ACORN

[Jester]

It's not that the states are asking for special consideration, these are deals made between the congress person and some special public or private interest. Often, these pork projects are "thank you" gifts to important constituents who helped the congress person get elected in the first place. They just slip in an amendment on an unrelated bill, to fund some project in their home state.

I'm not sure what you mean by "it's not the states", but it clearly is at least a large slice of not only the "special interests" in the states, but the voters and the politicians as well. Public largesse brings in money, and a great many people vote for their politicians by their ability to bring home the bacon. The politicians want the money for a wealth of reasons, including the ones you cited. It builds their popularity and their empire of connections and favours, increasing their shot at reelection, not to mention their shot at a nice job when they retire.

So, when you say "it's not the states", who do you mean it isn't? Because if it's the voters, the interested organizations, and the politicians, that's pretty much everyone.

-Jester