I'm sure this will affect the economy but not as much as all the doom and gloomers think. Let's start with city council estimating 4000-6000 jobs being lost because of this. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't city council just like the rest of us in this city. How on earth do they have any knowledge/authority on how much this will impact the local economy. I say they have none and they are guessing at best. They are creating panic arond the area for something that is unknown and they are definately wrong for doing this. Shame on city council for speaking of things they don't have enough knowledge about. A lot of people that live in Janesville commute to other cities for employement. It is fastly becoming a commuter city because it is cheap to live in but you can still get good paying jobs in Beloit, Rockford, Madison etc.....

STOP the GLOOM and DOOM people!!!!! It is what you make of it.

I think most of the affects will be in holiday shopping. The retailers are going to feel the pinch much sooner than the rest of us...especialy localy when GM shuts down the day before Christmas. If I was about to lose my job, I wouldn't be out spending tons of money on Christmas gifts...instead I would buy modestly and save the rest for the long road ahead.
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As for the other markets I think they will be a bit behind the retailers, but not by much...
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Housing on the other hand is going to be a toss up...with lots of houses coming on the market some families may be able to purchase a home when they wouldn't have been able to before because house prices will be much lower, due to the need of quick sales (either relocating or avoiding foreclosure), but then again if one does not have a job then they can't buy either.
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Unfortunatly all we can do is pray for the best and wait to see what comes.
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I wish everyone the best of luck with the coming economic challenges.

I haven't been to Texas Roadhouse in forever...you are really making me hungry for it! I believe we are seeing the affects of GM's closing already, maybe not as much as we will soon see it. My hubby pretty much lost his job when the axel plant was on strike, so we haven't been to the Roadhouse since April...oh my, it's been six months. We used to go once or twice a month for "date" night. We used to get a weekly or bi-weekly cup of coffee from Starbucks as a treat as well...haven't done that in months either. So, I know that things have changed for many people...at least the ones that were affected early on and businesses have to be taking a hit. Although I think I might have a steak this weekend from TR...lol.

zoom what the #@7* was that all about?

great post below everyone take note

you know the funny thing about everyone saying that it has already taken effect on our local economy, is that all the restaurants are full almost every night of the week out by the interstate, especially on the weekends. Whenever i drive by Texas Roadhouse it is packed and we are supposedly getting a new restaurant. If times were so tough, people would have already stopped spending money at these places and be at home. So it hasn't been too much of a change, yet.
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On another note, i get tired of all the doom and gloom. Life will be what you make of it. You want it to be bad, than it will be bad, if you want it to be good, you will look for the good.

FEDUP -
First, STOP YELLING AT EVERYONE. Typing in caps is more annoying that your childish post.
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Second, stop your bitterness at others who had the foresight to work for a company that at one time enjoyed 60% of the domestic auto market, not to mention a highly profitable finance division (GMAC), DoD contracts, and a host of other money-making investments across the globe.
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In my mind, companies such as GM should indeed share their prosperity with the people who made such wealth possible. And if it takes a union to insure such profit shairing, or health benefits, or good wages, then so be it.
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Way back when, when things were more than good for GM and their board of directors, the company chose to negotiate and chose to offer such benefits, in exchange for a QUALITY work force that would keep GM in the money-making business. It was a great relationship for 50+ years.
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So stop with your uninformed nonsense, stop with trying to pit LSI or Lear against the benefits that the UAW bargained for, and that GM accepted, stop with feeling so bitter because you were not one who grabbed onto GM as an opportunity to better one's life.
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For a long long time, GM has provided a good life for many many of their employees - better than if GM had never been in my ole hometown.
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So FEDUP, go back to whatever glass you crawled out of and rather than post your bitterness here, why not write your city leaders and urge them to bring new industry to Janesville as Beloit appears to be doing so successfully.

Wow I'm getting 95% of my pay? I'm not sure where your getting your facts from but sorry buddy their WRONG! And the last time I checked I wasn't sitting on my fat lazy butt. All the people that want to say GM workers are lazy and worthless can all kiss my ! I can't wait until reality sinks in for some people cause everyone one will feel it somewhere!

AS I READ THREW THESE HERE BLOGS IM REALLY CONCERNED ON Y YOU ALL THINK THAT ONLY GM WILL BE HURT WHEN ITS DOORS ARE CLOSED...THEY GET 95% OF THERE PAY FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG RIGHT ALONG WITH INSURANCE AND SEVENCE PAY. WHAT IS THAT? THAT IS CRAZY. I THINK YOU SHOULD BE MORED WORRIED ABOUT THE LITTLE PEOPLE LIKE LEAR AND LSI MORE THEN GM. LEAR AND THE OTHER LITTLE PEOPLE ONLY GET TO LIVE ON UNEMPLOYMENT AND ONLY GET THERE INSURANCE FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.. THIS HAVING TO USE THERE MESSLY UNEMPLOYMENT TO PAY FOR INSURANCE. WOW LITTLE TO NOTHING TO LIVE ON. HELL GM EMPLOYEES COULD CONSIDER THIS A PAID VACATION FOR THEMSELVES, CUZ IF THEY HAD TO LIVE ON WHAT THE LITTLE PEOPLE HAD TO LIVE ON THEN THEY WOULD BE HURTING.. SO WHEN YOUR WORRING ABOUT HOW GM EMPLOYEES WILL SURVIVE DONT WORRY TO MUCH WORRY.. INSTEAD WORRY ABOUT THE LITTLE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN.

usaret: If we are lucky we will know who has "won" the election on Nov 5th, but I have a feeling it may be a repeat of 4 years ago when we were all sitting around waiting for the ballots to be recounted by hand in places like Florida. Hopefully whoever does get elected truly does make thing better for all Americans.

No worse. At least Bush didn't raise any taxes while there was a recession in his first year in office. We pulled out of that pretty quickly. I think if Obama and the liberals in congress have their way we will have a recession and possibly a depression. You can't raise taxes now and think that it will help the economy.

I think that it's a lose/lose situation with no matter who gets voted as our president. I feel this way because it's Congress who has done the most damage. Many of you talk as if no matter which man is elected president, their plans are a "done deal". If I remember my gov't. classes correctly, there still are checks and balances and bills have to go through the Senate and the House. It's THOSE PEOPLE who you need to be concerned about the most when it comes to bill writing. You know...when they throw in all those little "personal missions" last minute into a bill to help their buddies who are funding their campaigns. A friend of mine said a couple weeks ago that we seem to have the most turmoil when their is a division in parties in Congress...one party is majority in one house and the other is majority in the other. I don't have the stats on that to know if it's a true anecdote. I have typically voted for more Democrats that Republicans, however I am to the point where I have lost faith in all and choose to keep my faith in God and that he will protect me. The rest of our leaders sure as heck aren't!!! Too much of a "what's in it for me" mentality and lots of talking out both sides of their mouths. Janesville will be in a world of hurt for a while because of the trickle down effect that will happen with all the displaced workers. Let's see what the new city manager, Forward Janesville and the city council can do to pull this community out of hole.

So, whybesad, you are saying electing Obama would be the same thing as four more years of Bush?

Don't worry the Obama administration will just blame the previous administration and criticize them for making a mess. While they will be making a bigger mess than what was there before but, they need someone to blame it's never their fault.

Obama stated that he will give a tax break to 95% of the WORKING FAMILIES, so does that mean if you don't work you don't get a tax break? What about the approx 30% who are unemployed, you know the one's who live off the dole, the one's who collect unemmployment checks because it pays better then if they had a job, how will they get their fair share of the working persons money? Will the people who really need help get anything at all? How do you give a tax break to people who in essence, donot pay taxes because of the income level. How much will they get in addition to a total refund of taxes plus the earned income? Will the middle class really see a tax break? If the Bush tax cuts are repealed, isn't that a tax raise? Will Obama's tax the rich create jobs or will it cause employers to cut back even if Obama GIVES THEM MONEY TO CREATE JOBS (looks like welfare for the rich which he is against)
On 5 Nov, we are stuck with the one we think will do something. Let's be sure that the one we elect does something and not spend the next 4years explaining why it wasn't being done. Look at the promises and ask yourself, which ones have you heard every election, which ones are actually accomplished. How many of the promises will be broken if not completly ignored until the next election when the promises start all over again.
Let's hold the elected officials feet to the fire.
Janesville will survive. It will be tough but remember, you are to. It was done before and it can be done again. And I'm sure that future generations will look back and say, "I hope we are as strong as they were in over comming the obstacles placed before them."

The reason I like you, polert, is because you always know how to make me laugh.

yaboy22- i believe you have forgotten about the numerous companies that are suppliers/drivers of gm that are located in janesville that will also be going down when they go down (such as LSI & FSS).. Many of them have already cut down to half, if not more of their employees to prep for the closure.. And many of which do not get severence packages as GM does, therefore treated as any other displaced worker- even though they would have still been in business had GM kept production locally. So they're losing all their benefits upon closure and are being forced to live on unemployment until they find another job.. which will be damn hard since there is sooo many ppl that are going to be without a job due to this, and many of the businesses around have already cut back on employees to prep for the economic impact of this- therfore not hiring!! So its not a measly few thousand people (as you stated) without a job, its a good chunk of janesville business. And its already started to effect Janesville economy, which in turn means it will only get worse till new corporations come here or many of us leave the area in search of a more stable area.

Not all of them live in Janesville either.

Small business owners are going to have to come up with that minimum of $7,500 tax somewhere. You realize it will come out of employee payroll. From the small business person's account in Janesville it will travel to Washington where it will be sent to Mississippi where the poorest of the poor live. That money will never return to Wisconsin. Right now only $.75 of every federal tax dollar a person in Wisconsin pays is returned to Wisconsin. It will only be less under Obama with his increase in spending of the federal government.

http://www.youtube.com/dontbefooledagain...

Futurerichguy, we can balance the budget by cutting programs. This country was founded on the premise that the ordinary could become extraordinary, not the idea that the extraordinary would be penalized to subsidies the lives of the ordinary. Your screen name implies you plan on being rich in the future, ask anyone living in a Socialist or Communist system of government how hard it is to gain any wealth. Maybe you should change your screen name to futurepoorguystandinginlinetogetmybreadfromthegovernment.

Polert, your comment makes absolutelty no sense. For one thing you weren't listening when your 2nd grade teacher taught you the difference between "to" and "too". For another thing, if you read the details of Obama's tax plan, only those making more than $250K per year will see an increase in income taxes. How many people at GM are making making even close to that amount? You claim you're a saver, but you apparently don't support balancing a budget because the only way we're going to do it is by raising taxes.

I see it coming into effect if Obama becomes president. Obama will start the spread the wealth program which will come at the Janesville's hard working people, and giving it to the unwilling to work hard. The GM workers will be out of work with less income, and still have to much wealth for Obama.

The next shoot will be the new bill forming to resolve the failing Social Security. Nancy Pelosi outline it as funneling 401k, and SS benefits together to form a program named the federal retirement program. Which mean take from those that worked hard to save, and give to the unwilling to work hard to save.

The entire economy will collapse so badly that it will be impossible to determine how much the GM closing has effected Janesville. Have a nice day.