Statistics

When I see that word, I think about its variety of meaning.

I think about an academic course sending panic into students required to take it for academic credit. I think about the barrage of numbers that seem to find their way into any newspaper article or television story. I think about how people are able to bend numbers and figures to support any issue or cause.

Imagine my surprise when I opened an article last week in my local newspaper. The headline caught my attention.

"Running Out of People"

The article was a brief statistical assessment of the community where I live.

Flint, Michigan has been famous over the years for many things...inventions, ingenuity, automation, automobiles, desirable standard of living and the list goes on and on.

The article went on to say, "since the American auto industry began its decline in the 1980's, Flint has consistently lost at least 10% of its population each decade. Massive layoffs and plant closings have devastated the city, and unemployment rates remain well into the double digits."

Flint is ranked #2 on a list of 7 American cities, "running out of people."

#1?  New Orleans...now that makes sense, but Flint?  How sad to read that we are "running out of people."

I have lived in Flint for 10 years and here are my brief observations.

The check out lines are always long at Wal-Mart, Target and Krogers. The two interstates intersecting in Flint are always jammed with people. Restaurants are usually packed. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of people where I eat, shop and visit.


"Running out of people."  At face value, it seems like there is a mass exodus. Matter of fact, you better watch out because you could easily be overrun by the mass exodus of people heading out of town.

To be sure, Flint continues to experience an exodus of young people searching for employment elsewhere. Certainly, the population is shifting and aging in Flint, but we are not "running out of people."

The last time I looked, people are still making people.

Cleveland, Buffalo, Dayton, Pittsburgh and Rochester are also, "running out of people."

I am reminded of the words of St. Yogi Berra..."hey, nobody eats at that restaurant anymore, it's to crowded."

Say what?

My friend posted a note on Twitter this week that sums it up well..."47% of all statistics are made up."

I wonder if anybody in Flint reads Twitter?  Of course not, after all, "we are running out of people."