Budget Numbers Without Meaning

It is unlikely that many NYT had any idea of the meaning of the numbers in an article on various budget issues, such as adjusting the Alternative Minimum Tax for inflation and increasing doctors' payment under Medicare. None of them are put in any context, for example expressing them as a share of the budget. In many cases, it is not even clear how many years spending would be affected by the measure.

This is a classic Washington fraternity type piece. The article reports on these numbers in ...