LTE - Risky Proposal

Regarding “Texans hope to spur earmark revival” (Page A15, Wednesday), as a lifelong “small government” type, in the past 50 years, I literally never saw a government spending program that was not abused, and the term “pork” rolled easily off the lips of politicians. And then came the tea party movement in 2009. That small government movement finally gave Republicans some backbone, and as the article points out, the worst form of pork — the earmark — was banned in 2011.

Now Texas Republicans like U.S. Rep. John Culberson want to bring them back, allegedly for the limited purpose of funding more hurricane relief. What nonsense.

If Congress allows one form of earmark, it will soon allow all earmarks. Culberson and those others have to know this, so if they wish to lose the support of the tea parties — otherwise known as the Republican base — then by all means, pursue earmarks.

Pete Smith, Cypress