CPI: 2008 vs 1980

Saturday, March 15, 2008 | 08:29 AM

Almost overlooked in yesterday's mess was the CPI data. It was a classic:

"Consumer prices were forecast to rise 0.3 percent, according to the median estimate of 81 economists in a Bloomberg News survey. Estimates ranged from gains of 0.1 percent to 0.5 percent. Prices excluding food and energy were forecast to rise 0.2 percent, according to the survey median.

From a year ago, the cost of living rose 4 percent, compared with a 4.3 percent 12-month increase in January. The core rate was up 2.3 percent in the 12 months to February, the smallest year-over-year gain since October.

Today's report showed energy prices dropped 0.5 percent, the most since August, after a 0.7 percent increase in the prior month. The cost of electricity dropped by the most since December 2005. Gasoline and fuel oil prices also fell, while natural gas expenses jumped."

Why? Despite Record gasoline prices, CPI was flat on falling gasoline prices -- and that caused futures to spike until the Bear announcement).

The usual suspects claimed that the CPI data was the beginning of the end for inflation. Hey, maybe. But remember, a single data point -- especially a suspect one -- does not make a trend. And note that the folks calling for the end of inflation here are, by and large, the same ones who insisted there was no inflation over the past 5 years. These clueless pundits are the "inflation-enablers."

If you want to know why the CPI data was applauded, look no further than Tuesday's Fed meeting. The odds "the Fed will lower its benchmark rate by a full percentage point" jumped to 60% from zero.  This may further pummel the dollar, and could help drive Oil to $125 (or even $150); Gasoline at over $5/gal is a very real possibility. And Gold? Your guess is as good as mine.

~~~

Why has the CPI lagged actual inflation for so long? Its one of the things I haven't seen discussed too much -- outside of John Williams' Shadow Stats.

The short answer: Changes have been made in how we measure and account for inflation.Not only do we understate inflation, but we do so in a systemic manner which has led to the current disconnect between government stats  and reality.

Have a look at the chart below, via Tim Iacono. Its pretty clear that by BLS' prior methods of measurements, inflation has been running much hotter than officially recognized.

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080313_1980_2008_cpi

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What does this official falsification of data lead to? Big Trouble.

Here is what happens when we deny reality, purposefully misstate the truth, and try to hide beneath a series of obsfucations and misdirections: We make policy based upon this false reality.

The drumbeat of bad data, with the imprimatur of legitimacy, provided an undeserved credibility for the "low inflation meme." That creates a level of acceptance of elevated inflation that eventually lead to disaster.

We took rates down to levels that responsible people -- who if they were aware of reality -- would never even do. 

There are obviously many many factors that are coming into play in today's credit crisis -- but I can draw a direct line from the Boskin Commission (who IMO, falsely claimed CPI overstated Inflation by 1.1%) to the Greenspan 1% FOMC rate, to the residential mortgage backed derivatives, to the Bear Stearns collapse.

>

Pre Boskin CPI
Cpi_sgs

   >

Actions have consequences. Denying reality, falsifying data, gaming the numbers, cooking the books, making believe inflation is more modest than it really is -- has real world, unintended consequences.

(This latter discussion is worthy of more pixels, and if time permits, I will pull together a more comprehensive analysis).


>


Sources:
US Manipulated CPI Inflation Statistics- Stagflation 1980 and Now
Tim Iacono
Mar 14, 2008 - 03:25 PM
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article4018.html

The Consumer Price Indexes 
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics   
http://www.bls.gov/cpi/

U.S. Economy: Consumer Prices Unchanged Last Month
Shobhana Chandra and Bob Willis
Bloomberg, March 14 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=at2gzTFCHXQk&

Saturday, March 15, 2008 | 08:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (99) | TrackBack (0)
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Comments

Barry, does it worry you that you are no longer very lonely on the oil-gold up call and dollar down forever pep squad? I am getting nervous that gold and oil are way overdue for a sharp correction/profit taking week and nothing I see in the daily candlestick charts of individual stocks in these two sectors is reassuring to me at all. Lots of folks have piled into these trades and perhaps some early birds may decide to ring the register next week????

Posted by: lurker | Mar 15, 2008 8:40:11 AM

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