Why numbers can be deceiving

Study them in the proper context

By: Bob Ulrich

Numbers, by themselves, don’t lie. They can be misleading, however, if not put in the proper context.

Three recent tire industry news items involving legislative bodies illustrate this point.

1. The New York State Assembly passed a ban on the use of lead wheel weights by a 79-20 margin. Assembly Bill 8687-B amended New York’s environmental conservation law by adding a section prohibiting both the use and sale of wheel weights containing lead.

One week later, the New York State Senate, by a 35-26 margin, passed its own version of the same bill, A8687-B. By then, the margin of the Assembly bill had increased to 112-28!

Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, who originally introduced the bill, said after-the-fact votes happen in her state. I guess it allows some legislators to either a) jump on the bandwagon, or b) take a moot stand that coincides with what their constituents think, thus helping to ensure their continued support (and votes).

Although Rosenthal considered the issue a no-brainer, there were still legislators who disagreed with her, before and after the fact. The numbers still showed that the bills passed.

“It’s useless to resist progress,” she told me. Maybe, but who defines progress?

2. The Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed its version of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act on July 6. That gave the House of Representatives 25 days to pass it before the legislative session ended for the year.

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Related Topics: Bob Ulrich, Editorial

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