tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9450543.post5865909433565761775..comments2023-10-31T10:50:08.358-04:00Comments on Bulworth: George Will Practices a Little Slight of HandBulworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506195561153519897noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9450543.post-8228222805808439782010-03-24T14:38:51.754-04:002010-03-24T14:38:51.754-04:00(I realize this comment is 2.5 years after the fac...(I realize this comment is 2.5 years after the fact)<br /><br />Two observations: Two errors. One grammatical; one numerical.<br />(1) “Sleight”, not “slight”! Wrong homophone.<br />(2) No need to go into all the statistics and data. Apparently innumerate, Mr. Will has confused “median” with “mean”. The median is the middle number of an arranged sequence of numbers (as many larger as smaller); the mean is the average of a group of numbers. Given the USA’s income disparity between an executive’s “compensation” and most working peoples’ “salaries”, this distinction becomes important. For example: a financial manager makes $300000; a teacher (with a Master’s and years), $61,950; a rookie policeman, $48,201; an auto mechanic, $25000; a waitperson, $20000. The median of those salaries is the policeman’s $48K; but the mean (the total/5) is $91,030. So the teacher is above the median, but one-third below the mean. All four need help.Old Nassau '67https://www.blogger.com/profile/01778796376783185417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9450543.post-35574542746460167552007-10-26T15:18:00.000-04:002007-10-26T15:18:00.000-04:00And here continueth the lesson...http://www.census...And here continueth the lesson...<BR/><BR/>http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/p60-233.pdf<BR/><BR/>That's the link to the report where Will got the 48,201 figure. That figure is the average of ALL households. The same chart shows that median household income for *nonfamily* households is only 29K, and the median household for "married couple households" (the closest thing the census has to "family of four") at $70K. And the $70K figure that corresponds to the $62K SCHIP cap for the family of four.<BR/><BR/>So now, an SCHIP cap of $62K doesn't seem as ludicrous. <BR/><BR/>Will was including "non-family households" to make his point seem stronger. "Non-family" means NO KIDS, and this is legislation about health insurance for kids.<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, the average cost of health insurance premium for a family of four has gone up 78% since 2001--to over $12,000 in 2006--while wages only rose 19%.<BR/><BR/>Will says households making more than that "median" $48K should be able to pay for their own health insurance. But, after paying for health insurance, that would mean raising a family of four on (pre-tax) income of... $36,000. <BR/><BR/>In conclusion, the U.S. desperately needs single-payer health care.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9450543.post-16573471865024994412007-10-18T17:02:00.000-04:002007-10-18T17:02:00.000-04:00fine #s bulworth!keeping g.will and all others hon...fine #s bulworth!<BR/><BR/>keeping g.will and all others honest.<BR/><BR/>right-o!<BR/><BR/>long live SCHIP!DaveShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15930885566582446231noreply@blogger.com