Schumer pitches education over health care at CIBS Event

Long Island Business News
by John Callegari

Published: February 14, 2011

Sen. Charles Schumer said in Melville on Monday that the country should focus more on infrastructure, education and science as a way to recover from the recession and draw down debt.

Speaking in front of the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island, Schumer said that despite having a national debt of never before seen levels, he advocated cutting from wasteful areas within health care and the military in order to fund the infrastructure, education and science fields nationwide.

The senator said he advised President Barack Obama in January 2009 not to tackle health care reform, but to instead invest in education, as there was broad bipartisan support for a reform of the education system, although Republicans and Democrats had differing views on the best ways to go about reform.

“My view is that the federal government should be more involved in the education of our nation,” Schumer said. “My idea is to increase spending per student by say $5,000, for those school districts that meet our standards and agree to freeze property taxes for a period of 10 years. We would leave it up to the schools to participate, but I guarantee you 90 percent of the schools on Long Island would vote for that because it would reduce property taxes.”

As for science, Schumer said solar power would be taking off over the next few years, and suggested that tax breaks only be given to those who purchased solar panels made in America, rather than China, where a good portion are currently being produced.

“That way we bring jobs back home and jump start our technology sector at the same time,” Schumer said.