That's not so bad. NASA programs should have an economic impact throughout the USA. NASA was deliberately used to get some economic industry going in the South. True, placing the Johnson Space Center in Texas raised some eyebrows, Texas having nothing to do with the space program at the time except the famous space pioneer LBJ.
Personally, I'd say it had less to do with economic development in the South and more to do with locating it on property owned by the Vice President Johnson's family. The Johnson's made a lot of money... It would have been much more feasible and cost effective to the taxpayers if they chose to locate Mission Control/Astronaut training in Cape Canaveral area, close to the launch site. Don't you think??? At the time, Florida had very little industry, outside of the citrus business.