U.S. Rep. John Barrow’s recent mailing to 12th District residents is “a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes,” according to Republican opponent Ray McKinney of Savannah.

The four-color, four page mailing asks the question “Got a Sinking Feeling?” under a picture of a piggy bank partially submerged in water. Inside, the piece has the headline “Congressman John Barrow is Fighting to Help Georgia Families Stay Afloat in Tough Economic Times.”

“A sinking feeling is exactly what I got when I realized that our hard-earned tax dollars paid for what is essentially a campaign piece touting Barrow’s supposed accomplishments,” said McKinney. “Instead of using our tax dollars to send out a slick brochure telling us how good he is, why not spend some of that million plus dollars he’s raised so far for his re-election campaign?”

McKinney said he called Barrow’s Washington, D.C., office to ask how much it had cost to design, print and mail the brochure.

“One of Barrow’s aides, whose salary is paid for by tax dollars, told me he didn’t know what I was talking about and that someone would get back to me with the information I needed,” McKinney said. “I’m still waiting for that call.”