In The Marlborough Enterprise | October 16, 2008

By Paul Crocetti

Candidates for the local state Legislature seats took shots at each other while touting their backgrounds yesterday at a forum heavy on economic issues.

Jamie Eldridge, a Democratic state representative from Acton, faces off against Steven Levy, a Republican city councilor from Marlborough, in the race for the Middlesex & Worcester Senate seat. Arthur Vigeant, the Republican City Council president, is running against Danielle Gregoire, the Democratic legislative aide to former state Rep. Stephen LeDuc, for LeDuc's open seat.

The state Legislature passed a budget that could not be sustained, Levy told the crowd of about 60 people at Employment Options.

"My opponent did not show leadership in passing that budget," said Levy, who stressed fiscal responsibility throughout the forum.

As a co-founder of the Suburban Legislative Coalition, Eldridge sent a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick stating that local aid should not be part of his cuts.

"If you just make cuts, then the whole district is going to move backwards," Eldridge said.

Vigeant said he saw the addition of $1 billion to the state budget as a major problem.

"There is no planning down there," said Vigeant, who advocated for more accountants, not more lawyers, on Beacon Hill.

Gregoire noted the small minority of Republicans among the 160 state representatives in the House.

"As an accountant, (Vigeant) should know...that's a very small voice he'll have," Gregoire said, adding that local aid and education funding would be a last resort for cuts.

"Are you sure we can't do rebuttals?" Vigeant asked moderator Susanne Morreale Leeber, referencing one of the forum's rules.

Said Gregoire: "You started it."

Read the full article from the Marlborough Enterprise