Believe me, it happens in the US, by hook or by crook. I was a partner in a large residential development. There were countless ways that government gets what i

Believe me, it happens in the US, by hook or by crook. I was a partner in a large residential development. There were countless ways that government gets what it wants from the developers. For example, we had a commitment for a water line to the development from the water control district. Only later after buying the land, the politics had changed and we found that yes they would bring water to the project only not in our lifetime. We would have to pay for the water lines ourselves if we wanted them. Over the years as the development grew (hundreds of residential lots) we went to the city council to request a left turn lane for the entrance. They would let us pay to put one in, but only if we planted wildflowers along the city's highways. There seems to be constant sleazy negotiation required for any development one does. The local governments have monopoly control over the process, and they force developers to pay up.