Drop The Gloves Feller vs. Berry

Here are the letters from the Tribune and Georgian:

Sandy Feller's letter

SPLOST VI is one big spending plan
Dear Editor,
SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) VI is a spending plan for the next six years. It calls out a cap of $70 million to be spent on a variety of projects. The problem with the plan is its lack of detail. The spending is attributed to a variety of projects with no breakdown. This means that there will be no give-back of any surplus funds to the taxpayers whatsoever.In the past, when a project (such as the new courthouse) was completed, the surplus funds were given back to the taxpayers. For example, during the Robert Becker administration, over $2 million was given back to the taxpayers. During the (Stephen) Berry years, this policy was abandoned. As a matter of fact, on several occasions staff was told to spend the money. "It's SPLOST money." He said it and they did it.
If the county and the cities want the people to support SPLOST VI, they should be more forthcoming. Put numbers after each line item. The figures must exist or else how did they arrive at totals? I realize that they are only estimates but they have the moral obligation to be honest with the people they are asking to come up with the money.

Sandy Feller
St. Marys

Steve Berry's letter

It's a good thing Feller is out of office
Dear Editor,
As to Sandy Feller's letter last week about the spending of SPLOST money ("SPLOST VI is one big, vague spending plan," Feb. 9), he referred to the "Robert Becker administration" and how $2 million was supposedly "given back to the taxpayers."I didn't know we elected presidents here in Camden County, so I'm unclear what the "Robert Becker administration" actually means. But Mr. Feller's letter also refers to the "Berry years" and alleges that no monies were similarly returned to taxpayers. Feller went on and ranted and raved about the proposed projects for SPLOST VI, and urges that those should be itemized in detail.
All I can say is that during the so-called "Berry years," Mr. Feller himself served on the county commission. At no time did Feller ever make any motions to return any monies to the taxpayers. If there was money to return, why didn't he make that happen when he could? The answer is simple. There was no money to return.SPLOST V contained a detailed and precise list of projects (which the board of commissioners steadfastly required). The voters overwhelmingly approved that list and SPLOST V money has been spent exactly as the voters approved. There is no excess money. The fact that the "Becker administration" ended up with 2 million unaccounted-for dollars (which was indeed rebated to the voters) begs the question of how in the world did that ever happen?Again, the answer is simple. Poor management. Poor decisions. Thank goodness the "Becker administration" and Mr. Feller are both no longer in office.

Steve Berry
County CommissionerDistrict 3

Rick says,
If poor management and poor decisions means giving back 2 million to the tax payer I say bring back Feller and Becker.

Berry has totally lost his mind. Berry says"But Mr. Feller's letter also refers to the "Berry years" and alleges that no monies were similarly returned to taxpayers." This line in his letter tells me that during the "Berry years" maybe Steve also had poor management and poor decisions because he makes it sound like money was returned during his years also. So was money returned or wasn't it.

So see what is a poor judgement for one person it not for the other.