Word on the Street

Find out what people in Emeryville are saying about the economic crisis.

Stephanie Maxwell, 40, Berkeley resident

“It’s very very very scary. We’re not shopping as much. We’re not driving anywhere. I’m almost afraid to buy new shoes for the kids. It’s real bleak right now.”

Gill Stanfield, software developer

“I don’t think we should bail out the businesses that contributed to this, but I don’t think just leaving it alone will help either. Ultimately the government allowed this to happen through deregulation, so they should try to pass laws that prevent this from happening [again].”

Penny S., Emeryville resident

“To be honest, Wall Street’s turbulence is not affecting me because I am a black woman in America and I’ve always been poor … I’ve never had a retirement fund. I do not have retirement. I do not have savings.”