There were several recessions in the economic boom you're discussing. Housing is dirt cheap, and loans are at historically low interest rates. Minimum wage should be"whatever the least amount of money you're willing to agree to". This is how the business owner can provide the consumer the best possible deal, thus gaining a competitive edge. Unions, at least in the public sector, run antithetical to the entire idea of the public, as public entities should run as efficiently and cheaply as possible. If you think throwing money at crony teachers unions improves our children's educations, per our own governmental standards, or that police unions need more ticket writers, and drug abuser arrests to operate as they should actually operate (investigating actual crimes against the people and not crimes the state gets to make money on), you may be the one susceptible to media brainwashing. Government assistance is a blight on our society. Charity and compassion are beautiful, forcing someone to be charitable under threat of violence is not.
Just for the record, I am not a fan of Fox News, and while I am not a fan, per se, (fan being short for fanatic) of any major media news outlet, recognize that Fox is a particularly egregious offender in the realm of propaganda spin.