[ExI] Why is "cost of living" such a big problem?

[spike at rainier66.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of Ben
Zaiboc via extropy-chat
...
>
>>... A recent hospital stay I shared a room with a homeless guy who was 
> coming off of heroin.  He owned nothing.  They treated him.  Then sent 
> him off to be a guest of the Sacramento County sheriff for six months.

>... If you are a poor sick person (not so poor as to be homeless, but poor
enough to not be able to afford health care)...  Ben

....then you qualify for government subsidized health insurance.  I will
grant that it isn't great insurance and doesn't cover everything, it would
help the sick person in the example.  His daughter can still go to college.

This chart is most enlightening: 

https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-WLm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progress
ive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimag
es%2Fab55bc63-c70b-4fdc-abd0-d787fce0216c_1507x1247.jpeg?utm_source=substack
&utm_medium=email

There was one striking thing I noticed: the price of cars was steady for 20
years, which is equivalent to their coming down in price.  Cars got a
looooot better between 2000 and 2020, but the price didn't change much.  I
bought a new car in 1999, so it was very clear.  Anyone who goes to Costco
already knew of TV prices dropping to where they are a great way to spend a
few bucks.  The TVs dramatically improved in quality in those 25 yrs.

If the price tracks inflation, that means the cost isn't changing: the value
of the currency is dropping.  So food and housing cost isn't changing much
over time, hourly wages are increasing slightly faster than inflation.  

Now look at everything above those things: medical stuff and college.  Ben's
example is about affording college or medical bills, both of which are going
crazy in cost.

spike