does janesville only depend on gm as a job source so what if they are cutting some fat out of the line workers.if janesville was smart they would try and get more industry in janesville. so when gm does close this plant do at least there is something else to land on.instead of leaning on the goverment to pay for your crap.

Thank you Dan Hartung... What Dan states is something one can take to the bank, um, no pun intended. The bursting housing bubble will take this country for a scary ride, there is no doubt about that. Those of us who wish to have an average working guy attain the presidency need to get the $$$ out -- completely out -- of politics. Let me know how that goes for ya. As far as 35 mpg being unattainable, that is patently rediculous as well. I own an '07 Z71 Chevy Colorado pickup with the big ass 3.7 L (about 223 c.i.) Vortec inline 5 in it and off the lot was getting 22 mpg city (try not racing to the next stoplight on your next tank of gas... yeah, I'm the "slow" guy you hate to get behind but invariably I'll see you at the next light or the one after that...) and nearly 30 mpg hwy (60-65 mph on cruise), far better than the EPA 17/23 on the sticker. With a few modifications (intake and exhaust, lighter engine internals, different tires when not offroad, keeping tire pressure a little higher at 38 psi, etc) I improved about 10% to 24/33 mpg and that's with one of today's trucks and a few mods! You want speed? My other car has a 2 L (a puny 122 c.i.) with a supercharger on it. With some easy modifications (resulting in 305 whp) she'll make the 1/4 mile in 14.1 seconds with a 115 mph trap speed and still get 26/32 mpg in everyday driving! 'Aha!' you say, 'my vehicles don't pass the new standards' that is true but when that engine is "reprogrammed" as a daily driver and if i don't spool up that supercharger, my fuel economy soars to 39/46. Why? It's a small (2 L) lightweight engine in a lightweight car. As car companies continue to get smarter about the materials of the car and engine and about fuel management, I have little doubt 35 mpg can be achieved in daily driver vehicles. For those of you bemoaning that 35 mpg can never be reached, have you given up on good ol' American know how and ingenuity??? As a closing thought, those of us who continue to believe that (raising) fuel standards has nothing to do with our continual involvement in the Middle East need to seriously ponder the reasons why we have project such a strong presence on and send so much of our national treasure to a region of the world so far, and so different, from home.

skt1357,
Sorry, I thought the topic was about the story and how the line will slow down because the market has changed as it said in it companion story. Did it not say they will decrease production and slow the line down? The topic should be about that, not this CAFE, senators, MPG or what ever else you are talking about here. I did not know that I had to go back and read every post to make sure that people are actually talking about the story. Please tell me where I missed all this other stuff in the story. Are you not to comment about what you actually read? BTW when did you get the new job as boss of the web site? If you think it is so off topic you should have your employees at the gazette remove it.

This has nothing to do with CAFE rules that won't even take effect until the 2011 model year (read the bill).

This has everything to do with a crash in auto lending following the collapse of the mortgage market, which has closed off credit for a lot of people that they had been using to buy more car than they could afford (e.g. full-size SUVs). This is going to be a tight market segment for at least the next two years until credit markets recover (assuming they don't get even worse).

To ski1357: In regards to your comment about blaming the democrats, how about some blame for that republican president we have? If you ask me ALL politicians are only after what benefits them, not what helps the people! We need a regular person to be president that knows how to live paycheck to paycheck and relates to what it really is like to try to make it these days.

greenst. Your comments have nothing at all to do with this topic. Please lets stay on topic.

No PLEASE GM, keep building more vehicles then you are selling. That way you can put a big buy like a employee sale on and screw your loyal buyers by making their cars worth nothing like you did last time. They will not get me again. I am done with GM. We had eight GM cars before we were 30, five of them new. Last one we got a quote on it for a trade, came back a week later after the employee sale started we lost $4k on it. All because they did not know their market share. But hey they got people that normally don't buy GM to buy one. They only had to sell out their loyal customers to do it. Lets see if the new to GM buyers will come back when they find out their car has no value because they sold thousands of them cheep. I have already bought two new cars since. I wonder how much more of my money they will lose out on. Screw me once, shame on you. I will not give they a chance to do it again.

RYAN VOTED NO ON THE FINAL BILL THAT PASSED TODAY. NOW THAT WE HAVE A PRODUCTION CUT IN GM JANESVILLE MAYBE OUR 2 SENATORS CAN SEE TO VOTE FOR US NOT AGAINST US

To "NOGO" get your facts straight and stop trowing false info around, just because you have tunnel vision. Feingold and Kohl are the ones you should blame. The Democrats are not for the working class anymore

You may be right. I was just trying to get you to say that you didn't have your head in the sand, but you didn't take the bait. Merry Christmas to all and to all SUV's goodnight.

I think I do get it. Everyone voted for the Democrats this last time around because of all they said they were going to do to help people here in our country. What have they done? Nothing, except keep voting for resolutions on Iraq that mean nothing. And creating a new CAFE law that requires a MPG standard that is virtually unatainable by all automakers, not just American companies. Sure the automakers could make the new standards, however, I can already see that auto prices will also go up. There is no way the Japanese can make this new standard without a lot more R & D. Maybe the Democrats should start focusing on what they promised and really start worrying about the American worker.

You just don't get it, but you will eventually, even if you can't pull your head out of the sand.

Oops, meant to say, Suburbans have been around longer THAN most people that build them now.

How do you compare building a truck with national security and young American lives. Suburbans have been around longer that most of the people that build them now. These new CAFE laws are bad for the whole auto industry. I'm not sure any automaker will be able to meet these new standards. And by the way, who wants to drive a car that basically folds in half in an accident. Give me a good strong SUV anyday.

No one can seriously think that there is a future in building huge gas-guzzling vehicles for the sole purpose of transporting one overweight passenger at the expense of our national security and young American lives. New CAFE rules may be the only thing that can save General Motors in Janesville.

Exactly bob. Our good old Democratic Senators voted for this. I thought that the democratic party was the one for the workers?? Guess Kohl, and Feingold forgot about all the workers in Southern Wisconsin. Oh yeah, I forgot Feingold is too busy trying to get the President impeached to pay attention to what his constituents have to say here in Wisconsin.

don't blame ryan--it was our two senators, kohl and feingold who wanted even a tougher law

Yes, heaven forbid we might take some responsible steps toward a reduction in our dependence on foreign oil, a dependence that is costing us billions of dollars and young American lives every day. Sacred cows are not found only in India.

Is CAFE bad?

New CAFE rules? Thanks PAUL RYAN.