A GOP Congress and a just re-elected Republican President didn't need California's help and they're not going to do a Democratic state any special favors. Any money that's left is going to go to rewarding the heartland. Its called helping your friends and punishing your enemies. DUH.
>> "We want to get more of that money back...."
I have to wonder why so much of the money is gleefully sent to Washington in the first place. If each state were to receive its "equitable" share back, they couldn't expect to receive even 75 cents on the dollar. Every dollar that goes to Washington gets handling costs stripped out of it before anything else happens to it -- the agency receiving the funds has to pay some clerks to open the mail, just for starters. Then there's the office rent, the office furnishings, office supplies, staff, and etc. -- and we haven't even mentioned the government program yet that this is supposed to fund. It is only the fractional remainder of each of those dollars that is then available for redistribution back to the states. Think how much highway could be built with the dollars that go to fund just the federal highway administration.
>>...allowed California to push back for at least one year a $220 million penalty due because of how the state keeps track of child support payments.
So, the state was penalized $220 million for not doing the job right. Now, California gets to delay payment of that penalty (deferring yet more state expenses into the future), and this is considered as getting more federal money???
Man-oh-man, and they said "new math" was convoluted!