Rep. Hinson’s alternative facts miss the mark

The Sunday Gazette published an article concerning earmark spending. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said she is "fighting for investments that Iowa needs or allowing Speaker Pelosi to send this money to projects in San Francisco" Hinson also was quoted " Coastal elites don't need any more of Iowa's taxpayer dollars," she said. I wasn't going to allow this money to go to California instead of being invested in Iowa"

The state of California is one of 11 states which subsidizes federal spending in Iowa. Iowa is one of 39 states that takes more than it gives. For example, California's balance of payments is minus $13.7 billion. This means Californians residents get less in return than what they pay. However, Iowa has a balance of payments of $2.5 billion more in federal services than what Iowans pay in taxes.

The difference per capita means, in California, each resident is sending in $348 more than they get back. In Iowa, each resident is receiving $797 more back in federal services than they pay in taxes. These numbers can easily verified by reading Insider Magazine. Insider is a non partisan business and financial magazine.

I would like to think if California was not subsidizing states like Iowa we could better use the money to take care of the homeless and lower our state taxes

Ken Wetjen

Cathedral City, Calif.