Inflation

* Controlling inflation is in our best long-term interest. Inflation is an insidious, pernicious disease that erodes the financial foundation of a nation.

The ills of inflation aren’t readily apparent but that doesn’t mean they are not destructive (letters, Sept. 7). Actual example: A retired couple sell their home in 1976 for $20,000 to move to a mobile home park. Three years later the buyer of their home resells it for $60,000 and the retired couple are having a tough time paying escalating ground rent for their mobile home. Meanwhile, investors dissatisfied with real estate returns are turning to the precious metal markets for quicker profits. And the silliness hit the low point when supposedly prudent people started investing in pyramids! Have we forgotten? We’re lucky to have the Volckers and Greenspans who haven’t.

ARTHUR DAWSON

Hermosa Beach