>>>Let's say your neighbor has a canalization problem. Sometimes there are pieces of your garden under water. Why not give him a few hundred bucks to specifically fix this ?
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>>And then if you make a condition that he changes the type of music he plays on his stereo (that you actually don't hear, he's not playing it too loud) from classical to country & western, and then blame him for refusing the money.
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>So then you still have water in the garden, don't hear classical and have the money in your pocket. And who is really listening to people about somebody refusing money and / or politicians ?

And you get to write to your local newspaper about your neigbor and what an ungrateful brat he is, and you can feel oh so righteous all day. Even enjoy a few pleasant minutes in front of a mirror, congratulating yourself for wanting to do the right thing. And that water isn't actually so much of a problem - you get only a bit of it, and his yard is regularly swamped.