USA Today Shows How to Lie with Statistics; Claims Public Employee Pay is Higher than Private Sector

[marmar]

from AlterNet:



USA Today Shows How to Lie with Statistics; Claims Public Employee Pay is Higher than in Private Sector


Forget about whether you're liberal or conservative, pro-union or anti. A simple question: in either the public or the private sector, would you not expect a college grad who has worked his or her job for 4 years to be paid significantly more than someone with a high school diploma who's had his or her gig for 2 years?

And if the college grad were in fact paid more, would that be unfair somehow? Would it be cause for jealousy and resentment? Apparently, USA Today thinks so.

The tabloid lies with statistics through the first 7 paragraphs of this 8-paragraph "analysis." Here's the lede:

Wisconsin is one of 41 states where public employees earn higher average pay and benefits than private workers in the same state, a USA TODAY analysis finds. Still, the compensation of Wisconsin's government workers ranks below the national average for public employees and has increased only slightly since 2000.

.....(snip).....

That's right, their analysis just compared average wages, and didn't adjust for different job requirements, age, education or experience. It's not misleading, it's entirely meaningless. Unless, of course, you think that high school grad with less experience should be paid the same. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/509151/usa_today_shows_how_to_lie_with_statistics%3B_claims_public_employee_pay_is_higher_than_in_private_sector/

[nebenaube]

1. WE NEED TO WITHDRAW ANY OFFER OF CONCESSION:

http://kristenemery.com/2011/02/23/does-governor-scott-walker-have-a-smoking-gun-buried-in-the-budget-bill/

[drm604]

4. You should start a thread on that article. n/t

[nebenaube]

5. See the Wisconsin forum... n/t

[drm604]

6. How many people go to the Wisconsin forum.

That's an important article. Maybe it should be in general discussion.

[LeftinOH]

2. USA Today.. filling hotel trash cans and airport seat-backs since 1982. n/t

[marmar]

3. No doubt. They left one at the door at my hotel room in Chicago.....

..... I checked out the sports section and sat the ice bucket on the rest of it.

[Johonny]

7. but that pie chart's got color

it must be a great paper!

[alp227]

8. FAIR Action Alert

Notes that the analysis "did not adjust for specific jobs, age, education or experience."

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4254

USA Today=Fox News in print

[hfojvt]

9. except it is not a lie

To me, it is the adjusters who are playing games. They look at a $50,000 a year person and a $20,000 a year person and then find some way to manipulate the statistics so it can appear that the $50,000 a year person really isn't making more money than the $20,000 a year person.

"See, if you do this and that and look at this and that, then $50,000 isn't really more than $20,000".

Okay, whatever.

Looking at experience does not make things even in my view. People who get good jobs always have more experience because they stick with their good jobs. In less than a month, I will be 49, and what is my experience?

12 years as a janitor, 10 of them only part-time
3 years as a factory temp
3 years as a part-time college instructor
2 years as a factory worker
1 year as a 'mathematician'

Not a lot to show for 26 years of post college employment. In fact, I don't even know where the other five years went. I also have 8 years as a business owner, but that was along with some of the other jobs, so I don't want to double count it.

Now, suppose I had stayed in math education, graduated and gotten a teaching job. Then I would have 26 years experience, or, in other words, 26 years of working a good paying job. In the eyes of Alternet, my good fortune in the job market means, somehow, that I DESERVE higher pay than those who have not been so fortunate.

Well, isn't that a fun argument for the fortunate sons?

Put me down for a no-sale. I am not buying it.