Category Archives: The Issues

Consider, Municipal

Statistic – meaningful or empty of meaning?

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One of our city councilors sent an email asking the source of the statement that Abbotsford has the highest per capital median income. The coucilor cited a chart: Median total income, by family type, by census metropolitan area (All census families) showing Abbotsford ranking well below number one. I asked if going with a family chart when the donations were on an individual basis was proper.

I also acknowledged that due to my current homelessness I do not have access to my computer and the files on it, further my written files and notes are in storage with the computer. All I have is a workbook full of interesting data points. I do know that the data I was working with originally was in a much more “raw” or detailed format/state, but lacking access to my files I cannot quantify matters at this time.

Recognize that the experience of being homeless is one of the reasons I have serious questions about the generousity in this City. It is also why actions, not words or wasting time in self congratulations, is a priority from my point of view

Checking later I found the councilor had sent an email with a chart of individual median incomes. In reviewing the data in the chart sent to me by the councilor I was struck by all the qualifiers and quantifiers applied to arrive at the data in the form it was presented in the chart. In thinking about this list and its qualifiers and quantifiers I decide my pool ponderings had a large degree of truth to them.

I had gone to the pool after the original exchange of emails. The way my mind works it was unable not to ponder the questions raised by the councilor and the concepts of donations, median, individual income etc (and don’t you wish our politicians and leaders also could not avoid spending time thinking about questions raised and related questions/ideas?). For instance median means middle. You stack all the donations up and the one that is in the middle is the median. Many people confuse average with median. Which had me asking why are they using median instead of average? I spent all 2000 meters, showering and dressing contemplating the question of the meaning of the median donation and what it signified.

What does the median imcome of a population have to do with the median donations? The median donation is decided only using the donations themselves. Does it not follow that in determining a median income level we should only be considering the median incomes of those who gave donations? What about the question of how many donors were included in determing the median donation? There are very different implications if median of one is composed of 5 donors and the other of 5,000 donors. Can you compare Abbotsford with a 2006 census population of 123, 864 to Toronto with a 2006 census population of 2,503,281?

So at 1:30 AM as I mull over all these and the other thoughts/questions I am left wondering about what if anything this idea of median donations tells us or if it has any meaning at all. I can think of many other measures I would want to know in determining the most generous city in Canada. I am left with the conclusion that median donation is pretty much a null value point, meaningless other than giving the city of Abbotsford bragging rights and city politicians another excuse to hide behind in regards to taking no action on social issues such as poverty, homelessness and affordable housing.

What a statistic really means, or if it really has any meaning at all needs careful thought. It is why I recommend “How to Lie with Statistics”, Darrell Huff’s perennially best-selling introduction to statistics for the general reader.

I wiah to underscore my original assertion that this median donation number does not reflect the reality on the streets of Abbotsford where more families, children and seniors depend on charitable organizations and people for food, clothing and other necessities, where the streets become home to increasing numbers of homeless daily and adults, children and seniors go to sleep each night hungry.

If in fact Abbotsford is the most generous city in the country where do all the dollars go? Because being homeless and looking around Abbotsford it is clear the dollars are not going to help neighbours in need of help and other worthy causes.

Municipal

Should not a Greenway be green?

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Ok I admit it fits within the dictionary definition of “any scenic trail or route” but I still do not see how you can call an asphalt path a greenway even if you cleverly label the asphalt as “all-weather surface”.

Should not a greenway be somewhere you can get away from the asphalt jungle of the city to at least the illusion of nature?

I came across a big colourful poster singing the city’s praises last night for the new greenway and found myself wondering if a greenway should not involve more green and natural surface than asphalt?

I am reasonably sure that the purpose of the provincial grant was to make the greenway as green and nature friendly as possible. Not for the city to slap down some asphalt to do it as cheaply as possible so that leftover monies could go to feed City Hall’s voracious appetite for taxpayer dollars to waste on such things as nice big colourful posters telling citizens how wonderful the city’s actions are.

Or the next thing you know we will have a massive advertising campaign selling us the wonders of City Hall’s really big greenway – South Fraser Way.

Municipal

Unmatched Generousity? To Whom?

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Before somebody hurts themselves engaging in self-congratulatory back patting based on unfounded conclusions leapt to, let’s take a moment to question, analyze or think about what having the highest median donations really means.

Abbotsford has the highest median income; it follows that Abbotsford should have the highest median level of donation. All this bragging about an outcome one would expect. Now if Abbotsford had the lowest median income and had the highest median donations we would have something to be proud of.

What a statistic really means needs careful thought, not jumping to a false conclusion. I recommend “How to Lie with Statistics”, Darrell Huff’s perennially best-selling introduction to statistics for the general reader. Thoughts of voters and citizens being familiar with this book strikes fear into the hearts of politicians and other so-called leaders.

So before losing ourselves in pompous expressions of uncritical satisfaction with ourselves, let us examine the claims made: oft quoted MP Ed Fast last year gasconaded: “We share our blessings with those who need our help, we support our neighbours and we give to worthy causes.” What is the reality on the streets of Abbotsford?

Demand on the Abbotsford Food Bank is climbing with increasing numbers of women, children and seniors depending on the Food Bank to eat. More families, children and seniors depend on other charitable organizations and people for food, clothing and other necessities. The streets of Abbotsford become home to increasing numbers of homeless daily. Adults, children and seniors go to sleep each night hungry.

Raising the question: exactly how do they define “donation”, where are all these dollars going and who actually benefits from all the money raised? Look around Abbotsford and you will see it certainly is not “those who need our help … our neighbours and … worthy causes.” Just where and to whom does all this money go and what is it used for?