{"id":231,"date":"2008-02-02T11:25:00","date_gmt":"2008-02-02T18:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jameswbreckenridge.ca\/breckenridge\/?p=231"},"modified":"2008-10-25T05:26:07","modified_gmt":"2008-10-25T12:26:07","slug":"231","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jameswbreckenridge.ca\/?p=231","title":{"rendered":"Lies, damned lies and statistics."},"content":{"rendered":"

Mr. Redekop certainly provided an interesting piece of evidence about the fact statistics can mislead without an understanding of the context of the statistics. His letter, with its blatant attempt to beguile the reader and obfuscate the underlying implications and reality of the income numbers, clearly demonstrates that without context statistics and numbers are meaningless.<\/span><\/p>\n

Citing figures \u201d\u2026not totally accurate but close enough\u201d; comparing apples and oranges (the underlying economic realities of \u201csome decades ago and of today); <\/span>then choosing what incomes to include in the \u201cstatistics\u201d in a manner guaranteed to generate the desired \u201cproof\u201d as to the high level of income in Abbotsford; Mr. Redekop\u2019s argument would appear to have no other purpose than to \u201cmassage\u201d the numbers into the form and level he wants them to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Mr. Redekop feels it necessary to be an apologist for those whose ideology requires the level of income in Abbotsford to be high and thus deny the true levels of poverty and economic hardship in the city I do not know. Perhaps denying the unacceptable, and rising, levels of poverty and economic hardship allows Ideologues to continue to turn a blind eye to the reality of life for our most vulnerable citizens. In not seeing, or at least refusing to acknowledge, the levels of suffering they can continue to live in denial of any need to redress this unfairness and pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

I always recommend <\/span>\u201cHow to Lie with Statistics\u201d, Darrell Huff\u2019s perennially best-selling introduction to statistics for the general reader to people.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the reasons I did not join Mr. Chapman, Judith Isaaks Sol et al and \u201cpile on\u201d Mr. Dimanno for his mathematical slip, was that without the detailed underlying data I could not definitely conclude any of his or their statements were wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Dimanno may well have misstated what he meant to say, but his underlying point about the extreme folly and blindness of the economist\u2019s statements contrasted with the realities of life for the poor was valid. <\/span><\/p>\n

I would like to draw reader\u2019s attention to the important second half off Mr. Chapman January 18th<\/sup> letter citing the BC dieticians 2007 cost of eating report contrasted with the giving provincial government grants to those who own million dollar homes. I would like the reader to further consider this \u201c\u2019aid\u2019 to the property wealthy (within government ideology) with the failure to adequately deliver needed support, services or aid the homeless (outside government ideology).<\/span><\/p>\n

I leave you with one interesting statistic from the Cost of Eating in BC 2007. Paying for shelter plus food to meet the minimum <\/span>Canada<\/span> food guide levels (nothing else just food and shelter) requires that some pay 107% of their income. <\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps Mr. Campbell, his fellow ideologues and apologists would care to enlighten us as to how one spends 107% of your income. Assuming one is not a politician, ideologue, apologist or economist.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mr. Redekop certainly provided an interesting piece of evidence about the fact statistics can mislead without an understanding of the context of the statistics. His letter, with its blatant attempt to beguile the reader and obfuscate the underlying implications and reality of the income numbers, clearly demonstrates that without context statistics and numbers are meaningless. Citing figures \u201d\u2026not totally accurate but close enough\u201d; comparing apples and oranges (the underlying economic realities of \u201csome decades ago and of today); then choosing what incomes to include in the \u201cstatistics\u201d in a manner guaranteed to generate the desired \u201cproof\u201d as to the high level of income in Abbotsford; Mr. Redekop\u2019s argument would appear to have no other purpose than to \u201cmassage\u201d the numbers into the form and level he wants them to be. Why Mr. Redekop feels it necessary to be an apologist for those whose ideology requires the level of income in Abbotsford to be high and thus deny the true levels of poverty and economic hardship in the city I do not know. Perhaps denying the unacceptable, and rising, levels of poverty and economic hardship allows Ideologues to continue to turn a blind eye to the reality of life for our most vulnerable citizens. In not seeing, or at least refusing to acknowledge, the levels of suffering they can continue to live in denial of any need to redress this unfairness and pain. I always recommend \u201cHow to Lie with Statistics\u201d, Darrell Huff\u2019s perennially best-selling introduction to statistics for the general reader to people. One of the reasons I did not join Mr. Chapman, Judith Isaaks Sol et al and \u201cpile on\u201d Mr. Dimanno for his mathematical slip, was that without the detailed underlying data I could not definitely conclude any of his or their statements were wrong. Mr. Dimanno may well have misstated what he meant to say, but his underlying point about the extreme folly and blindness of the economist\u2019s statements contrasted with the realities of life for the poor was valid. I would like to draw reader\u2019s attention to the important second half off Mr. Chapman January 18th letter citing the BC dieticians 2007 cost of eating report contrasted with the giving provincial government grants to those who own million dollar homes. I would like the reader to further consider this \u201c\u2019aid\u2019 to the property wealthy (within government ideology) with the failure to adequately deliver needed support, services or aid the homeless (outside government ideology). I leave you with one interesting statistic from the Cost of Eating in BC 2007. Paying for shelter plus food to meet the minimum Canada food guide levels (nothing else just food and shelter) requires that some pay 107% of their income. Perhaps Mr. Campbell, his fellow ideologues and apologists would care to enlighten us as to how one spends 107% of your income. Assuming one is not a politician, ideologue, apologist or economist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-municipal"],"yoast_head":"\nLies, damned lies and statistics. - James W. Breckenridge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jameswbreckenridge.ca\/?p=231\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lies, damned lies and statistics. - James W. Breckenridge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mr. Redekop certainly provided an interesting piece of evidence about the fact statistics can mislead without an understanding of the context of the statistics. His letter, with its blatant attempt to beguile the reader and obfuscate the underlying implications and reality of the income numbers, clearly demonstrates that without context statistics and numbers are meaningless. Citing figures \u201d\u2026not totally accurate but close enough\u201d; comparing apples and oranges (the underlying economic realities of \u201csome decades ago and of today); then choosing what incomes to include in the \u201cstatistics\u201d in a manner guaranteed to generate the desired \u201cproof\u201d as to the high level of income in Abbotsford; Mr. Redekop\u2019s argument would appear to have no other purpose than to \u201cmassage\u201d the numbers into the form and level he wants them to be. Why Mr. Redekop feels it necessary to be an apologist for those whose ideology requires the level of income in Abbotsford to be high and thus deny the true levels of poverty and economic hardship in the city I do not know. Perhaps denying the unacceptable, and rising, levels of poverty and economic hardship allows Ideologues to continue to turn a blind eye to the reality of life for our most vulnerable citizens. In not seeing, or at least refusing to acknowledge, the levels of suffering they can continue to live in denial of any need to redress this unfairness and pain. I always recommend \u201cHow to Lie with Statistics\u201d, Darrell Huff\u2019s perennially best-selling introduction to statistics for the general reader to people. One of the reasons I did not join Mr. Chapman, Judith Isaaks Sol et al and \u201cpile on\u201d Mr. Dimanno for his mathematical slip, was that without the detailed underlying data I could not definitely conclude any of his or their statements were wrong. Mr. Dimanno may well have misstated what he meant to say, but his underlying point about the extreme folly and blindness of the economist\u2019s statements contrasted with the realities of life for the poor was valid. I would like to draw reader\u2019s attention to the important second half off Mr. Chapman January 18th letter citing the BC dieticians 2007 cost of eating report contrasted with the giving provincial government grants to those who own million dollar homes. I would like the reader to further consider this \u201c\u2019aid\u2019 to the property wealthy (within government ideology) with the failure to adequately deliver needed support, services or aid the homeless (outside government ideology). I leave you with one interesting statistic from the Cost of Eating in BC 2007. Paying for shelter plus food to meet the minimum Canada food guide levels (nothing else just food and shelter) requires that some pay 107% of their income. Perhaps Mr. Campbell, his fellow ideologues and apologists would care to enlighten us as to how one spends 107% of your income. Assuming one is not a politician, ideologue, apologist or economist.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jameswbreckenridge.ca\/?p=231\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"James W. Breckenridge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2008-02-02T18:25:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2008-10-25T12:26:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"James W. Breckenridge\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"James W. 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In not seeing, or at least refusing to acknowledge, the levels of suffering they can continue to live in denial of any need to redress this unfairness and pain. I always recommend \u201cHow to Lie with Statistics\u201d, Darrell Huff\u2019s perennially best-selling introduction to statistics for the general reader to people. One of the reasons I did not join Mr. Chapman, Judith Isaaks Sol et al and \u201cpile on\u201d Mr. Dimanno for his mathematical slip, was that without the detailed underlying data I could not definitely conclude any of his or their statements were wrong. Mr. Dimanno may well have misstated what he meant to say, but his underlying point about the extreme folly and blindness of the economist\u2019s statements contrasted with the realities of life for the poor was valid. I would like to draw reader\u2019s attention to the important second half off Mr. Chapman January 18th letter citing the BC dieticians 2007 cost of eating report contrasted with the giving provincial government grants to those who own million dollar homes. I would like the reader to further consider this \u201c\u2019aid\u2019 to the property wealthy (within government ideology) with the failure to adequately deliver needed support, services or aid the homeless (outside government ideology). I leave you with one interesting statistic from the Cost of Eating in BC 2007. Paying for shelter plus food to meet the minimum Canada food guide levels (nothing else just food and shelter) requires that some pay 107% of their income. Perhaps Mr. Campbell, his fellow ideologues and apologists would care to enlighten us as to how one spends 107% of your income. 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