Yep really find tha interesting as well. I guess because they are so volatile they exclude it, still pathetic because I know prices have gone up greatly in the grocery stores as of late.
Higher education is heavily subsidized by the government. At the state level of course, and at the federal level you have scholarships, loans, and grants. Within the health care bill they are dropping any pretense of private risk, and are just handing out loans directly (Sallie Mae).
I smell deflation in the air. Look around prices are falling. My utility bills are lower than last year, gadgets are cheaper. Now i just wait for the price of what I want to buy to fall before I purchase it.
When retail sales begin a long-trend slump, you'll then see things drop pretty fast why are they likely going up? well, raise the prices....
I've been car shopping for the past three weeks and cars are cheap right now. Dealers have all kinds of crazy deals going on.
Regarding spouting off, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Most importantly, none of the prominent legislated uses of the CPI excludes food and energy. Social security and federal retirement benefits are updated each year for inflation by the All Items CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Individual income tax parameters and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) returns are based on the All Items CPI-U."