“My Two Cents” - Guest Commentary - The Lying CPI

I happened to check out your webpage as I do from to time this evening.  I saw for this week you had a article link to the Washington Post "Cost of Living gets costlier".  Well this is nothing new to me.  For the most part when I read the Post they seem to shy away from stories like this unless there can be something positive taken from it.  I have been seeing articles on this in the Free Papers here in DC for quite a while now.  I just want to ask in your opinion why has taken so long for a paper that supposed to be a beacon of just the facts, not delved into this sooner?  Oh, that was a rhetorical question: I know the answer.

What they reported is not at all news to me.  I've been here in the MD/DC area for a few years now, and have not so slowly seen the increases happening steadily since I moved here.  Although the numbers and percentages don't really have a direct dollar amount tagged to them, it all depends on your income.  I can tell you first hand that the bottom line is more cash flowing out than in.

I consider myself lucky that I have worked in places where I get a cost of living increase every year.  Now keep in mind these aren't merit raises for a job well done.  The simple fact is that the meager percentage of pay increased doesn't match the things on the rise.  An analyst can make up all these colorful graphs and charts, but very rarely have they reflected the "norm" for most people.  I have seen from just my point of perspective that housing costs, if you own, fluctuate slightly with interests and taxes.  If you rent, then it’s guaranteed that you will pay more next year.  So there goes a little piece out the door.  Then auto costs, insurance tends to rise, your loan payment stays the same, but the gas costs, I won't even touch that subject.  So a little more goes out.  I commute to DC by train so again more money, but still cheaper than driving everyday.  Plus there is the big area of variable expenses that everyone always has: medical costs, utilities, food, etc; and again more money out the door.  So I’d like to actually see a chart that really reflects the common situation.  If I had to make one for myself the amount of savings or play money left would probably be such a little sliver on the pie chart that you may need a magnifying glass to look at it.

Chris, in MD/DC