Page 4

Paying Attention!
A Weekly Column published in Rumbo

Click The Little Devil to Return to Main Page

State Representative Jose Santiago:
 "I Filed My Taxes On Time!"
Globe and Eagle Tribune Paint Him As Tax Cheat
(published 04/16/01)

State Representative Jose Santiago (D) Lawrence, made a surprise appearance on "The Paying Attention!" radio program last Saturday to refute a front page Eagle Tribune article (April 14, 2001) which claimed he had not filed tax returns for the last two years.

"I wanted to come in and set the record straight because I know a lot of people listen to your program and I need to get the word out" Santiago said. "The Eagle Tribune does this all the time. They never contact me and then they say I can’t be reached for comment. Any time you don’t do what they want, they print a negative story to damage your credibility and hurt you politically. It really is unfair to my constituents."

Santiago showed an original receipt dated last year, from his accountants Don and Blacklaw which showed a $275.00 fee for filing his taxes in 1999-2000. "I filed my taxes and I paid my taxes. If I wasn’t filing my taxes the IRS would have me put in jail and they would be confiscating my belongings. The Tribune never called me for a comment. It’s just irresponsible."

The Accounting firm of Don and Blacklaw, located in Salem New Hampshire confirmed that Santiago had filed his taxes for the last two years and in fact, had paid his taxes in full. One day before The Eagle Tribune printed their front-page headline The Boston Globe published a story which named Santiago as a tax scofflaw stated that he could not be reached for comment.

"I told the Boston Globe reporter that I filed my taxes and offered to show her my receipts but they printed that story anyway. Instead of calling me to verify the Globe story the Tribune just copied it and published it as fact," Santiago fumed.

Santiago said that the Department of Revenue made a mistake by adding his name to the list of legislators who have not filed their taxes, "I am going to call them and straighten out the situation immediately. But the bottom line is, the Tribune should have verified their information before running a story like that. And there is no excuse at all for the Globe!"

Santiago has had similar problems with claims being made against him. Last year pseudo-Republican Israel Reyes challenged Santiago for his seat in the legislature. During a debate between Santiago and Reyes on the Hot Line Program (WCCM), Reyes campaign worker Tommy Sullivan called the show to attack Santiago saying that he refused to pay child support for his children and had been fired from the Methuen Police Department. He cited a story printed in The Eagle Tribune as his source of information.

Santiago proved at the time that he was on leave of absence from the Methuen Police Department and replied to Sullivan "If I wasn’t paying my child support the Department of Revenue would have put me in jail."

"This is what I am trying to tell people, a bogus story like this comes up and no matter how untrue it is, it follows you forever and the Tribune knows that."

"I appreciate the fact that the Paying Attention radio program is on the air every Saturday afternoon because there really is no other outlet for people to clear the air when things like this happen. We’re stuck with a newspaper that tried to force their agenda on people and if you don’t go their way you become their target. And they never correct their mistakes when you prove them wrong. I file my taxes and I pay my taxes no mater what the Eagle Tribune says. If anyone wants to call Don and Blacklaw to verify this they can feel free to call."

Santiago is currently attracting controversy over his support for the Protection of Marriage Bill (HB3375) which will define marriage as the union between a man and a woman only, as well as deny domestic partnership benefits for unmarried couples.