2016 NY Senate race: on Technology

Alex Merced: Cut federal spending so states can spend on infrastructure

Alex Merced: If we can cut spending and lower taxes, this does give more room for states to raise the resources they need to deal with their local infrastructure. Local governments will best know which roads and infrastructure projects will best serve their communities. For intrastate projects, I would encourage states to create joint funds for projects that impact more than one state so they can develop without the unneeded bureaucracy of the Federal Government.

Wendy Long: We need to repair America's transportation infrastructure

A: We need to repair America's transportation infrastructure. The flow of commerce depends upon it. So I would make it a priority, and the bids to do all of the work should be competitive and should be done as economically as possible, because we have to do the work when our nation is in great debt. We can't afford waste, graft, and corporate welfare, as well as excessive bureaucracy, to increase the cost of rebuilding and maintaining our infrastructure.

Charles Schumer: Cutting $245M from NOAA means worse hurricane forecasting

Schumer said inadequate computer systems at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were responsible for tentative forecasts that showed the storm could smack New York and the East Coast. The opposite and more deadly mistake was made in advance of Hurricane Sandy--the first forecasts missed the fact that it would barrel into NY and NJ with destructive force.

Schumer said $245 million in cuts proposed by Congress could further decimate NOAA's ability to predict powerful storms. "It is just plain dumb to cut hundreds of millions from our weather satellite system just when catastrophic storms are getting more extreme and more frequent," he said. Schumer warned that without the money, by 2016 NOAA would be left with only one functioning satellite, decimating its forecasting ability.

Charles Schumer: New York's "geek in chief": inspire kids to pursue science

"Particularly to our young people, we would love you for the good of America, for the happiness of yourself, to really consider getting involved in STEM," said the senator. "I can tell you this from my experience: you'll find it extremely useful and fun in your life."

Sen. Schumer urged parents and children to explore STEM fields, arguing society may have reached the "saturation level" for lawyers, but not at all for scientists. Even if science is not a child's calling, the senator believes systemic thinking is an indispensable skill for any career.

Charles Schumer: Protect kids from online sexual predators