The mindset there (and even here in Indianapolis in some respects) seems “Everyone else gets their government money, where’s ours?”. In 2006 Eric Dickerson campaigned against the late Julia Carson and one of his talking points was why hasn’t Julia Carson brought home more federal money than she had. “Bringing home the bacon” so to speak.

But your larger point is the most valid–the fact that we have an allocation that would allow that could be redirected to city mass transportation is the real problem.

I always liked Sodrel, largely for his support of The FairTax but a big list of his earmark pork is not really what I’d be promoting. I suppose it could play well to The People’s Republic though.

I say all of this, of course, understanding that the earmark process involves allocating funds that have already been approved instead of letting the executive branch have all the fun. I argue that they should just cut the $18 to $30 billion out of the budget and quit earmarking.

My view is that there have been earmarks for decades. Ideally, I think they should all be eliminated, with the exception of ones dedicated to things like national security, and they should get a full vote in the House and Senate.

But if the money is there and it’s going to be spent, then I have no problem with a member of Congress trying to get some help for his district. Sodrel was doing what he could to help Monroe County generally and Indiana University specifically. For that, he should be praised, which is why I wrote the letter.