wrote in message
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Inflation, which has run below the Fed's 2% target for years,

How many years? At 2% it would take about 36 years for prices to double.

My pocket book tells me that prices are about 2.5 times - or more - what
they were 20 years ago, nowhere near what the government claims. For
example, in 1996 I could buy a gallon of paint thinner for less than $2.00;
now, it is $9.98. I could buy a senior ticket to a movie for $3.00; now it
costs me $7.50.

However, inflation is great for debtors, the federal government being at the
top of the heap. BTW, federal debt in 1996 was a bit less than 1/4 of what
it is currently (5.2 billion vs 19+ billion).

IOW, the government's CPI doesn't reflect the real world.