Gorman Campaign Responds to Raptakis' Hypocrisy

The following was submitted in response to Raptakis - Response to Dave Gorman:

(Coventry, 7/26/12) The Gorman for Senate campaign issued the following statement today after State Senate candidate Leonidas Raptakis personally attacked Gorman in a recent press release.

“Dave Gorman is proud of his public service and proud to be a small business owner. Just like hundreds of other small business owners, Dave has found himself in a disagreement with a government agency over a tax assessment. There is a process by which these issues are reviewed, and Dave respects that process. Once the matter is amicably settled, the company will make all appropriate payments,” said Gorman campaign manager Bill Hall.

“At a time when people are hurting and worried about the economy, it’s disappointing that Raptakis chose to begin his campaign with a personal attack instead of focusing on creating jobs.  It’s no wonder the voters resoundingly rejected his brand of politics in 2010,” Hall said.

Gorman is the endorsed Democratic in Senate District 33, which includes the Towns of Coventry, West Greenwich and East Greenwich.

Hall also questioned Raptakis’ credibility on taxes, since according to the tax offices of the Town of Coventry and the Central Coventry Fire District, Raptakis and his business, , have a long history of unpaid taxes. From 1993 to 2006, Raptakis racked up $2,048.81 in penalties for failure to pay his town taxes.

His tax record with the Central Coventry Fire District is even more disturbing.  In the past six years, Raptakis racked up late penalties totaling $3,797.05.

“Lou Raptakis has a 19-year record of ducking taxes that would make Mitt Romney jealous. You would think someone with a blatant tax delinquency rap sheet like his would be embarrassed to throw stones from a glass house.”

“The bottom line is: For years, Lou Raptakis failed to pay his taxes on time, period.  For 4 of the past 6 years, his fire tax was 2 years late, every year.”

Hall went on to say; “There is no place for the dirty campaign tactics that Raptakis employs every time he runs for office. It reeks of someone who will do and say whatever he has to in order to regain his seat in the General Assembly. Voters are looking for new ideas and change; not a 20-year State House insider who helped create one of the worst economies in Rhode Island’s history.”