[PirateDave]

This reminds me of an anecdote that a Marine officer once told me.

He said that when the Air Force builds a new base, they're given a certain budget and they build every part of the base, gym, mess hall, rec facilities e.t.c. and use the entirety of the budget to make the base nice and comfortable for the airmen that are stationed there. Then, when the base is almost completed, and over schedule, the party in charge asks for more money, and more time because they still need to build the most important part of the base, the flight-line.

I know this is most likely an embellishment, but being involved with government work in the past, it doesn't sound far off from the truth and felt it fit nicely in this situation.

[plonh]

Interestingly, this is the similar to how municipal services are funding. Authorities build out the police and internal government pork, and then cut the parks and schools projects and go to the pulic for tax increases.