A recurring political debate is whether California is a “donor” state as opposed to what some call a “receiver” state. The argument is that high-tax states, which tend to vote Democratic, pay more in federal taxes than they get back in federal government spending. Progressives argue that states like California and New York are “subsidizing” Republican states, which have lower tax burdens. No one whines more about how California is somehow being shortchanged relative to conservative states than our own governor, Gavin Newsom. For example, in June, his press office sent out a release claiming that “. . . California...