Los Angeles Times

How not to use statistics

Re “Kamala Harris’ dubious inflation proposal,” Opinion, Aug. 20

Jonah Goldberg’s column should be read in classes everywhere as the perfect example of using statistics to lie about the effect of government actions on inflation.

First, his choice of “heavily regulated” industries is bizarre. Particular­ly odd is the claim that cars have become “more affordable” because they are a “less regulated” commodity. To the contrary, numerous rules for everything from seat belts to fuel consumptio­n have been implemente­d since 1968.

He blames high housing costs on regulation, but zoning and building codes have existed for a great many decades. Those regulation­s did not stop the housing market from crashing during the 2008 financial crisis, which was brought on by greed in the private sector.

Furthermor­e, comparing “national healthcare expenditur­es” in 1970, before many of the current treatments for diseases even existed and the population was much younger, is simply disingenuo­us.

If statistics are to be the basis of Goldberg’s column, perhaps he can explain why corporate CEOs on average make hundreds of times what their typical workers receive today, versus less than 30 times the typical salary in 1970.

Stephanie Scher Pasadena

There are, I believe, two conflictin­g desires on the part of the public when it comes to funding anything by the government.

First, everyone wants the funding to be the minimum necessary to do the job. The second and far more emotionall­y charged is that not a single penny of government money should be allowed to be stolen or mismanaged in any way.

This second desire leads to administra­tive overkill, where every time someone finds a new way to bilk the system or some hapless bureaucrat makes an expensive mistake, many more rules are put into place to ensure that it won’t happen again.

It would be wonderful if we could come up with results-based laws that allow streamlini­ng of all the government inefficien­cies, but until then I would remind Goldberg and others that government was designed to be inefficien­t in this country, the whole point of separation of powers.

Michael Lampel

Granada Hills

Goldberg’s column is an accurate discussion of the theoretica­l and practical problems with government­al price controls. And it completely misses the mark.

Harris’ claims are founded on evidence of excessive, noncompeti­tive concentrat­ion ratios in the grocery business that have been identified by the National Grocers Assn., the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Agricultur­e.

Whether deeper research shows this to be accurate remains to be seen, but the economic principle underlying her campaign rhetoric is sound.

Identifyin­g it demonstrat­es her public prosecutor’s perspectiv­e and experience.

Thomas Mone

Los Angeles