"My business is not that great," said Tom Arthur, a hot dog vender stationed at Bergenline and 59th Street in West New York. "I've been her for over 20 years, and the business on the avenue is not like it was eight to 10 years ago. I don't know if it's the economy, but all these businesses have opened up and every fast food chain in the world is now here. Before, there weren't too many choices and people wanted a less expensive lunch. Now there are malls and all kinds of food businesses, and my sales are way down."
"I don't think I'm better off," said West New York senior Lillian M. Stacy, 75. "As salaries go up, so do the prices of things. You don't get what you pay for. So it's not great. Especially for us seniors, because we live on what [the government] gives us. I'm hoping that the new slate of Democrats bring a little bit of progress, because it will only get worse with the Republicans. Everyone knows that Republicans are only there for the rich man."
"Things might be better, but it has nothing to do with the government," said Flossie Rodriguez, a West New York resident. "They assume it's all the work of the government, but I think people realize that when you work harder, you're better off. And I think the town is getting worse. Other towns are getting better, but not West New York. The police and politicians are not doing enough to improve the town."
"It think things are the same," said West New York resident Danny Osorio. "My father's store, Sleep Cheap on Bergenline, is doing great, but the town isn't doing well. They're not putting any of the extra money back into the community. West New York needs more libraries and better schools. They need to clean the streets and put out more garbage cans. There's no culture or art world here. This place needs help. It's horrible."
"I'm better off now, and so is my family," said Union City resident Anthony Vega, a waiter at the 32nd Street and Kennedy Blvd. IHOP. "I think because the economy is better, people are tipping me more and are just more generous with their money. People have more money so they're also eating better. They coming to restaurants instead of cheap and junky fast food places. There are new malls all over, and most of my friends have jobs. I always have cash in my pocket and have money to shop. I think there's a lot of opportunities for people to make money now."
"The economy is great," said Union City Lt. Richard Molinari. "The interest rate on houses is good. The stock market is good. If you're from a low economic factor, you might not be doing that much better. But I think the middle class have to say that things are better. Clinton is a tremendous president, and I don't think the economy can get any better."
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