Advocates of public policy on both sides of the aisle love to throw out statistics. Newspapers like them as well -- they "authenticate" a story. But the key component of all statistics is the base sample. When we say 25% percent of such-and-such, we need to understand exactly what 'such and such' _includes_ AND _excludes_, as well as exactly the definition of the subset percentage. Further, it is critical that statistics be compared in context to other yardsticks of other equivalent areas and situations of past time. Often the full story is not told.
I believe it was George Carlin who stated something like, "40% of all statistics are made up."