I was astonished to learn that Smolin's total debt was $4.8 million

To The Daily Sun,

I am a citizen of Belknap County who is concerned about who has the power to make decisions on how our tax dollars are spent.

Although I am now retired, when I practiced law in Massachusetts I represented a number of clients in bankruptcy actions. The claims of Jonathan Smolin, who is running for Belknap County Commissioner to be an "everyday" person driven to bankruptcy by family health problems aroused my curiosity, so I looked into the available public records concerning his bankruptcy filings. My focus was on the 2011 proceeding, as the 2008 and 2013 proceedings

were both dismissed.

Expecting to see debts similar to those of my former clients, in the area of $200,000 to $300,000, I was astonished to learn that Smolin's total debt was $4,857,926. That figure included $2,869,578 in secured claims (but the great bulk of that amount, $2,642,878, consisted of an unsecured portion), $1,850,348 in unsecured non-priority claims and $138,000 in unsecured priority claims. Amassing close to $5 million in debt does not fit my definition of an "everyday" person.

My next surprise concerned some of the specific debts listed. The highest single amount of unsecured debt was $740,000 for a luxury motor coach. That figure represents not the total cost of the coach, which was $1.5 million, but rather the amount still owed on it. In addition, Smolin listed $631,991 in debt for other vehicle deficiency amounts (once again, not the total cost of the vehicles, but rather the amount still owed on them). Another $50,000 was money owed on a tractor and related equipment. Smolin owed another $27,000 to the law firm that represented him in a case in Maine that resulted in a $210,000 judgment against him for allegedly swindling his wife's dying grandfather. Jonathan Smolin an "everyday person" with "everyday problems"? Not in my book.

Reading through Mr. Smolin's court documents is difficult, as they are numerous and complicated. I did not see in the list of debts any significant amounts for medical treatment of anyone. What I did see in the document review generated endless questions in my mind, such as what Smolin was doing acquiring a string of luxury vehicles over the years? These questions may never be answered, but a picture emerged of a fascinating and manipulative man who skillfully used the bankruptcy courts, not to restructure his debts, but rather to evade them. Over 125 creditors, some with multiple claims, were left holding the bag.

I ask fellow citizens is this a person you want managing how your hard-earned dollars are spent?

Daniel M. Tremblay, Esq., Retired

Alton