▁project . ▁ ▁Scott ▁Fr isch ▁and ▁Se an ▁Kelly ▁point ▁out ▁that ▁direct ing ▁money ▁to ▁particular ▁purposes ▁is ▁a ▁core ▁constitution al ▁function ▁of ▁Congress . ▁If ▁Congress ▁does ▁not ▁make ▁a ▁specific ▁allocation , ▁the ▁task ▁falls ▁to ▁the ▁executive ▁branch . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁guarantee ▁that ▁the ▁allocation ▁made ▁by ▁executive ▁ag encies ▁will ▁be ▁superior ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁Congress . ▁Pres idents ▁and ▁executive ▁officials ▁can ▁use ▁the ▁allocation ▁of ▁sp ending ▁to ▁reward ▁friends ▁and ▁pun ish ▁enemies . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁those ▁who ▁op ine ▁that ▁" ear marks ▁are ▁good " ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁more ▁dem ocr atic ▁and ▁less ▁b ureau cr atic ▁than ▁traditional ▁appropri ation ▁sp ending , ▁which ▁generally ▁is ▁not ▁tail ored ▁to ▁specific ▁projects . ▁ ▁In ▁popular ▁culture ▁The ▁Gra v ina ▁Island ▁Bridge , ▁popular ly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" B ridge ▁to ▁Now here ", ▁has ▁become ▁sh orth and ▁for ▁f riv ol ous ▁ear marks . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁it ▁was ▁proposed ▁that ▁a ▁for - pro fit ▁prison ▁corpor ation , ▁Corn ell ▁Cor re ctions , ▁build ▁a ▁prison ▁on ▁the ▁island . ▁To ▁connect ▁the ▁island ▁with ▁K etch ikan , ▁it ▁was ▁originally ▁planned ▁that ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁spend ▁$ 1 7 5 ▁million ▁on ▁building ▁a ▁bridge ▁to ▁the ▁island , ▁and ▁another ▁$ 7 5 ▁million ▁to ▁connect ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁power ▁grid ▁with ▁an ▁elect rical ▁inter t ie . ▁The ▁K