Why is Govenor Doyle giving this special treatment to the GM employees??? I feel for the people that are losing their jobs because the employees at Simplicity are going through the same thing right now. We were not lucky enough to get any kind of buy out, or the opportunity to keep our jobs for a lower wage. Our most senior employees are getting a whopping 8 weeks of pay as we are walking out the door. Why isn't the Govenor stepping up to give us a little extra help. More than 250 people are losing their jobs in Port Washington, and we could use all the help we can get!!!

If the govenor wants to realy help he can start by lowering taxes in Wisconsin.So that way maybe new comapnies will come in an dont let the city off the hook either.Because they have not made any bids in the last 12 years to bring in new companies so we dont have to depend on gm.An yes layoffs have begun at SSI.Cause i was one fo the recent layoffs along with others that were laid off at the same time.

It SAYS in the article that they will help suppliers as well.

It's the quantity of layoffs that concerns everyone, with good cause.

The compassionate Jim Doyle only looking out for the GM employees and not the many others that will be affected. He should be talking with GM or some other automobile manufacture about coming here to Wisconsin. We have a great workforce it's just that the taxes are to high here and companies stay away.

no one shoul be mad at gm employees, my husband works at lsi, and he will lose is job.and he has been out to that building for years, it has changed ownership 3 times, and he stuck it out with them, and lsi is by far the worse company who has owned it. and believe me those employees will not be offered anything gm employees will be offered. but, the good governor, better remember one thing, he doesnt win elections, by gm votes only, this gesture should put a deep black mark on his re election. he is saying gm employees come first and no one else matters, i hope he ousted right out of office.

At a time when the state budget is in trouble and he's stealing money from transportation funds, Doyle is burning money like this? This is purely a partisan political gesture. His way of announcing that he's running for reelection?

I mean i get what your saying but i hope your not mad at the employees.

hey tbatch2000. who are you mad at? If you were offered a job at gm you'd take it.

I won't make a comment on Doyle, because I don;t want to talk about politics. What I want to talk about is the workers.

The state has very good benefits for retraining displaced workers. What I truly hope is that workers will take advantage of this. This can equate to reduced/paid tuition for a Blackhawk 2-year degree, unemployment while they go to school, and books paid.

It is rough to attend school while raising a family and paying a mortgage, but people do it all the time. The payoffs from taking advantage of the retraining program are immeasurable- instead of 700+ people looking for entry level assembly jobs, we could have 700+ people with skills and varied degrees searching and creating jobs. 700+ more educated people in Janesville- everyone wins.

I dont know if anyone has noticed but theres a real problem with our economy? (SARCASIM) I have been laid off for 6 months and can not find work. My unemployment ran out 2 weeks ago and called DWD for an extension and they told me basiclly to get lost. But news goes out yesterday off GM and they get extensions and training! HOW IS THIS FAIR? I want training too! I want to be able to have the resources GM employees get! Or does it go something like this AVerage WI WORKER, Then theres The GM WORKER. I pay my taxes just like an gm worker and put my pants on just like them too! BULLS@@@!!!!!!

Everyone here is right on point in their critisism of Doyle. Why isn't he setting up meetings with GM to try to get some other new product or an existing product moved here? When Thompson was in charge he met with GM leaders and secured the Tahoe and Suburban for Janesville when it was time for the Cavilier to end its time here. None of the union members obviously remember that though, probably because he was a Republican and Republicans never do anything for the working man. Doyle, get off your butt and get to Detroit and sell the Wisconsin workforce instead of just throwing more taxpayer money at people for "retraining".

That's nice of Doyle to help out the GM employees and putting them on the "fast track" with help. How about the other people that are facing layoffs or have been laid off. Are they just chopped liver? Aren't all workers in Wisconsin important and deserve the same treatment?

does he actually expect a pat on the back, or a vote at re election time for his actions, not by me and my family.thumbs down on doyle

Ok thats all fine but what about those of us who worked at companies that suport gm an those curently working for companies that suply gm what hapens to those jobs are they just gone.And what is gonna be done to bring new jobs into the area.An what are we gonna do when the day comes an gm closes were not gonna be prepared for that unless this gets handled now.What Janesville needs is new companies that can hire more workers than gm the Janesville wouldnt have to depend on gm for jobs not everyone gets to work there.And if we dont do anything about this now.Janesville will start to die cause there will be no jobs for those that have less skills than a GM woker.And this is something the city needs to be thinking about cause they have done nothing to this point.

Doyle is just trying to make himself look good in the face of bad news.

What about the non-auto industry related lay-offs of late? I don't hear the state offering to lobby for extended unemployment benefits for them.

"Department of Workforce Development spokesman Dick Jones said the department also would help displaced workers at GM suppliers."

What about any other people not employed by GM, Lear, etc. who lose jobs? Does anyone care about them? Will they get any of these 'perks'?