LETTERS: STATISTICS MISLEAD ABOUT STATE'S SERVICES

To the editor:

Columnist Jack Stapleton must belly up to the trough of state services a lot more than I do. He contends that we receive much more from the state than we pay for.

For one thing, he claims that states receive lots of money from the federal government. Does he believe there is a federal money fairy that just creates extra money for the states? No, that money comes out of our pockets just the same as the money the state receives directly.

Mark Twain once said that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics. Stapleton may be innocent of the first two, but he sure makes up for it by his overuse of the third.

Let's get real. I and most Missourians don't get back full measure for the money we put in. Just because we don't pay for something directly doesn't mean we don't pay for it at all.

STEVE MOYER

Nevada, Mo.