A big debate in the mainstream media during the recent election was why do surveys show average American voters don’t believe the economy is doing as great as government data indicate? More specifically, why do they believe inflation is higher than reported by the Consumer Price Index? Today’s Alternative Visions show takes on that issue: why prices are higher than government price indexes report. Latest CPI report this past week said prices rose only 2.6% over the past year. (The companion government PCE report is even lower).  What the media doesn’t report, however, is the various assumptions and questionable methodologies the government uses in estimating prices and inflation. Today’s show explains briefly 14 of them. Inflation is easily therefore not 2.6% but more than 4% in general. In some areas of the economy rose at double digit levels the past year. And since 2019 around 30-35%. The show concludes with evidence even prices per the government indexes are creeping back up. And several forces threaten in 2025 to escalate the rate of inflation as well (for gasoline, insurances, imports, child care and other services).