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Though it has been cited in practically every national (and many local) elections for more than a generation, this misery index was apparently not good — or, perhaps, complicated — enough for the Kerry camp. So they collected seven data points (median family income, college tuition, health-care costs, gas prices, bankruptcy rates, homeownership rate and private-sector job growth) to make their own index. All but one of these indicators — home ownership — have fallen over the past three years.

"We were trying to pick the kitchen-table issues," explained Gene Sperling, chief of Mr. Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, and an architect of Mr. Kerry's economic plans. "We were trying to look at what are the things that most affect families' pocketbooks every day."

This newfangled misery index, in case you weren't confused yet, is measured in the opposite way from its better-known progenitor — a higher number means less, not more, misery.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/12/politics/trail/12TRAIL-MISERY.html?ex=1082433600&en=ca921b179fab5471&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

a higher number means less, not more, misery.

Undoubtedly deliberate. They know most people won't understand the data points or how they are tallied and will automatically assume that a high number is bad.

Leave it to the RATS every stinkin' time....

Prairie

RE: Misery index

I need some clarification on the college education issue. I started college almost 20 yrs ago. My family did NOT have the money to send me (my mom sent me $10 once but that's all the help I got) yet I went to a private college.

How did I pay for it? Scholarships, from working very hard in high school. Grants, which I took the time to apply for, and worked VERY hard in college to continue to qualify for. And loans, which took years to pay off. Oh, yeah, I worked on campus for about $100/month and that was my spending money.

Now, I know costs have gone up, way up. So my question is, is it still possible, thru hard work, loans, grants, etc. to go to a good school on very little money?

I think ideally, everyone should have some type of trade school/college education. However, I'm not sure if taxpayers should pay for it. In my experiences in college, the students who had to work to pay for it took it much more seriously.

JMO--any thoughts?