Street Talk 5-1

Question: What needs to be done to turn our economy around? How long will it take?
 

Victor Perafan, Hollywood, IT sales manager, 34

“Actually, we had a peak in 1999 for the stock market like back in the 1920s and that peak will be very hard to get again. I work for tech companies. Back then developments in computer technology and the Internet touched off immense growth in the stock market based on unrealistic expectations and then stabilization came. Things will get better, but more based on reality.  Recovery will be slow – at least five years – and not even then to the same point.”

John Rodriguez, Miami, student, 20

“The first thing we need is to take out Bush. I was for him in the beginning, but he’s basically fighting his father’s war and focusing on military resources and not on our economy here. Really, the only good thing we’ll get is the oil. The economy will be good again but it will take a long time. Not until 2010 maybe.”

Andrew Briskin, Miami Beach, student/business owner, 33

“The president should concentrate on this country and this country alone. He should be looking at how to stimulate more jobs and how to help the people who are unemployed get back on their feet. He should extend unemployment benefits until they do get back on their feet and raise taxes to get the money to do so. Not by much, but some – mostly from the rich who can afford it. It will take two or three years if action is taken now.”

Rose-Ann McGregor, Miami Beach, (financially independent), 52

“My opinion is based on common sense. If you make $10, you don’t spend $11. You have to figure out how not to spend more than you take in. You just stop spending that extra dollar. Then expect everybody dependent on the extra dollar to get angry. You’ll be unpopular and probably voted out. Hopefully the economy won’t get worse, but problems will continue until people understand we can’t expect this balancing act to continue.”

Rodolfo Porro, North Bay Village, teacher, 40

“We need an entirely different philosophy in the White House – whether it’s a Democrat or a Democrat-leaning Republican. With Clinton the economy was flourishing. We need to get back to some of those essentials. We need a different ideology than the present one. As far as a time frame for recovery, there are a lot of intangibles due to the psychology of the market and a lot of things we can’t control internationally. Four years, if we have a politically stable climate.”

(photos & interviews by Tony Guzman)