Dean Cavaretta, Republican Candidate for the Massachusetts State Senate, said today he supports the Northborough Board of Selectmen’s request to modify the prevailing wage law.

Unlike Cavaretta’s opponent, Jamie Eldridge, who needed to “study the issue” before deciding recently to support the law, Cavaretta will immediately file legislation next year to exempt local projects of $100,000 or less from prevailing wage restrictions.

“At the local level, town departments cannot find the cheapest contractors to do even the simplest of painting jobs because of the over restrictive MA Prevailing Wage Law,” Cavaretta said.

At a time when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) faces a budget deficit, Cavaretta called upon his Democratic opponent to debate transportation issues.

"My opponent owes constituents an explanation why most state road, bridge and transit projects take twice as long to build, and are two times over their original budgets, said Cavaretta.  "Our cities and towns lack the Local Aid they need to deliver essential services, and our roads are in need of real repair.  Yet, my opponent remains singularly focused on pushing special interest legislation that is out of the mainstream.”

As part of his campaign, Cavaretta has proposed setting the goal of making all Mass. infrastructure projects take six years or less and transforming the state’s Project Delivery Process, akin to the reforms he already worked on with the 8-year, 2 billion dollar Accelerated Bridge Program.  Dean will codify benchmarks already expressed by the Legislature and Governor, and will file legislation bringing those best practices immediately into the annual Statewide Road and Bridge Program.

“As State Senator, insisting on performance based management and on-time delivery, while reforming the agencies involved in road, bridge and MBTA projects is central to our Economic Recovery,” said Cavaretta.

As part of his challenge to Sen. Eldridge, Cavaretta has proposed that the two candidates debate transportation at a public forum to be held within the district sometime in the next month. Dean's transportation experience includes working under both the Cellucci and Patrick Administrations at MassHighway and later, the newly constituted MassDOT respectively.

Cavaretta is the Republican candidate for the Massachusetts State Senate in the Middlesex and Worcester District, which includes the towns of Acton, Boxborough, Littleton, Ayer, Shirley, Devens, Harvard, Stow, Maynard, Hudson, Marlborough, Southborough, Westborough, Northborough (Precinct 3) and Sudbury (Precincts 2 & 3).