Economic Roundtable: The Fears of Working People

Few people have been immune from the downturn in the economy. Credit markets are tightening, people are spending less, and unemployment is on the rise.

We're taking the pulse of some Massachusetts residents to get a sense on how they feel about the economy, what their fears and frustrations are, and how they're responding to what may be a deep recession.

Five participants join our round-table discussion: Dave Ratner is owner of Dave's Pet Foods stores, in central Massachusetts; Helen Ramirez is an office manager at the Chelsea Police Department; Jerome Rappaport, Jr. is president and CEO of New Boston Fund, a real estate investment management firm, based in Boston; Schlander Campbell is a lead dental X-ray technician with Boston Medical Center; and Bob Sicotte is a contract worker for Fiberfit Insulation and a member of the Heat and Frost Insulators Union.