Ruben Cruz
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?
Tech companies are raking in tens of billions of dollars in AI-driven IPOs, yet New Yorkers are expected to subsidize their massive energy and water use through state tax exemptions. This is corporate welfare. We shouldn’t force Queens families to face higher utility bills and grid instability just to pad the profits of Wall Street and Big Tech.
I strongly support repealing these tax exemptions. If multi-billion-dollar AI data centers want to operate in New York, they must pay like everybody else.
Instead of subsidizing tech billionaires, New York must invest in community-owned infrastructure like my Queens Community Energy & Resiliency Hub at the Aqueduct. By deploying safe, water-based Vanadium flow batteries, we can secure our grid against massive future power demands. Let’s use the tax revenue from these highly profitable data centers to fund this hub, eliminate residential electric bills, and protect our neighborhoods from chronic flooding.
KEYWORDS: Repeal these tax exemptions. Invest in my community-owned infrastructure Queens Community Energy & Resiliency Hub at the Aqueduct.
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?
Governor Hochul’s delay of the CLCPA targets proves we cant rely on top-down approaches that ignore our communities. My priority is immediate, community-owned clean energy infrastructure, starting with the Queens Community Energy & Resiliency Hub at the abandoned Aqueduct Racetrack.
Instead of waiting for 2028, let’s prioritize safe, long-duration energy storage. I will champion Vanadium flow batteries. The evidence is clear: Vanadium is water-based, non-flammable, and produces no toxic fumes. A facility at the Aqueduct can store enough clean power for 3.1 million homes—covering all of Brooklyn and Queens.
Coupled with restoring historical aqueducts to capture stormwater, this hub will mitigate local flooding and generate $24 million annually from excess power sales to eliminate residential electric bills. True climate action means zero emissions, zero electric bills, and public ownership.
KEYWORDS: Vanadium flow batteries, water-based, non-flammable, and produces no toxic fumes.
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?
When neighbors rely on social media for science information, it often highlights a lack of access to reliable digital resources.
My approach to combating misinformation is rooted in infrastructure. I view health as a ““full circle”” system where digital access is a critical social determinant of health. To empower students and families, public education must be supported by Universal Broadband. I will endorse free broadband citywide, prioritizing NYCHA locations, so our communities can directly access verified educational resources and tele-health rather than relying on social media algorithms.
While we must strengthen practical health education in schools to teach digital literacy, we must also build the permanent infrastructure that protects our neighbors. Guaranteeing digital access empowers Queens families to make informed, trustworthy decisions.
Ruben Cruz Press Conference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbRmB_qpbPA&t=1s This video outlines my Aqueduct Village plan, demonstrating how infrastructure investments tie directly into overall community health and resilience.
KEYWORDS: Digital access, Universal Broadband, Aqueduct Village
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?
As a community architect, my agricultural policy prioritizes the health of our families and the independence of our local farmers over corporate profits.
When evaluating pesticide use, my decisions will be guided by independent, peer-reviewed data on water quality and public health—not corporate lobbying.
My fight for the Aqueduct water filtration hub reflects my commitment to clean water; we cannot allow toxic agricultural runoff to poison our communities. We must restrict harmful chemicals while providing state grants to help farmers transition to safe, sustainable alternatives.
We also must break the mafia-style monopoly of multinational agro-corporations.
Right now, predatory seed conglomerates are strong-arming independent farmers into a vicious cycle: forcing them to buy genetically modified (GMO) corn and the proprietary pesticides required to grow it.
Just like the junk fees and high interest rates I am fighting in Queens, this isn’t a free market; it’s agricultural loan-sharking.
I will stand in line to outlaw these predatory seed contracts, protect New York’s independent farmers from corporate intimidation, and ensure a safe, transparent food supply for our families.
You really need to study my website for my non-scientific study at www.rubencruz.nyc
KEYWORDS: Aqueduct water filtration hub
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?
As a ““Community Architect,”” I believe these federal visa restrictions are a wake-up call: New York cannot rely solely on importing tech talent while overlooking our own working-class youth. We really must respond by building a massive, homegrown STEM and green-collar workforce right here in Queens.
We cannot control federal visa policy, but we can control local investment. Building and operating the Queens Community Energy & Resiliency Hub at the Aqueduct Racetrack—our community-owned Vanadium battery and water filtration facility—will require a new generation of skilled engineers, environmental scientists, and tradespeople.
To secure our scientific workforce, New York must heavily invest in local CUNY STEM programs, vocational training, and union apprenticeships. By training our own neighbors to build this safe, water-based energy grid, we secure our local economy, solve chronic flooding, and eliminate residential electric bills through homegrown green innovation.
KEYWORDS: Homegrown STEM talent
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?
As a builder for infrastructure resilience in Queens, I understand that extreme weather is a statewide crisis—devastating both urban neighborhoods and upstate farmland.
To help farmers adapt, we need to invest heavily in water management and energy infrastructure. My plan for the Aqueduct Community Energy & Resiliency Hub focuses on restoring historical aqueducts and filtration systems to capture dangerous stormwater runoff. We should fund similar state-wide reservoir and aqueduct infrastructure to capture excess rainwater during severe storms, preventing crop floods while saving that water for agricultural irrigation during droughts.
Furthermore, farmers need reliable power when the grid fails during extreme weather. I support state grants for farms to adopt Vanadium flow battery storage. These safe, water-based batteries will ensure our food supply chain stays operational during climate disasters. True resilience requires building robust, publicly owned infrastructure.
KEYWORDS: Vanadium, Aqueduct
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?
As a ““Community Architect,”” I believe clean, safe streets are the foundation of a vibrant city.
However, public safety cannot be outsourced to unaccountable tech corporations.
The pushback against Flock ALPR cameras shows what happens when mass surveillance is deployed without transparency.
Just as I reveal the hidden fees and predatory practices draining blue-collar paychecks, I will monitor the unwarranted harvesting of our data. A family’s privacy is part of their ““castle,”” and it must be protected.
My ALPR legislation will demand ““Community Ownership”” of data, reflecting the core philosophy of my Aqueduct Energy & Resiliency Hub. I will mandate:
Strict Retention Limits: A 14-day cap on storing ALPR data unless tied to an active judicial warrant.
Data Protection: A total ban on sharing ALPR data with private brokers or federal agencies without a strict court order.
Transparency: Mandatory public audits to ensure these cameras aren’t disproportionately targeting working-class neighborhoods.
True safety comes from empowering communities through real infrastructure investment—like my Aqueduct plan to eliminate electric bills and stop flooding—not mass surveillance.
KEYWORDS: community ownership of data
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?
When wildfire smoke hits New York as it has in the past, families and seniors suffer most. This is an infrastructure crisis we must prepare for now.
To protect our neighborhoods, I will prioritize:
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Lowering Local Emissions: We can’t stop Canadian fires, but we can cut local pollution. My Aqueduct Energy Hub replaces dirty fossil-fuel plants with zero-emission Vanadium batteries. Better everyday air quality means stronger lungs when smoke arrives.
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Clean Air Hubs: I will secure state funding to install commercial-grade air filtration systems in public schools, NYCHA buildings, and senior centers, creating safe indoor spaces during emergencies.
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Green Infrastructure: Expanding our urban tree canopy in Queens will act as a natural air filter for our streets.
Resilience means building infrastructure that protects our families.
KEYWORDS: Emission, Clean Air Hubs
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?
Federal NIH funding is a lifeline for our public hospitals and CUNY research institutions.
Proposed federal cuts will deeply hurt our communities who rely on these centers for care and innovation.I’ll advocate to protect this funding, but New York can’t wait for Washington.
If the federal government steps back, Albany has to step up. We can fill this research funding gap by ending corporate welfare—like the massive tax exemptions given to Big Tech data centers—and redirecting that revenue into our local public health and STEM sectors.
We should also guarantee that publicly funded research serves the people, not pharmaceutical monopolies.
My platform explicitly calls for regulating excessive pharmaceutical costs so that our research yields affordable treatments for Queens families, not corporate windfalls.
Finally, building the Queens Community Energy & Resiliency Hub at the Aqueduct will establish our own homegrown green-tech research economy.
By partnering with local CUNY programs, we will build a robust scientific workforce that is insulated from federal budget games.
KEYWORDS: End corp welfare, STEM, Vanadium