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To: Ilaine who wrote (66624)	2/10/2001 5:17:56 PM
From: flatsville	Respond to of 436258

I have two bad bookmarks (and note references) to two pieces of legislation: one to an Omnibus Budget Reconcilliation Act (more likely,) the other to a Federal Statistical Systems Act (less likely) where pieces of hedonic indexing were codified (post-Boskin.) When I can sort it out or find comparable references I'll post them to you. Part of the problem is I have browser damage from an interrupted live update security download that prevents me from opening some pdfs but not others. I upgraded to the newest browser version which has solved some of the problems some of the time. But I can't open the pdf you just posted to me for example. In fact, if you can give me a citation which indicates that Congress tells the BLS how to calculate the CPI, that would at least be a starting point. The one instance that I can think of (off the top of my head) re: Congress directs BLS on CPI (will have to dig for reference) involves the use and calculation of CPI-U in relation to the tax code (rates, standard deduction.) IIRC it was TRA of '86 that replaced the Zero Bracket Amount with the Standard Deduction and indexed the deduction as well (personal exemption amounts too.) The handiwork of Congress on that one. BLS didn't come up with that on their own. Parenthetically, one interesting thing I've noticed while researching this issue is that hedonic pricing so far is only applied to apparel, computers and peripherals, some major appliances, one segment of housing, audio equipment, and a few other things, and apparently only affects a tiny fraction of the CPI. So I don't really understand why you and Magner are making such a big deal out of it. Yep. I understand what your saying. You may want to ask that of him. He does go on and on about it doesn't he? I think it's the Grandfather Economic Reports site that gets him all wound up. I was minding my own beeswax when he started this hedonics discussion with the qustion, "Tell me Flatsville what is your assessment of the Clinton era?" <ggg> Frankly I'm done with it.