Who Says Inflation's Under Control?
A weekly commentary by CBS News Correspondent Andy Rooney. Note: As you may notice, Rooney says below that the price of gas is up to $1.65. In many places, of course, it's higher than that now. Why the disparity? This piece originally ran several months ago.)
One of the things about money that's difficult to understand is why the price of everything keeps going up at the same time the government is reporting that the rate of inflation is low.
I get used to the high price of some things. I don't know why, but then the price of other things always bothers me.
Just a few years ago I was paying $1.19 for a gallon of gas, now I'm paying $1.65 - but I've gotten used to it.
On the other hand, I was at the Super Bowl in Tampa and the price of anything in a stadium is crazy. A bag of 25 peanuts cost $2.75. A Coke was $3.50.
A pint of water at the game cost $3. That would be $24 for a gallon. Not even high test water.
If you wanted to know the names of the players, you had to pay $15 for the program.
The cost of going to a movie is hard to get used to. In New York, it's $9.50.
Tickets for senior citizens are only $6, but I hate to ask for one because they never demand proof that I'm old anymore.
The only thing more expensive than the movie is the popcorn: $3.60 for the medium-size.
Hotels have gotten expensive. A room at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield, for example, will run you between $120 and $210, and you know how that is. There are none of the $120 rooms left. And don't order room service in any fancy hotel. Plain toast is $4.50. Corn flakes, $7.00. I counted the flakes, there were about 135 in the box. That comes to five cents a flake - so don't drop any.
For your convenience, they add 17 percent service charge plus a $3.00 cover charge and 8 percent tax. All for your convenience.
I was looking at our phone bill for last month: directory assistance $1.99. I don't get used to how much a necktie costs: $35 to $40. No wonder a lot of guys have stopped wearing them.
Mechanics are expensive. They're probably worth $95 an hour but I can't get used to that.
Häagen-Dazs is good ice cream. They get $2.32 for a small cone. I bought eight cones one night and a quart of cones cost me $20.
Books seem expensive. This book of mine, for instance, is $20. To tell you the truth, though, this is one thing that doesn't really bother me. See, I get 20 percent.
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