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December 11, 2003
Street Talk by Shari Kaplan
How has the slow economy of the past year or two affected
your life or caused you to make changes in your lifestyle? Also,
what do you think will happen to the economy in the coming year?
(Asked at the Albertson's/RiteAid shopping center at Meridian
and Redmond avenues)
"We have a house in Ohio where we moved from about 1 1/2 years
ago, but it still hasn't sold. The real estate market in Ohio is
slower than it is here. It kind of puts us in a tentative situation
right now. I think if you have a home and a job that you like, you
should think twice before leaving it. I'm very optimistic about
the economy in 2004. I think things will get better."
Anne Klevay, 47
Almaden Valley
Nurse
"Personally, the economy hasn't really affected us. My husband
is an independent optometrist. Business was a little down, but we
haven't had to make any big changes in our lifestyle. We've probably
cut down on some extra little things, but not too much. I think
people are having a more positive attitude for the future now, and
are trying to help get the economy back on its feet."
Cindy Holbert, 40
Los Gatos
Former optician, now sales & marketing
"I'm a teacher, and every first-year teacher in my district
got pink slips last year. Our district was hit relatively hard by
the economy because they didn't manage their money well. My wife's
an accountant and has to travel around a lot. She has a lousy job.
Normally someone who works with numbers shouldn't have a problem
finding another job, but right now she can't. Personally, I think
the economy will swing up in the next 12 months, but I don't think
it'll be durable, with the deficit the way it is."
Doug Knepp, 26
Sacramento
Teacher
"I work at Foothill College, and I've seen a major change in
how we view success. We used to mainly focus on student learning
outcomes. Now we focus on productivity and enrolled units, because
that's how we're financially compensated by the state. We don't
have a culture based on people anymore, but on money. As for the
economy's future, I think there may be an overall raise in numbers,
but that won't necessarily translate to benefits for the working
middle class."
Rick Knepp, 52
Almaden Valley
Instructional associate
"I don't know if I'd call this a bad thing, but we check our
budget more than we have in the past. We used to buy things more
freely or extraneously. But maybe it's a good thing to be able to
look back and see whether you spent your money on valuable or not
so valuable things. I found I wasted more money on things for myself
than I did for my kids. I think the economy is looking up; I think
it will be better next year."
Jayne Kwon, 34
Almaden Valley
Homemaker
"I didn't live here for the whole year; I was in Las Vegas,
but when I came back, it was harder to find a job. It's very easy
to find work in Las Vegas. I came back here in July but I didn't
get a job until September, even though I tried hard to find one.
I haven't made many changes in my spending habits. I live with my
parents and that's a big help. I work at Valley Fair Mall and it
seems like more people are shopping there this year than last year,
so I hope the economy is getting better."
Sheila Auer, 19
Almaden Valley
Retail clothing store fashion expert
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