Smith Challeneges on challenges on transparency

Caucus-backed candidate wants light shed on opponent’s professional background

Riverside presidential candidate Kevin Smith turned up the heat last week, challenging his opponent to shed light on his professional background.

Michael Gorman, who is running for president under the Riverside Community Alliance banner, responded by calling Smith’s challenge a stunt and the call for transparency “ironic.”

On Friday, Smith said that as part of The Riverside Party’s pledge to make government more transparent, he listed online links to information about his licensure as an attorney as well as his salary.”

And if you’re interested in knowing about my trial work, with a little creative ‘googling’ you can find that information,” too,” wrote Smith in a release he titled “Transparency Begins at Home.”

Smith is a supervisor in the Cook County Office of the Public Defender.

The call for transparency comes on the heels of the Riverside Community Alliance’s call for Riverside government to operate in a more transparent fashion. For Smith, the call for transparency cuts both ways.”

I’ve been involved in public service for 35 years, and it comes with public review” said Smith in a separate interview. “It’s pretty clear where I’ve been for the last 35 years.”

The implication is that the public does not know where Gorman has been during that time, an intimation that made Gorman bristle. Provided the text of Smith’s release last week, Gorman responded with one of his own.”

This is candidate Smith’s third village election, and to the best of my knowledge this is the first time he has been forced to address transparency in Riverside government,” Gorman stated. “It makes me wonder why he didn’t feel the same way about transparency for the past eight years as a village trustee.”

Gorman called Smith’s challenge “a typical caucus political tactic” that doesn’t “focus on the real issues.”Smith said he wasn’t making any accusations against Gorman.”It’s not accusatory,” Smith said. “It’s a suggestion that the playing field should be level. You can criticize what we do, but it’s out there. I find when people say things to me, they suggest they think they know me. I don’t know if they have the same sense of Mr. Gorman.”

Gorman, who is retired, states in his response to Smith’s challenge that he is an attorney with an active license dating back to 1979, and that he worked as an attorney in the private sector as an in-house corporate counsel. He also states he is a certified public accountant, who actively practiced from 1973-76.

A check of Illinois professional licensing records indicate that Gorman’s law license is active and that he was licensed as a public accountant through 1986; he is not currently licensed as a certified public accountant.”

Gorman expressed amazement at Smith’s challenge, calling his statements “innuendo.”"It’s clear innuendo on my integrity,” Gorman said. “I want to turn the answer back where it belongs, which is back on the issues.”

Meanwhile, candidates running for president and trustee under the Riverside Community Alliance banner, including Gorman and trustee candidates Mark Shevitz, James Reynolds and Lonnie Sacchi are holding a town hall meeting in Room 30 (on the third floor) of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.

Riverside Landmark 2/3
By BOB UPHUES
Editor