LETTER TO THE EDITOR: It's Time for a New Voice in the State Senate

To the editor:

I am running for the State Senate to offer new policies that will put education and the economy first, in order to make Massachusetts more competitive for new jobs. Not a failed, narrow policy agenda that has made the Great Recession and Housing Crisis worse and last longer.

Experience matters, so I'll use my skills as a former teacher to support local education reform. As a former Massachusetts transportation official, I am uniquely positioned to accelerate much needed reforms with both parties to benefit our state economy. In this race, my top issues are not my opponent’s top issues, and I am not running on his strengths ... I’m running on mine: 

• I’ll work hard to represent all voters as an independent voice, and the only person capable of working with both sides during this fiscal emergency. I am a Scott Brown-Paul Cellucci (R) much closer philosophically to Bill Clinton voters than my Liberal-Progressive opponent. 
• I support holding the line on new taxes, out of control spending and mounting public debt. I do not support picking winners or losers with special tax giveaways that have wasted millions, while local aid is flat-lined, effectively cost shifting property tax increases and fee hikes to local residents and boards.

The "Solyndra Playbook" for new jobs has failed. The Legislature’s failures are forcing schools to make up the difference during lean times. To paraphrase a leading Acton PTO activist and Democrat: “Parents should not be paying for the basic education needs of kids in a public education system.” 

Fiscally, the best solution for our budgets is not class warfare, but to improve the overall small business climate so the private sector can put people back to work. My jobs plan eliminates special tax breaks, loopholes and crony giveaways while reforming spending to make Massachusetts more competitive for free enterprise and manufacturing. Corporate welfare is just as ineffective as solar panel boondoggles. 

Boomers and elderly voters need to know I strongly disagree with my opponent who authored a state plan to expand Medicare into an open-ended entitlement for all Massachusetts citizens. Instead, I favor doing everything we can to save Medicare for seniors while reforming the Massachusetts Health Connector and tax codes to be competitive and cost effective with the rest of the country.

We have so much to offer here, yet this state has produced ZERO new net jobs since 1990. My No. 1 responsibility during this economic crisis is to look at every issue on the merits, and vote based on what is in the best interest of our schools and economy – not any group or special interest. 

Dean Cavaretta

Candidate for MA State Senate

Middlesex & Worcester

978-310-1245