This week The Gazette editorial board, fact check team ran an opinion piece fact check on an Op-Ed jointly signed by Governor Reynolds, Speaker Grassley, and Majority Leader Whitver, highlighting the commitment of Iowa Republicans to consistent and stable increases in K-12 education funding.
If you missed the Op-Ed, you can read it here.
The Gazette gave the op-ed a B. Nothing wrong with a B, but why not an A? A’s are better. Did they exaggerate, were some of their numbers inaccurate? Are the assertions untrue? No, no, and no.
Nope, they stipulate:
Supplemental state funding to districts has increased $1 billion over the past decade, starting at $2.4 billion in fiscal 2011 and reaching $3.4 billion in fiscal 2021, according to the document.
They grade this claim down because the figures were not adjusted for inflation. Did the piece assert it was adjusted for inflation? No. It simply claimed funding increased $1billion. That claim is 100% true.
Let’s jump down to evaluated claim #3.
We understand The Gazette was provided documentation verifying the amount but chose instead to jump to the conclusion that because there were no footnotes and reference section at the end, this was a disingenuous attempt to convince Iowans the GOP cares about Education spending and has made it a priority for many years. (SPOILER – they do and have)
It’s like we live in Orwell’s 1984. Words are irrelevant, and the only truth is what our gracious overlords at the Gazette tell us it is. Praise be to you, Leader Mr. Kucharski!
To be clear, the facts as they were presented are clear and accurate, but because the editorial board (sorry, did it again) fact check team didn’t like the facts, they decided to give something totally accurate a B. No wonder people are voting on Iowa newspapers with their wallets.
Iowa Field Report rates the Op-Ed by Governor Reynolds, Speaker Grassley, and Majority Leader Whitver as FACT.
