INFLATION….The consumer price index fell last month, but this was mostly due to falling oil prices, so it’s no big deal. It’s a good thing, in fact. Remove oil prices and inflation was up very slightly, perhaps 0.1% or so.
That’s worryingly close to zero, and that’s a much bigger deal, especially since we’re still in the early days of this recession. If prices fall any further, we’re in deflation territory, and that would be dismal indeed. So as much as I dislike the auto bailout on its merits, this would not be a good time to let GM go under. Nor is it a good time to cavil about federal stimulus spending or to force state governments to slash expenditures. So tell me again: how many days are there until January 20th? It would be nice to have an actual president again.
