Commentary

Another Terrible Statistical Lie

A Friday LA Times article “State preschools short of space, survey says” opens with:

Classroom space in California public preschools is at such a premium that 21% of eligible 4-year-olds would be unable to attend if they all attempted to enroll, according to a statewide study released Thursday.

Yikes! you say. But wait. As Steve Frank puts it:

The key phrase is, “if they all attempted to enroll”. Yes, and if all drivers decided to be on the Hollywood Freeway at two in the morning we would have gridlock. That is not going to happen. This is a classic effort by government to create what is not needed or wanted. Pretend there is a crisis, use good sounding statistics and then beg for mercy to save the day. In this case, government wants all children to go to “approved” day care. If they don’t, space needs to be available for them anyway, build a bureaucracy.