Recently we were reminded yet again how unreliable lots of big data providers are, and how often outdated, inaccurate and useless these big numbers and averages can be. The Bureau of Labor Statistics finally released updated labor data on its website this week showing that the number of jobs created in the year through March was likely to be revised down by 818,000, the most since 2009.

I have heard politicians yelling that food prices are up 50%, 75% or double in the past 5 years, in reality food prices are up around 30% compounded. "Zero emission" vehicles? Nope, the electricity that powers them creates emissions too, albeit much less than non-zero-emission vehicles. Accurate data identifies the exact difference.  Yes, big data and averages, and those spewing big-picture opinions are often dead wrong, or inaccurate. Sometimes they are 'selective'. Too often they spew 'alternative numbers'. It is for this reason that the expertise, insights and knowledge of a local expert with daily boots-on-the ground knowledge and access to information is not valuable but invaluable.

Accurate, complete facts matter. As do Data and Numbers, probably even more so. Without accuracy in numbers, we can be almost 100% certain our actions and solutions will be misguided at best. Politics and agenda's should have no place in numbers and data. The worst is when the institutions and individuals we believe can be most trusted deliver bad/altered data and/or numbers. We can opine on the numbers, but altering them or manipulating/distorting them is misleading.