It was Mark Twain who said “There are three kinds of lies. There are lies, damned lies ? and statistics.” If Mark were alive today, he might want to add a fourth category ? government statistics. I think the last few years have shown that relying on statistics furnished by the government can often be hazardous to our health, well-being and wallet.
This is why I tend to take the self-serving release from the California Highway Department with a large grain of salt. That release, printed recently in the Record-Bee, suggests that the mere presence of the CHP must be credited with preventing wholesale carnage on our highways, thereby saving hundreds or even thousands of lives. But the report made no effort to compare California”s statistics with national averages, or better yet with other Western states (think Oregon) that may have drastically reduced their highway police.
I suspect that California is simply part of a national trend toward declining highway accidents and deaths, whether or not highway patrols are at full strength. With our state”s precarious financial situation I”m sure other state agencies will soon be joining the CHP in releasing statistics to show why they should not face budget cuts, and when it happens I hope our lawmakers will remember Mark Twain”s wisdom.
Connel Murray
Kelseyville
