It almost seems to me that congress should either fully fund projects or not fund them at all. When they do this partial funding... well, wait. Let me rephrase.

I've been close to two federally-funded projects in which half or less than the amount requested from federal sources was granted. Both of the agencies in question were then put in the position of having to decide whether to forge ahead or drop the project altogether. Sometimes there are time limits associated with those funds - "Pull this off within 12 months or risk having Uncle Sam take the money back." If the organization hasn't secured funding for the rest of the project, they simply can't proceed. The congressman still gets to brag that he got funding for his state, even if the project doesn't happen.

I can't fault anyone for asking for federal funding for their town or their state. It's there, it's a competitive process, and you might as well compete for it with everyone else. The positive side of things is that regions of the country that don't have the local tax base to pull off some speical projects have a shot at the pot. The negative side is that the way to bend the ear of a congressman is through a lobbyist, and if you don't have a high-powered, expensive one, you aren't as likely to be on their radar.