Edward Lee
RepublicanQ1 Data centers are a controversial part of America’s growing AI industry, supporting cutting-edge innovation and potential job creation, but raising issues of resource use and utility costs. New York now has a moratorium on data center construction. At the same time, state tax law grants tax exemptions to equipment and services used by data centers, which some proposed legislation would repeal. What do you see as the right balance of costs and benefits for new data center construction in New York, and how would your policies accomplish that balance?
Data centers have not proven their benefits yet. Speculation should not be shouldered by the taxpayers. Tax exemptions should be reviewed on an ongoing basis with community input and transparency guardrails in place. All resources including water and electricity must prioritize residents access first. Commercial use of community resources means that the use of data centers should become subject to ongoing review. Technology serves to magnify one’s efforts be it for good or for bad. The potential benefits of data centers are matched by their potential for harm. Hacking risks and anti-consumer practices by tech companies must be resolved before charging ahead down this path which will have broad reaching effects on our workforce, our environment and our security.
Q2 New York currently generates about 47% of its energy from low carbon sources including nuclear, hydropower, and wind and solar, with the remainder coming from combustion sources (natural gas, oil, biofuel, and solid waste). While New York committed to shifting to low-carbon energy sources and emissions reductions in passing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), Governor Hochul recently moved to delay implementation of several components of the state’s climate law to December 31, 2028. As concerns about energy costs, reliability, and emissions grow, what energy sources would you prioritize, under what timeline, and what evidence would guide that decision?
Our need for energy, particularly electricity, is growing rapidly. Usually activism as it is seen by the public is really just one millionaire force fighting another millionaire force while many aspects of the truth, particularly those impacting the “little people” go unaddressed. The electric industry has become overpowering and taints the activism regarding environmental and energy issues. However, electricity will become more and more essential with the growing prevalence of computer chips in everything. This huge need for energy makes nuclear energy worthy of consideration. Unfortunately state subsidies can lead to huge waste and can work counter to the overall goals of sustainability. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250611083736.htm <- this article outlines some examples. We must not let slogans convince us to greenlight poorly thought out solutions or implementation that runs counter to the original goals.
Q3 Young adults say that social media is their top source of science information, but acknowledge that it is less trustworthy compared to other sources. In addition, the widespread usage of social media and other sources of scientific information has resulted in the spread of misinformation that has spurred public education policies to curb it, such as a NYC vaccine misinformation legislation. What role should public education play in combatting misinformation and disseminating trustworthy, up to date scientific information to students and their families?
“Scientific information” are words that are easily misused. It is relatively easy for industry to astroturf activism and to take control of the narrative due to advertising relationships with the media. Science itself was a response to the rationalism espoused by Descartes. Science operates on a principle of formation of hypothesis that can be disproved AT ANY TIME through EVIDENCE. Medicine is very often ancedotal and not as scientific as people may think and the lies of Fauci “don’t wear a mask” and then “wear a mask” never led to any real consequences. Ideally the government could publish information that people could trust, but a broad distrust of institutions means that they must earn back trust. Until trust is restored education cannot be effective.
Q4 Pesticides are widely used in food production to help manage pests and support crop yields, but ongoing debates over their safety have raised questions about their long-term use and led to proposals to restrict certain pesticides. What data and evidence will you use to weigh the role of these products in food security against safety concerns when shaping policy on their use in New York agriculture?
Public health physicians are in place to ring the alarm when an outbreak occurs potentially pointing the finger at pesticides. The EPA at the federal level and the NYS Bureau of Pesticide Management also serve as regulatory agencies responsible for tracking pesticide use. The example of Paraquat provided? It can create permanent harm and has no known specific antidote. It is banned in many jurisdictions for it’s capability to harm humans and animals. Also research shows that eliminating paraquat does not reduce agricultural productivity when appropriate alternatives are adopted. This makes it a good candidate for a ban.
Q5 New York has the second largest international student population of any U.S. state, the majority of which study in STEM fields. The federal government is pursuing largescale changes to student visa approval, including increased visa denials, revoking existing visas, restricting travel from certain countries, and decreasing student visa durations. How, if at all, should New York respond to federal visa changes affecting international STEM students and researchers, and the resulting projected changes in the scientific workforce supply?
The federal government has sovereignty due to the Supremacy clause in the US Constitution and has the authority to issue or revoke visas. Overall New York should comply with federal law. There is a process to take things to court in special cases, but our universities receive many subsidies and tax exempt status. International students can be targets for exploitation for more than just their finances and are as a rule charged more money for tuition for the same education. Information can be shared, and the benefits for NY in training people who may have difficulty staying in the US are uncertain at best.
Q6 Extreme weather events are increasingly impacting farmland and food supplies across NY, including up to 30 million dollars in damages to farmer livelihoods. This has prompted the USDA to designate 30 counties in New York as Natural Disaster Areas. What policies, if any, would you support to help farmers adapt to and prepare for increasingly erratic weather?
The federal government subsidizes crop insurance. Estimated costs before subsidies are $20 to $40 per acre and after subsidies drop to $12 to $25 per acre. Federal subsidies also cover livestock. Upon reports of extreme adverse weather conditions experts as well as farmers can be surveyed to understand what the expected problems are. Wind? Flooding? Hail? Then appropriate measures can be taken such as potentially buying crop covers in bulk or preparing water runoff solutions in advance.
Q7 Law enforcement agencies across New York have contracted with Flock to install Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras as a public safety tool. The technology is receiving pushback over concerns over privacy and data sharing, resulting in city councilors in Syracuse voting to remove Flock cameras. What are your views on accessibility and utilization of ALPR data by local and federal law enforcement, and what legislation, if any, would you propose governing how ALPR data is collected, stored, shared and retained?
When you are in a public space you can be recorded on video. This is the law. There is potential for abuse of collected data for purposes of stalking, profiling and so forth. Does the best person running a secure server work for the government or for a tech company? Also people’s locations are already being tracked via their cellphones, their GPS devices in their dashboard. One of the more troubling ways that this information can be used is surveillance pricing, where a profile of you can be used to make you pay more then others would for the same product. We need to make broad and specific rules and guidelines regarding how data can be used and clear penalties for breaking these rules have to be established.
Q8 Smoke from Canadian wildfires in recent summers has pushed New York air quality to unhealthy levels. The long-term consequences, if any, of these wildfires are unknown: Short-term data show a rise in asthma-related emergency department visits during smoke events, though some studies suggest the increase is comparable to that seen on high-pollen days. With extreme wildfire seasons projected to become more frequent as global temperatures rise, what measures, if any, do you think New York should invest in to prepare for future smoke events?
Albuterol is the most common medication for severe asthma incidents. Making sure that the supply chain for this product remains intact is key. The Canadian wildfire in 2023 was an outlier as can be seen from this chart. https://www.statista.com/statistics/553520/area-burned-of-forest-fires-canada/ There were no direct deaths in NYC attributed to pollution from the wildfires from Canada even though the amount of pollution was more then 3x the average. Because of the PROJECTION of increased wildfires, at risk communities such as senior centers and hospitals should review equipment such as physical barriers to particulate matter and air filters.
Q9 New York is the second largest recipient of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Proposed federal budgets would significantly reduce NIH funds going to New York hospitals, universities, and research institutions. Where do you stand on the proposed changes to NIH funding levels, and what steps, if any, would you take to address their potential effect on New York’s research sector?
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-settlement-civil-fraud-lawsuit-against-former-hunter-college the links takes you to an article titled “U.S. Attorney Announces Settlement Of Civil Fraud Lawsuit Against Former Hunter College Professor And Hunter College For Fraudulently Using Federal Research Funds” Besides corruption, research can often focus on, “trending topics” or areas projected to “make a lot of money” such as erectile dysfunction instead of pursuing more impactful issues such as the overuse of antibiotics in our livestock industry. NIH has to better demonstrate it’s value to the federal government and voters to restore their funding. Refer to the following article. https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4533574-how-the-national-institutes-of-health-became-a-den-of-cronyism/