US politicians at all levels spend an amazing amount of money on pet projects that are ultimately little more than kickbacks to the donors who helped them get e

US politicians at all levels spend an amazing amount of money on pet projects that are ultimately little more than kickbacks to the donors who helped them get elected. These projects are commonly called "Pork Barrel" projects and widely known about by US citizens and the media. In the meantime the US government runs huge deficits to fund such projects, and the end result is that we now have entire states looking for ways to avoid bankruptcy. Incidentally, several large cities in California have already filed for bankruptcy protection including Stockton and San Bernardino. The hall of government waste, fraud and abuse in the US goes on and on; I was surprised it didn't tend further toward the corrupt side of the map. In some cases we might wonder if we are viewing sheer incompetence or wanton political corruption, but just as the end results are the same in either case, so are the perceptions.