Date: 1982-08-04
Speaker: JAMES K. COYNE (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speak- creasethebureaucracy policies that er. I am sure that everybody in this had led us to 21percent interest rates room is familiar with the old quota- and 13percent inflation. tion that "statistics dont lie. but poll- And what is your alternatives? What ticians use statistics." have you been proposing here? Noth*We have just been exposed to a good ing. Your whole strategy this year Is example of that by my colleague. the to obstruct. delay. drag it out. divide. gentleman from New York. when he and bust the budget. cited some very erroneous statistics The American people are not going about the "misery" Index. to be fooled by that stuff this year. I want to make it perfectly clear Mr. Speaker. I say. "that dog just that if there is any clear example of wont hunt." the accomplishments of the Reagan administration. It is in the reduction of the misery index over the last 18 CHUTZPAH OP THE YEAR months. But if my colleague insists on AWARD using only a single months set of sta- (Mr. RITTER asked and was given tistics. let us take February 1980. permission to address the House for 1 when the inflation rate was at an minute. and to revise and extend his annual compounded rate of 20 per- remarks.) cent. unemployment was approaching Mr. RITTER. Mr. Speaker. last year 7% percent. and the misery index was. I coined an award entitled "the Chutztherefore. at nearly 28 percent. pah of the Year Award." The winner The gentleman from New York obvi- was Walter Mondale for blaming the ously misused statistics by picking then 18percent prime rate on this Adonly 1 single months statistics. for the ministration when Mr. Mondales own month of June. If he had desired to administration left the American accurately reflect the misery indexs people with a record high prime rate performance. he should have reviewed of 21.5 percent. the index over the past 6 months Now. almost a year later. the Washwhere the misery index was averaging lngton Post has plagiarized my award less than 14 percent. well below the and has given "the Chutzpah prize of average of any 6 months of the Carter 1982" to the Democratic leadership of administration. this House. Today. these "wizards of Mr. Speaker. I think all intelligent wisdom." are promoting "Remember Americans have not and will not be August 4th." misled by deceptive use of statistics. To those who have forgotten August They give credit to the Reagan admin- 4. It Is the day the Economic Recovery istration for dramatically reducing the Tax Act of 1981 was passed by Conmisery index. cutting the rate of Infla- gress. and as the Washington Post edition. and working to bring interest tonal so aptly points out. the Demorates down. We inherited an economy cratic leadership has clearly forgotten in shambles. but todays new programs its role in developing that tax bill. have begun to workoffering. at last. some hope for rebuilding an economic system that has been burdened by gov- Those who know. know that the bidernmentproduced "misery" for too ding war. was begun by the Demolong. crats. _________The Poot even ran a column by Michael Kinsley entitled "The Shame of THE ADMINISTRATIONS NEW the Democrats." House Democratic DIRECTION leadership added as many sweeteners