Dear Editor-

It was reported during a recent House Appropriations subcommittee hearing that "some members of Congress cite the SEC's failure to stop (Bernard) Madoff as one in a series of reasons to think twice before trusting the agency with more money" (Economy & Business Madoff case haunts SEC as panel weighs budget March 7). This is one whole humdinging howler considering how Congress reacted to our intelligence branches after the pure incompetence of their total mission failure on September 11, 2001. These agencies were immediately rewarded with expansion and generous budget increases that grow to this day appear to continuously balloon. The Congressional skepticism for a funding increase to the SEC seems entirely reasonable considering the circumstances. You just wish that our government was consistent in its handling of our various public agencies.