Is there a bitter phrase that signals pejorative connotations when talking about grants distribution? Unfortunately, grants system is not perfect and can be abused by irresponsible people who suck-up to a system.
In Russia we have "sawing grants" idiom. Are there analogous expression in English?
In English, there's the idiom gravy train: a way of making money quickly, easily, and often dishonestly.
The Russian idiom "to saw grants" ("пилить гранты") can be roughly reflected by the phrase to ride (be on) a gravy train:
The public should know which senators are on the corporate gravy train.
It does not exactly reflect the meaning of the Russian idiom, in which officials "saw off" a bit of state budget (БЮДЖЕТ) to themselves, though.
