started right here. It was an American success story, and it started right here in Arizona.

- Doug Ducey

Arizona, Here, Built, Success Story

Our teachers are valuable, and our public policy should reflect that.

- Doug Ducey

Teachers, Reflect, Public, Public Policy

Too often, I hear stories of teachers and parents spending part of their paychecks to ensure there are supplies in the classroom - even basic necessities like pens, pencils and paper. This is unacceptable.

- Doug Ducey

Stories, Necessities, Ensure, Pencils

My philosophy is that I may not like all the questions that you ask, and you may not like all the answers that I give, but this is part of a transparent government.

- Doug Ducey

Give, Like, May, I May Not

If you're old enough to father a child, then you're old enough to accept financial responsibility for that child. If you don't want your embarrassing, unlawful, and irresponsible behavior going viral, man up and pay up.

- Doug Ducey

Old, Going, Unlawful, Irresponsible

By working together, we can make Arizona a place where everyone has an opportunity for a better life.

- Doug Ducey

Better, Arizona, Everyone, Better Life

We all should be concerned if our kids don't know who Sandra Day O'Connor, John Adams, and Ronald Reagan are.

- Doug Ducey

Concerned, Reagan, Our, None

I have been outspoken on my opposition to 'Obamacare,' and I don't buy the line that our Medicaid program, or any function of government, has reached maximum efficiency.

- Doug Ducey

Efficiency, Line, Been, Outspoken

I don't have a real attraction or interest to national politics, so I want to see Republicans win across the board in the state of Arizona, because those policies of lower taxes and lighter regulation and strong foreign policy are important to me.

- Doug Ducey

Strong, Politics, Arizona, Attraction

Earning a certificate or degree, or both, after high school opens the door to countless economic opportunities.

- Doug Ducey

Opportunities, Door, Degree, Certificate

I want to be an independent and responsible voice for Arizonans, and it would be unwise to endorse a specific approach before the costs and benefits of these options can be evaluated.

- Doug Ducey

Voice, Benefits, Costs, Unwise

In many respects, Arizona is a model for the rest of the country on best practices for water management.

- Doug Ducey

Rest, Country, Many Respects, Practices

If you saw a better idea or business anywhere in the world, and you could reapply it legally and ethically and with attribution, you were supposed to do that. And I used that learning in building Cold Stone.

- Doug Ducey

Business, Idea, Could, Ethically

We should empower teachers to do their job by cutting wasteful spending and crippling bureaucracy, not classroom resources our educators and students need.

- Doug Ducey

Empower, Need, Resources, Wasteful Spending

It's very easy for people to say what's wrong with education in Arizona, but if I'm elected as governor, I want to focus on what we're doing well and maximizing the impact of what we know is working.

- Doug Ducey

Education, Doing, Very, Maximizing

States with better-educated citizens also see economic benefits. These states have better luck recruiting and retaining quality employers, and they enjoy lower overall rates of unemployment, poverty, and welfare dependency.

- Doug Ducey

Luck, Benefits, Employers, Recruiting

Ice cream brings people together.

- Doug Ducey

Ice, Brings, Cream, Ice Cream

Serving ice cream isn't exactly like serving in state government, but what I learned guides me today.

- Doug Ducey

Ice, Like, Learned, Ice Cream

Maintaining a positive working relationship with Mexico's leadership will also be crucial to increasing communication and trade. I plan to personally maintain those relationships.

- Doug Ducey

Will, Maintain, Crucial, Maintaining

Setting the state budget is one of the most important tasks we undertake at the state Capitol - because after all, it's the people's money - not the government's.

- Doug Ducey

People, The Most Important, Tasks

Franchises are independently owned and operated businesses whose owners are responsible for their operations.

- Doug Ducey

Operations, Owned, Businesses

Governors compete. States compete. People & businesses decide.

- Doug Ducey

Compete, Decide, Governors, Businesses

When Arizona became a state, the federal government granted our founders nearly 11 million acres of state land. Every time we sell a piece of that land, proceeds go into the Land Trust where the money is invested and earns interest.

- Doug Ducey

Trust, Arizona, Became, Every Time

Arizona has three of the top 10 public high schools in the nation. We know how to educate a child. We just need to do it more often in more locations, and where we're having issues are in low-income areas where - where kids don't have a parent that cares or two parents that care, and, of course, also in our tribal nations.

- Doug Ducey

Parent, Arizona, Nation, High Schools

We should be working with the governor of Sonora to establish a commercial sea port on the coast of their state.

- Doug Ducey

Commercial, Port, Coast, Establish

I ran for public office to do something good.

- Doug Ducey

Something Good, Public, Ran

What many don't know is that Arizona has a something called the State Land Trust - a fund with assets that have been set aside and invested for decades specifically to benefit education.

- Doug Ducey

Trust, Been, Set, Decades

You still find a great sense of possibility here, and I want to make sure that Arizona stays that way. I want us to be the welcoming, job-creating state we've been from the start, a place where everybody's got a chance.

- Doug Ducey

Here, Been, Great Sense, Welcoming

As our economy advances, educational attainment is going to keep Arizona competitive.

- Doug Ducey

Arizona, Going, Educational, Attainment

As a former board member for Teach For America, I understand that every child has the ability to learn and that, no matter their circumstances at home, we have a duty and a responsibility to educate them and to do it well.

- Doug Ducey

Learn, Teach, Circumstances, Board

Arizonans want us to come together, put aside politics, and solve problems. You want us to do our jobs in way that reflects the best of our state. You want us to stop and listen - something that doesn't always come naturally to people in politics.

- Doug Ducey

Politics, Want, Always, Reflects

Sky Harbor may be a city airport, but it's an Arizona vital resource used by citizens all over the state, and our economy is dependent on its success.

- Doug Ducey

Sky, Over, May, Dependent

We don't want Arizona to be dependent on the whims of Barack Obama and the federal government.

- Doug Ducey

Government, Barack, Whims, Dependent

Every large brand has franchisees and stores that don't make it. It's unfortunate, and Cold Stone did everything it could to support its franchisees, but some failure rate is part of the business.

- Doug Ducey

Some, Unfortunate, Large, Stone

As CEO of Cold Stone Creamery, we used a concept called 'search and reapply,' which meant that if we found better ways of doing something, then we would do it.

- Doug Ducey

Doing, Meant, Which, Stone

As I have traveled the state, I have seen firsthand that there are Arizonans who are hurting.

- Doug Ducey

Hurting, Firsthand, State, Traveled

Our officers are on the front lines - the first to show up on the scene of a crime. They should be respected; not ridiculed. They and their families protected; not put at risk.

- Doug Ducey

Show, Families, Ridiculed, Respected

I hope you'll find that my campaign was a reflection of how I plan to govern - bringing people together, building coalitions, and finding common ground.

- Doug Ducey

Hope, Reflection, Govern, Common Ground

As governor, it is my highest priority to protect Arizona citizens.

- Doug Ducey

Highest Priority, Highest, Priority

Thriving economies on both sides of the border is a win-win for Arizona and Mexico, but that will only come by working together and demonstrating mutual respect.

- Doug Ducey

Both Sides, Border, Thriving, Working Together

One area where the state can be more effective in addressing the doctor shortage is to focus on making sure that Arizona is a friendly environment for doctors and those wishing to practice medicine.

- Doug Ducey

Making, Area, Addressing, One Area

If people want to take the time to vote, they should be able to, and their vote should be counted.

- Doug Ducey

Want, Able, Take, Counted

I am a believer in the rights of the unborn and the goodness of every life, and I have promised that, as governor, I will champion those values.

- Doug Ducey

Values, Will, Unborn, Champion

I took an oath of office to protect Arizona from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

- Doug Ducey

Oath, Domestic, Took, Protect

When it comes to free speech and participation in the democratic process, our laws should reflect the goal of making it easier for more citizens to engage.

- Doug Ducey

Process, Participation, Laws, Engage

I believe we need to ensure there are no refugees placed in Arizona with connections to terrorist organizations.

- Doug Ducey

Ensure, Placed, Refugees, Terrorist

We want to make sure Arizona residents have the opportunity to learn about the decisions we are making and have a chance to participate in the process.

- Doug Ducey

Process, Making, Sure, Decisions

Like many of us in Arizona, I wasn't born here - I'm a product of the Midwest and the working class.

- Doug Ducey

Product, Here, Like, Midwest

I'm a believer in private enterprise, the dignity of work, limited government, and the possibilities of freedom.

- Doug Ducey

Possibilities, Private, Limited Government

As governor, I want to make sure that Arizona's hardworking taxpayers get to keep more of what they earn.

- Doug Ducey

Arizona, More, Sure, Hardworking

Biotech research is incredibly important for health-care innovation.

- Doug Ducey

Innovation, Important, Biotech

I'm committed as governor to valuing and nurturing our relationships with our friends to the south.

- Doug Ducey

Relationships, Valuing, Nurturing

A great economy requires great public schools.

- Doug Ducey

Economy, Public, Schools, Requires

I honestly believe that we are Arizonans and Americans first, not merely advocates for our respective political parties.

- Doug Ducey

Political, Honestly, Respective

Arizona should be to the Sharing Economy what Texas is to Oil and what Silicon Valley used to be to the tech industry.

- Doug Ducey

Oil, Tech, Silicon, Sharing

I've visited schools all across our state, and the message is clear. Our kids have needs today, and our educators need more resources to do their jobs.

- Doug Ducey

More, Need, Needs, Visited

Every dollar spent on education should go toward helping our teachers teach and our students learn.

- Doug Ducey

Education, Learn, Helping, Dollar

Arizona has excellent medical schools, both public and private, and it is critical that we create an environment that keeps medical students in Arizona to practice medicine once they complete medical school and their residency programs.

- Doug Ducey

Medical, Private, Residency, Keeps

The American people overwhelmingly oppose taxpayer funding of abortions, and it's no different in Arizona, where we have long-standing policy against subsidizing them with public dollars.

- Doug Ducey

Arizona, Against, Funding, Oppose

Federal government has forced a one-size-fits-all model on our education system.

- Doug Ducey

System, One-Size-Fits-All, Federal

Some people never learn, no matter how much their heads hurt in the morning.

- Doug Ducey

Learn, Matter, Some, Heads

These are basic, nonpartisan, non-ideological questions. How many United States senators are there... who was the first president.

- Doug Ducey

United, United States, Many, Basic

Education standards need to be set at the state level. High standards are an important way to ensure that the education system we are funding is actually working and producing, at a minimum, what we would expect it to.

- Doug Ducey

Education, Funding, Set, Minimum

We can't let government make long-term commitments that it may not be able to keep.

- Doug Ducey

Government, May, Commitments, Long-Term

In our administration, we're going to follow the law, and any policy that we move forward will fall well within the law and the Arizona Constitution.

- Doug Ducey

Law, Constitution, Move, Move Forward

One way to ensure that all kids will be successful in school and life is by focusing on literacy by the end of the third grade.

- Doug Ducey

Will, Way, Ensure, Focusing

I'm focusing on the issues that bring people together and build broad majorities.

- Doug Ducey

Build, Bring, Broad, Focusing

The best way to keep water prices down is to avoid unnecessary increases in costs.

- Doug Ducey

Costs, Best Way, Increases, Prices

We want to control our own destiny and take responsibility for our own outcomes.

- Doug Ducey

Destiny, Take, Outcomes

I am a forthright defender of the right to bear arms - which is guaranteed not only by the U.S. Constitution, but by the Constitution of Arizona.

- Doug Ducey

Constitution, Arizona, Which, Bear

Texas has more effectively capitalized on its opportunities as a border state, and I've always said that I want to look to states that are doing better than we are and replicate those success stories in Arizona.

- Doug Ducey

Doing, Always, Border, Replicate

It's a sad day when Republicans will attack fellow Republicans on an issue as fundamental as free enterprise.

- Doug Ducey

Will, Republicans, Issue, Attack

I strongly believe that more money needs to be spent in the classroom.

- Doug Ducey

Money, Needs, Strongly, Classroom

I want to see us add more dollars to the classroom.

- Doug Ducey

See, More, Add, Classroom

One state can't set everything right, but here in Arizona, we can set an example for the rest of the country in how those of us in elected office conduct ourselves and interact with each other and our constituents.

- Doug Ducey

Rest, Country, Here, Conduct

The threat from radical Islamic jihadists is real and needs to be taken seriously.

- Doug Ducey

Needs, Radical, Islamic, Threat

As our economy advances, our government and our laws need to modernize, too.

- Doug Ducey

Government, Need, Laws, Advances

My focus is 100 percent on my day job, on the state of Arizona.

- Doug Ducey

Focus, Arizona, State, Day Job

Where opportunities to expand trade and commerce exist, we will lead, and we will partner.

- Doug Ducey

Partner, Trade, Exist, Expand

I've repeated time and again that Arizona is open for business.

- Doug Ducey

Business, Arizona, Again, Repeated

To say that I'm going to veto something that I haven't read is just - or sign something that I haven't read - I don't think is good policy for any chief executive.

- Doug Ducey

Think, Going, Read, Policy

Speculation replaces fact. It's very easy to see news outlets running with information that is unconfirmed or erroneous.

- Doug Ducey

News, Speculation, Very, Easy

Conventional wisdom is not always the best wisdom.

- Doug Ducey

Wisdom, Best, Always, Conventional

Texas has an established trade office in Mexico City, as do other Texan cities. They have a more mature trade relationship with Mexico, and I want to make Arizona a leader in this area also.

- Doug Ducey

Leader, Established, Area, Mexico

We think that this message - of someone that's from the private sector that built a company and now wants to shrink a government and grow an economy - is a winning message.

- Doug Ducey

Grow, Think, Private, Private Sector

I enjoy being out; I like being around people, but at a certain point in time, I kind of run out of charming, and I'm ready to go home, and I'm very comfortable alone.

- Doug Ducey

Go Home, Very, Certain Point, Ready

I'm a pro-growth, small-government conservative with a background in free enterprise.

- Doug Ducey

Conservative, Background, Pro-Growth

Let's learn from our peers and then beat them at their own game.

- Doug Ducey

Game, Learn, Own, Beat

I built a company; now, I would like to shrink a government and grow an economy.

- Doug Ducey

Government, Grow, Would, Shrink

We will ensure Arizona continues to grow jobs, not destroy them.

- Doug Ducey

Grow, Will, Ensure, Destroy

If there's one thing Arizona is best in the nation at, it's water.

- Doug Ducey

Best, Nation, One Thing, Arizona

Running to do a job as important as the governor's shouldn't be easy; it should take a lot of work, and I'm out there giving my best every day.

- Doug Ducey

Work, Best, Every Day, Governor

The Governor's Office is going to get out of the litigation business.

- Doug Ducey

Business, Litigation, Going, Governor

I understand the dignity that comes from work and caring for one's family.

- Doug Ducey

Work, Caring, Understand, Dignity

I'm always concerned about how our state looks.

- Doug Ducey

Looks, How, Always, Concerned

This is America. Success is not guaranteed.

- Doug Ducey

Success, America, Success Is, Guaranteed

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