by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - The trash talk continues between the federal receiver and the Governor's Office. While the federal receiver tries to set the record straight, Adelup isn't backing down.

Gershman, Brickner & Bratton wants to set the record straight and has established a section on its website responding to what it calls "attacks" from the Governor's Office and other inaccurate information being spread around by those working to "undermine the receivership." "He can call it what he wants to but I'm glad that he's putting it out on their website," said Arthur Clark, chief policy advisor for the Calvo Administration.

It was earlier this month when the Governor's Office released research on the federal receiver's billing and work which showcased everything from million dollar a year salaries, extravagant dinners, and luxury hotel suites. Clark says all the information released by the administration wasn't made up rather taken from invoices submitted to the courts or from the GBB website. "I hope the public will go beyond the surface of the statements from GBB and get into the document s because that's where we went and got all the information to show that the receiver is not being really open or transparent with the information he's sharing with the public," he said.

GBB continues to defend itself saying all travel expenses of the receiver along with meals and the costs of all hotels and other accommodations on Guam are within federal guidelines and allowable with federal per diems. GBB further states that charges made by the Governor's Office's that the access road to the Layon Landfill was designed and built around a piece of land that was thought to be private property but which the government actually owned are untrue.

"The statement is partially inaccurate what the government didn't own the property, we condemned the property, so the point is we could have condemned less property if we didn't have to go around this non-exist boundary," he said.

As for multi-million dollar salaries for receiver personnel, GBB states there isn't. GBB states its rates range from a low of $65 to a high of $270 an hour adding from these rates, in addition to the cost of its highly skilled personnel, many other GBB expenses not reimbursed by Guam must be paid.

Clark on the other hand says the governor's office research wasn't intended to indicate that these multi-million dollar salaries were for a single year but for over a five to six year history of them being hired. He says based on their billings, GBB management each make in excess of $30,000 a month or about $350,000 to $400,000 annually per person or collectively over a million a year.

"The point that Solid Waste directors making is they're hired consultants being paid on a hourly basis to get this company up and running so that it can be profitable I understand the Solid Waste Authority, the Layon Landfill actually went out and have hired an operation company, so there's a company operating it now, so it's full operational, so the questions raised by the solid waste board member is why haven't they phased out that portion of their fees," he said.

GBB meanwhile has repeatedly claimed that several statements from governor's office are false from how the receiver has not met its fiduciary responsibility to how the consent decree projects are $63 million over budget. And while the GBB accuses Clark of leading the effort to undermine the receivership, he says that isn't so. "When GBB comes out and issues these releases without any supporting documentation, without any supporting quotes all we do is 'illuminate' the fact there's a 'Tennessee Two-Step' going on here and that we want people to actually look at the facts," he said.

As for what's next, Clark says the administration will continue to scrutinize the federal receiver as the costs keep piling up for Guam. GBB however says it will continue to update its website and respond with the truth when new attacks occur.