[SittinYonder]

They were so worried about having all the excess money around attracting thieves and other politicians that they became desperate for ways to spend it.

This sounds like the beginning of a problem ...

[RightWhale]

It was. The problem became acute about 1824 and the Parties divided on whether to spend it on internal improvements. That debate continues and the two major Parties we have now are pretty hard to tell apart on this issue. On one side the Bridge to Nowhere, hardly a fresh issue, and NASA are equally abhorrent, on the other side these promote commerce--the very soul of the country.