I think the most confusing part for me is that wages and COL are correlated, obviously, but generally (and specifically in the cities mentioned in TFA), COL is

I think the most confusing part for me is that wages and COL are correlated, obviously, but generally (and specifically in the cities mentioned in TFA), COL is driven by wages and not the other way around. So your objection seems to be conflating a follow-on effect with a cause, and dismissing the article because the author didn't address that effect when he was really interested in the cause (of COL and many other effects). Mostly I just wanted to encourage other people to go ahead and read the article. But since we have this thread to ourselves, there ya go. :)