Re: Real wages constant since 1964?!

2003-12-03 Thread William Dickens
David Levenstam wrote: >Yes, the BLS series uses CPI-u to deflate the nominal wage series. Since >CPI-u doesn't account for changes in the quality of goods or the market basket, >and overstates inflation more the higher the actual rate of inflation, for the >inflationary period from roughly 1968-19

Re: Real wages constant since 1964?!

2003-12-03 Thread Stephen Miller
Can the quality difference between a DVD and a VHS tape be measured? Between a 1975 Ford Sedan and a 2004 one? I know the good folks at the BLS try, and I admire the efforts, but how can features like improved visual quality or the safety advantage of antilock brakes be measured, other than th

Re: Real wages constant since 1964?!

2003-12-03 Thread William Dickens
>> This is completely wrong. The CPI-u is, and the CPI-x was, adjusted for >> quality changes (see http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm ). The CPI-X >> doesn't exist anymore. > >So what price statistic wasn't adjusted for quality changes? They all are. No one (who knew what he was talking about) has ev

Re: Real wages constant since 1964?!

2003-12-03 Thread Bryan Caplan
William Dickens wrote: This is completely wrong. The CPI-u is, and the CPI-x was, adjusted for quality changes (see http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm ). The CPI-X doesn't exist anymore. So what price statistic wasn't adjusted for quality changes? -- Prof. Bryan Caplan

Re: A "deep" look at media bias

2003-12-03 Thread Mike Cardwell
Better late than never, but I would argue the opposite happens quite a bit too- journalists spend a lot of time "digging" to find someone who disagrees and to give them some semblance of an "equal voice" even when the position they represent is laughably unequal. If Bill Clinton or George Bush say

Re: Real wages constant since 1964?!

2003-12-03 Thread AdmrlLocke
In a message dated 12/3/03 1:53:31 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >>> This is completely wrong. The CPI-u is, and the CPI-x was, adjusted >for >>> quality changes (see http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm ). The CPI-X >>> doesn't exist anymore. >> >>So what price statistic wasn't adjusted for quality ch

Re: A "deep" look at media bias

2003-12-03 Thread rex
I've seen many stories about government attempts to stop "price gouging" and none even hinted that there was another side, that gouging was good, that anti-gouging laws shouldn't exist, that they defeat market pricing, or that the laws caused problems. I've seen many stories about seafood being "o