This in response to a recent letter to the Topeka Capital-Journal: 

Mr. Gene Wolfe took a very narrow view of his own when he recently accused Americans for Prosperity of being "short-sighted" when it comes to wasteful GOP spending. In fact, so narrow was his view that he neglected to mention some very important facts, including AFP's two-year-long track record of opposing the oftentimes sneaky and unaccountable practice of earmarking federal tax dollars.  

While Mr. Wolfe claimed in his letter that AFP has been "strangely silent" on rampant Republican spending, like the infamous Alaska "bridge to nowhere," nothing could be further from the truth. Had Mr. Wolfe conducted a simple Google search, he would have, helping make the term "earmark" a household word and created fertile ground for meaningful earmark reforms.  

Earmarking is clearly a bi-partisan problem and taxpayers should urge all lawmakers, regardless of party affiliation, to curb wasteful earmarking and support reforms.  

Mr. Wolfe's other accusations are also off-base. AFP does oppose unnecessary tax hikes and out-of-control government spending, but we are strong supporters of good-government initiatives. AFP was instrumental in passing the bi-partisan Federal Funding Transparency and Accountability Act sponsored by Republican Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn and Democratic Illinois Senator Barack Obama.  

If Mr. Wolfe thinks those who support placing commonsense limits on government growth are "greedy," he might consider voting with his feet. I suspect most Kansas families would support the notion that government should run its finances more like they manage their household budgets. 

Alan Cobb

State Director, Americans for Prosperity-Kansas