It is ERISA, Employment Retirement Income Security Act.

Doyle is worthless. I will agree with that one.

and to Zoom, I find it hard to believe that he didn't get help from more than what he is saying. Its not easy to pay for trips out of this country yet Obama seemed to take a few. Can you also explain to me why Pakistan is donating to his campaign?

So many comments on here, yet I don't see one saying anything about Jim Doyle and his lack of helping this state out. He is worthless just like the rest of them. Sorry, Republican or Democrate, THEY BOTH ARE MESSING UP THIS COUNTRY!! All of you can complain on a page, yet I am sure many of you don't know how congressman vote. We need to clean house from the bottom up. Obama or McCain aren't going to do anything great for this country. They are spewing like the rest of them do. So many people fall for it, every presidential election. LOOK AT CONGRESS, LOOK AT STATE GOVERNMENT. We have Doyle who has done squat for this state, and yet of course, its Bush's fault. Give me break. GM failed in Janesville, like we never saw that coming....

Thanks for your thoughtful comments "pbsrus". You demonstrate a refreshing knowledge of some basic economic facts that have, until now been pertinent. The way the wealth of the US has been siphned off from the middle class these past 25 years I wouldn't count on ARISSA. Even if pensioners do get fifty cents on the dollar will that begin to offset the terrible inflation we will certainly face as part of the cost of these bailouts to the irresponsible corporate fat cats. Catepillar gave serveral lump sum payments to the Union so the Union (not Catepillar) would be reponsible for retiree pensions. That fund was insolvent within seven years. At the current rate of inflation for healthcare which far exceeds the general rate of inflation, how long do you think a Union run retiree health insurance program will last before becoming insolvent? I personally know of a couple of retirees who each have spent well over a million dollars in GM healthcare benefits since reitiring. How long will the Union funded system last with each and every retiree demanding every possible, expensive procedure available? Not to mention hearing aids, walkers, hospital beds, joint replacements and the plethora of stuff the medical system is only too happy to sell at the highest prices they can get away with. Welcome to the Socialists States of Bailouts comrade. Bailouts for the rich while us comrades wallow in abject poverty.

Hey Red since you are so concerned about the gm retirees should gm file bankruptcy; there are several safe guards. One, the pension plan is insured by the federal government under the ARISSA program. Should they take over the pension program, the retirees probably would not receive their full pension but would receive at least 50% of it. Two, as to the health care, the union is set to take that over in 2010 under a veba agreement. I think the gm retirees will be alright in the end but thanks for your concern. We weathered Ronald Reagan, we can withstand George Bush.

Let’s stop pointing fingers and start asking the tough questions. 1) After GM files bankruptcy, which will allow it to get, rid of its pension and retiree health responsibilities who will pay for the bypass surgeries, the knee replacements, and the chemotherapy? Mercy and Dean better wake up. 2) How will retirees be able to survive on social security alone? 3) What will Janesville do with a superabundance of housing on the market, all of it overpriced? 4) Who will pay city salaries when families start defaulting on their property tax bills and city revenues fall far short of those needed to provide basic services? 5) With no middle class left who will be able to afford SUV’s, McHomes, expensive subdivisions, private school, and college? Maybe those employed by the new super Wall Mart and Sams Club? After asking the above questions I’d think about coming up with answers to those questions. It will take a lot of people thinking “outside the box” to address the hard times ahead.

With all of the doom and gloom it seems we have today and not much to look forward to, I wouldn't want that top executive branch for nothing. Whoever "wins" this election is certainly in for a very rough ride.

How long before we hear about how bad the airlines are doing? I find it odd that they are not crying for more government money along with everyone else as they have been very prominent complainers in the recent past. Is that going to be the big story next week?

I like me Janesville built GM gas hog!

Remember folks GM kept buiding gas hogs.Now everybody is cryin for another bailout on your dime.Any money from your government,is your dime,get it?

I think it's pretty ridiculous how angry people get on this message board. The anger that some of you spread isn’t needed or make sense. Neither candidate has really done a clear job on how they will fix the problems this country has or Janesville has for that matter. For those of you who think McCain is better than Obama or vice versa are going to get a reality check come January. Like it or not, one of them is going to become President and GM will still be closing its doors and several thousand people will be out of jobs. Do all of us HUGE a favor and get the facts before you spout off and make an informed choice when you vote in November or don’t vote at all.

My father was the VP of a bank in Racine and we were far from wealthly..

Talk is cheap. Give us a signed document.

Totellthetruth: Why would you ever take the name you have? Have you ever told the truth on here?

Panderama.

Hey fellow comrades of the Socialist States of Bailouts. You can’t have a trickle-down philosophy for a crisis problem. It doesn’t work. You don’t pay banks to influence their behavior in the hopes that they will then behave in the way you want them to behave. The problem is not Wall Street, it’s Main Street. It’s simple, but people who live in ivory towers and have million-dollar salaries just don’t see the problems of the poor people on Main Street. It’s not in their understanding. Who will foot the bill for health insurance once all the middle class jobs with benefits are gone? Who will be able to fianance a Suburban when they no longer have a job at the plant? How will senior citizens survive on Social Security when all the pension funds and 401K's are worthless (having been sucked dry by Wall Street gone wild). I wouldn't spend too much time pointing fingers. Instead I'd be thinking about cleaning up government, getting rid of highly paid lobbyists and redistributing the obscene wealth at the top more evenly to the middle. Without a healthy, prosperous middle class we are doomed to live as those third world peoples we've so despised. Maybe we're headed for the times when no one shall buy or sell except those with the mark of the beast.

well I did not hear Obama in any interviews say that middle class to him was 5 million a year like McCain did. Talk about out of touch! wow, Mr. McCain cant even say Obama's name. He calls him" that one". A real great leader he would make!!!!

Greek 81-Is that all you got against Obama? So, let's see...he's a terrorist who caused the credit crisis while rigging the election. Wow. Well, good luck with that line of argument, I guess... Meanwhile watch McCain's poll numbers fall, fall, fall.

Can Washington come up with a bail-out package for us, the working class? Maybe more than $600 per person! They keep talking "billions" of dollars for this and that. To put it into perspective, one Billion seconds ago was 1959!

Zoom I read it and still have not a clue as to the truth. I can write my bio any way and have people look at it. whats between the lines? what did I not add? who am I really? What lenghths will I go to hide the other side of me? again the options we have IMO are not much....... IMO this goes for both parties. FAVRE has my vote!

zoom what faith and what bible? we havent really got any real proof. I was raised by a single mom most of my life, I also raised 4 children as a single mom your point! and not much money here either. Alot of people struggled growing up what makes him any different? the poor me's dont get it. All I know is words are words and actions speak much louder. The time is now not when or IF your the president. I can promise the world with a fence around it but at whose expence? I wish there were more options for the voters! We are in a mess and I really feel bad for anyone who has to step in at this time. Time for CHANGE is now!

why should Obama save GM. GM did this to themselves. poor management could be a reason, you think ? maybe building trucks no one except GM workers want is another one. how about the auto workers union that backs down to GM while you pay them for it. one minute you hate Obama , the next you want him to save your job.

Anyone who thinks Barack Obama will save the General Motors plant here is... blindly wrong. Obama can't even answer a direct question let alone resolve a problem. Right now he is busy spinning his way out of possibly being involved in fixing an election and hanging out with a terrorist. He got out of his association with Rev. Wright by changing churches. Ten years too late but those with less than average intelligence accepted it. Oh and by the way. The solution to save GM is make them leave everything in place when they go. That way 2 3 or 5 years from now it can easily be put back into production. Wait for technology. Wait for the market to be changed. Wait for people to realize that shopping at Walmart for chinese made goods has created a disaster. Wait for our oil production to increase.

This country is like a car driving straight toward a cliff and the Republicans have been steering a little bit to the right. Now the "big change" being argued is that we should elect a Democrat who will steer a little bit to the left. With either party we will still wind up going off the cliff. Both parties serve the same "aristocracy" of America who feel there is still plenty of wealth to be boosted from America without consequences.
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It will take someone like a Ron Paul or a Ralph Nader who are not in the pockets of big business or big labor to get this country to do a full 180 degree turn and NOT go over the cliff. It will also require at least 51% of the voters to get their heads out of their rear pant pockets and stop voting for party lapdogs who continue to want to steer toward the cliff.
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Any idiot who talks about their town or county or state receiving "free" Federal or State money should immediately be removed from office and prevented from voting, by whatever means neccessary. Likewise any fool who champions or supports a politician known for inserting earmarks (pronounced ex-tor-tion) into bills at the State or Federal level.
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Voters NEED to insist on every Governor and the President getting line item veto power (and definitely NOT the gerrymandering word veto power Governor Doyle currently has). Voters also NEED to force politicians to pass a None Of The Above law http://nota.org/ into every state constitution and make it an amendment to the United States constituion. As long as our ballots only offer us a choice of pork-barrel spenders, we will always wind up with a ham in office. If our ballots allow us to reject both candidates and require new ones, we have a chance to weed out the current herd of swine occupying our government legislatures.

I feel tingles up and down my spine when Obama talks.

The GOP stands for Grand Old Party with the emphasis on "old". They have no new ideas to bring to the table, they've had their run and its not been good. Time for some new blood and Barack Obama is the one to get things going. This plant experienced layoffs during the Reagan years and the Bush 1&2 years. Haven't you had enough?

NVgrf; You folks have screwed the nation up....now let us at least try to straighten things out. YOU FOLKS?
House= 54% Democrat 46% Republicans
Senate= 49% Democrat 49% Republicans 2% Independent. Who are the You Folks that You are talking about?

HELL I AM A bEARS FAN AND i SECOND THE MOTION VOTE FARVE

And zoom, you could find the reality that he was raised and given his name by his radical islamic father.

Yes, Obama is the almighty, give me a break! His grandmother was the VP of a bank, hardly lived "modestly". You'd be working non stop to put yourself through the colleges he went to. Smoothe talker, that's all he is. Honestly, I don't think either one of them have a solid plan. Favre might be the one :)

Job growth in Wisconsin under Pres. Clinton: 21%
Job growth in Wisconsin under Pres. Bush: 1%
http://www.bizjournals.com/specials/page...
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The lack of new jobs means more competition for the existing jobs, which (supply-demand curve) forces wages down.

screw it i voting for favre

Obama will bring back jobs to Wisconsin. He will tax the big corporations and bring good paying jobs back to Wisconsin. Obama '08

Thats right let the goverment bail em out. Can anyone say socialism? We have the goverment buying banks and lending money like they have a money tree. When its only the out of work taxpayer footing the bill. None of these idiots running for office are going to change anything.

honestly... can this country withstand more of what we've been dealt by the current administration??? If you think McCain is any different, please think again. At least Obama is more for the working class, in which I bet most of us are just that!!!

The loan was $25 BILLION.

Great more of our tax dollars to bail out mismanaged Companies.

Hello??? The current "administration" just passed and signed a loan - giving the US auto companies 35 million over 3 years to "redesign and retool". The next president will have that in his pocket anyway.

NVgrf, put the kool-aide down and walk away slowly and no one gets hurt.

The cynicism of the right is starting to gag me. You folks have screwed the nation up....now let us at least try to straighten things out.

He did not say he would help the Janesville Plant. He said" I will lead an effort to retool plants LIKE the GM facility in Janesville. There is a difference. More Spin!!

His vote to increase the CAFE standards sure did not help the Janesville GM plant or the whole American auto industry for that matter!

Irishlady, you could read Baracks bio at his web site.
http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_ba...

'Barack Obama was raised by a single mother and his grandparents. They didn't have much money, but they taught him values from the Kansas heartland where they grew up. He took out loans to put himself through school. After college, he worked for Christian churches in Chicago, helping communities devastated when steel plants closed. Obama turned down lucrative job offers after law school to return to Chicago, leading a successful voter registration drive. He joined a small law firm, taught constitutional law and, guided by his Christian faith, stayed active in his community. Obama and his wife Michelle are proud parents of two daughters, Sasha and Malia.'

Talk is talk lets see some action its not all about retooling and government funding! Its about getting in and doing something other then talk. We need to look at reality and where we are right now not after election! Has he ever worked in a factory or have a clue what it is like for the GM people right now.

Mr. Obama's plan to tax corporations trillions will result in further layoffs.

lol anything for votes

Obama isn't going to help... bla bla bla...

president obama....