So Robert Samuelson has a column today arguing that wage stagnation is a myth -- not because of inflation measurements, but bc CBO shows strong post-tax/transfer income gains for the bottom quintile in recent years. Is he right? Let's go to the charts! 1/
First, here's his argument: That actually, income gains have been broad based. (He toggles between 1980 or 2000 as the starting point) 2/ 
What does CBO say? The following charts are all taken from their recent report -- cbo.gov/system/files?f… -- that is the basis for the column. All numbers through 2015. 3/
Here's the chart for pre-tax/transfer gains, and the chart for post-tax/transfer gains. Just on the face of it: Does it look like one group here has 'grabbed most of the income gains'? 4/
Of course, there are big differences in those charts. The gains are much stronger for the bottom 80% after tax-transfer. That's especially true in recent years. So what's going on? Did something change that affected low-income workers recently? 5/
Why yes! Medicaid expansion. (A phrase that does not appear in the column)
Tax cuts also helped lower income groups post-2000: 7/
Of course, those tax cuts also contributed to rising deficits. 8/
"Medicaid expansion and deficit financed tax cuts have helped mitigate market wage stagnation" is an interesting story. But it's not the one being told in the column. fin/
