Joker-You are so out of touch with what's going on. G.M. pumps so much into the local economy and you know this. This goes beyond money into the Janesville economy. The Janesville plant has many hard working people there. I worked there for many years. You couldn't handle the work there. Complaining about how lazy they are from your keyboard is more your speed. That is the "cold hard truth". Janesville is in a "downward slope" because the plant keeps outsourcing and cutting jobs. This puts less money in the economy. Janesville better off with G.M. gone? Really? Seems to me it would be a huge waste of space with nothing to put in that area. What internal documents have you seen to say the plant will close in January of '09. Nice guess, but wrong like all your other accusations.

darius
Let me get this right, you quit GM to be with your kids, you don't have a husband. You must be working to support your kids so where was the gain? Unless your not working???

Jim P~
You really like twisting things around don't you? Good for you. Just for the record, I don't have a husband...sorry, not gay. And, one other thing, I dug my well before I got thirsty and left GM. It's called free enterprise. Lastly, I don't bash anyone's lifestyle. I let God do the judging.

Taz, I have morals and compassion. I am not a hater. I simply tell the truth. The cold hard truth. Until you and other Janesville snobs face the truth and admit that GM and Janesville is not the center of the universe, the better this community will be. You and others who think Janesville is better than Beloit, Evansville, Milton, etc are now truly seeing what has gone around, coming around. But then, Janesville has a long history of not facing the truth-racism against Beloit, the existence of gangs in Janesville, drug houses near Mercy and in the 4th Ward, the KKK setting up shop here, a good old boy(read male and white only) network on the police force and the City Council,etc. Should I go on????

darius
Kind of makes me wonder a 97 hire? No seniority and you wanted time off you weren't eligible for so when the buyout come along you took the cash to stay home with your kids because your husband had a good job too and now you want to bash the GM workers life style???

The problem is the entire country, what it has become, and what it is, or used to, stand for. Just look at all the negativity on these blogs week after week. Haters, bashers, naysayers, etc.

Noone has any morals, compassion, or values anymore. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around.

Don't like GM, the workers, or their wages? Then why are you here? I don't see anyone bashing your job, wage, or line of work.

Reality is, GM closing is going to be a bad thing for many, including Janesville and Rock County, just not the GM employees.

yellow~
I'm not judging your parents for working at GM. I'm judging myself and my time at GM. Good for them if they were able to negotiate with their superiors to get the time off to see you and your siblings events. I hired in '97 ... a much different era at Janesville GM. I never had the luxury of getting "special" time off for my family events. I tried, but, never received special treatment. I put up a fight about it because there still were others who were able to pull it off. For the most part, they simply said, just live with it or leave. So, I left. I wasn't going to allow them to dictate the course of my life with my family. I soon realized, they weren't......I was dictating it. I made the choice to hire in there, I had the power to change that as well! It's a matter of priorities.

Where are all of these G.M workers going to work now? Last I heard most places are only paying about $6.00 an Hour and no Benefits

csense go on line and look at state of wis for a state job plenty of them if you have a degree,

Thank you GM for every thing, My wife & I worked there for many years. It's a great family to work for. For my brother & sister that are still working at the Janesville plant good luck & God bless you all... The best thing I did was to leave the plant in July 2006 with 21.5 years. Thanks again for the good times

No matter how much you may disagree with GM and the employees that work there they are a big part of this community and they live among us. They work a job just like any other person it just happens to be at the plant. I wouldn't wanna do their jobs doing the same thing day after day for years on end. Somebody has to do it. I'm not a big union guy either but, we have to do what we have to do to support ourselves. It's not like they have a choice to be in the union when they work there.

Blame Blame Blame. First of all, a college degree doesn't necessarily buy you a golden ticket in today's world. Look at the college graduates they show fresh out of school and still looking???? My point being missed. It's this country and how people are living buying foreign products etc. We have intelligent people here to make everything we need. Secondly, don't go blaming unions. They are there to fight for the decent jobs and to protect you after the jobs have gone overseas after you have bought foreign. The many union officials I know have given TIMELESS hours away from their families to do what is right for their union brothers and sisters. But what is new?? Ignorance prevails again with the "squeeky wheels" that are never satsified. As far as Mr. "I am leaving my family here" thank god you had the union to make it possible for you to go to another plant and start a new life for your entire fsmily. It's time for everyone to be thankful for what we have and to be happy for each other. Enough of this jealous baby crap.

ap2533jvl:
Unions are a thing of the past. There are many more laws today that help protect the workers that didn't exist back in the day of unions.

What did the UAW do for its workers in Janesville?? It fought for a way more than fair wage and this is part of the problem. Do you think that GM may have thought twice about closing Janesville if the workers were making $10-15 dollars an hour less. They sure would have! The benefits/wages that GM is paying are outrageous compared to automakers in the south. I understand that the biggest reason is oil price but the amount they were paying the workers had to have been a factor. How could they compete with Honda, Toyota or Nissan that are paying half the wages down south. Look at Chrysler in Belvidere, they have workers that are making $14/hour next to someone making at least twice that. The American auto industry had finally realized that it can't keep paying these huge wages and compete. This is why they are getting rid of the older workers and bringing in younger ones that will work for less.

The UAW did a real disservice to the worker in Janesville. How could they not see far enough down the road to see that this would bite them in the butt?

To all who wish bad things on GM workers, i will pray for some compassion for you. i picked up and left my family in Janesville for another plant, and I am grateful for the opportunity. Thankfully, my family will be joining me at the end of August. All you can do is count your blessings today, for there is no gaurantee for tomorrow. Yes, there were lazy workers and the union wrote stupid grievances all the time, but that is no reason to wish ill on anyone. The UAW is in it's death spiral, it may have one or two more blow outs, but that is it. I do not know if that is a good or bad thing, but it is a fact. God Bless to all.

Snarly - you say that you work a 3rd shift job and make more than a GM worker - where do you work? I know several people in need of jobs.

Toyota recently announced that it lowered its production forecast. They are also shifting production in some plants to smaller cars. Is this due to their lazy workers? General Motors had too many plants building pickups and SUV’s, which is obvious. However, even foreign based car manufacturers were not ready for how quickly Americans shifted to small cars and how bad auto sales would be. The plant Toyota build in Texas for the Tundra is not that old. My point being, that regardless of how lazy workers may or may not have been or how much money they made the end results would have been the same. Blame it on bad management, blame it on unpredictable markets, blame it on the workers, and blame it on the rain if you’re Millie Vanilie; either way it comes down to this equation: High Gas Prices + Gas Guzzlers + Economic Uncertainty = Auto plants closing. So what if GM workers made more money than I do? There are plenty of cockier and much wealthier people out there that don’t get half the criticism GM workers get on this blog. Wrong or right, most Americans live up to or beyond their income levels. If GM workers had the money to buy toys they did so, because that is what most Americans do if they can afford it. Any loss of work would hurt the average American, because we are all heavy consumers most of which live beyond or means. This holds true regardless of our income levels. Whether someone is working a check out at Target or has an MBA working in upper level management, they are probably spending too darn much of what they make. Apparently a college degree alone isn’t enough education to get us to understand that simple fact. It is unfortunate when anyone loses their job from issues beyond their direct control regardless of income level or education level. Right now it’s important that all Janesville residents come together and work towards the future with or without GM being a part of it.
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jim p
Who said working at GM was being greedy?? Don't put words in here on my behalf that I didn't include! Don't put a halo around people just because they worked at GM! Don't forget about the other people in this world as well! I know people who made half to a third per hour as GM employees and still found a way to send their kids off to college. Life isn't just about making the almighty dollar! If that were the case, I would've never left GM when I did. I made it very clear, I chose to have more time with my kids while they're still KIDS than to continue on at GM. What others do is their deal. But, don't anybody kid themselves. Our culture has become a society of people who spend so much time having to work that the family foundations have been diluted. Surprise, this even includes college graduates! It's become an accepted way of life in our society. Let the kids be raised by daycare, we need more toys and our credit card bills are so high I need overtime! What happened to stay at home mom's for cryin' out loud??? I think mainstream America is so disconnected these days it's pathetic. People have lost a sense of what's truly important. Here's a tip, money isn't #1 on the list.

So it seems that wanting something better, to have a home, a decent car or whatever you want to work for is being greedy? What qualifies others to dictate your pay, what you can own ( or why you want it.) or your way of life?
Not everyone wants to be "better than someone else". They want what they like, not what you like. It's called freedom. If you work then you should be able to spend your earnings on something you want, not something the government or society dictates for you.
So if you're satified with renting an apartment or house or driving a compact car, so be it. But you have no right to dictate what is best for others, just yourself. Just remember why your ancestors came to this country in the first place, for something better.
If you've got what you want or need stop telling others that they don't need anything more. Maybe you're satisfied now. Wait and see. You'll want to improve your situation and guess who will be "greedy" then. So who is the one thinking that they're superior? The person who works and improves his own life, or someone who tries to impose their values on others.
No one has any business saying that another person is lazy or overpaid...just remember you're judging youself too!

I guess what I said was somewhat rude but your posts just seemed to have an undertone of bragging. I just have a personal problem with people who like to brag and sometime I get out of hand with it and get angry instantly. Respect for pursuing a college degree. Some of your lines just made it sound like you were trying to act like you were better than everyone. Sorry if you didn't mean it like that but if you do then I stand by all my words, previously. Going to college is something I wish I would have been wise enough to do but unfortunately 6 years ago I was young dumb and only cared about being stoned 24/7, obtainied a criminal record, and unknowingly or uncaringly (at the time) annihilated my future. Good luck to everyone and all the families that may be parted.

mdbrill:
How judgemental people can be on here??!! I never said I was going to automatically be "rich" because i will have a college education. I am saying I am going to be "wealthy" which can mean many things such as wealthy in happiness, strength, well-rounded. I am going to be all of these things because I have had to experience to get out and see several situations such as going to college, WORKING SUMMER HELP AT GM. I didn't work there so I could by the latest designer jeans..I worked there so I could pay my college tuition. I am a college student, and just like you i am scrapping for ends to meet also. How can you make comments such as those...when the word "rich" never was put in my post.

I am very sorry to hear about your family and the struggles that they have to deal with the closing at GM. Atleast we can have that in common along with the 'lack there of' money in our pocket books!

Well I keep watching for GM lives of excess in the classifieds.

Apparently, English class is no longer a prerequisite for those seeking a criminal justice degree.

I have multiple family members who work for GM. Unfortunately, I will also more than likely be missing out on my two little brother's childhood if they have to transfer to another plant. It's a da*n sad thing the way money and greed affect the world. Because of money I will be missing out on my two brother's childhood.

I'm not hating on the wages they make there and will admit I make about 1/3rd of what they do. I scrape by, and can save well, even on a meagar wage. For anyone there who is suddenly going to be in financial trouble, I can't feel bad for you. If I was making that much I would be set. It's just simple planning and living within your means and planning for the worst of situations. Instead many are buying big homes and brand new cars. That's fine and dandy but you always should expect that your job could be compromised anyday, anytime. Prepare for it.

It absolutely devastates me how people are so took in with greed and wanting to be (in their minds) better or own better things then the next person. You're just a human like everyone else. What I hate just as much, is conceited people like "Yellow" who brag about how they are going to make lots of money, are going to college and simply in a non-straightforward way want to let you know that they are better than you. Who cares? Just live, treat people with respect, care for others. You want people to envy you because you will make more money but honestly who gives a flying f? Yellow, you are an example of the reason America is going to sh**. Greed. The want to be better than the next guy. You are a disgrace and contributor to bad times ahead.

Snarly,
So you say being in the military makes you respectful? Obviously it didn't work for you. You have a degree in criminal justice? (Wow two years at Blackhawk Tech.) Maybe...just maybe that's why the crime rate is going up. You talk about GM workers not doing their jobs, well maybe the same can be said about how you do your job. But for some reason I don't believe what you say about yourself. I'd be careful, someday you might be working for one of those "lazy GM WORKERS". What is your fetish with tv's?

WOW, I CANNOT BELIEVE CURLYSUE HASN'T PIPED IN YET!!

I cannot believe how many people are making this about the GM worker's and not the poor economy. Do you really think that GM is closing because of the "lazy" workers? NO. It is closing because of the gas prices. Also, this is not the only GM that is closing. Other plants are closing as well, so why don't you GM "haters" go to their post board and tell them how they are poor and "lazy" workers. Maybe when you hear back from them that they work hard you will have a little sympothay for the Janesville workers. Not all of them are lazy, but there are some who have worked there for 20+ years to have easy jobs. If you people worked somewhere busting your butt for years you would hope and expect to have an easier job. Right? This is a sad time for our economy. We should all be trying to pull together instead of pushing apart.

darius
I don't work at GM but if working at GM is greed so be it. I would rather work at GM and make enough so I can send my kids to college and give them the education my parents couldn't give me.

You can talk about helping your neighbor or those in need all you want but you'd better think hard and long about all of the help GM employees gave for years and years that will no longer be there.

This community is going to be hit hard because you won't have the pot of money to beg from anymore.

GM put an awful lot of food on decades of tables and put many a kid through college. Their employees purchase from many area businesses along with other Janesville workplaces. GM gave some folks a comfortable living and they certainly earned it! Really, why would anyone want the company YOU work for to stay in town? If it faild I'm certain it will have been the employees fault. Yep, you probably believe GM builds vehicles by magic while all the employees sit and watch. Some people are laughably ignorant - good-riddance to THEM.

Maybe GM workers are so "used to" the easy work they do they just think they work hard?

Well said Shorty..if only everyone would listen!

Darius:
My parents worked very hard for what we have/had. And I can proudly say, my parents were at EVERY school sponsored, and sporting even that I participated in, not to mention that I also have 3 other siblings they did the same for. I understand the point you are trying to make, but please dont go around judging my parents just because of the place that they worked at. GM is very flexible when people say "my kid has a game at 4, so i am going to need to leave early" no questions asked, and it was always granted.

Once again, I don't feel the need to explain myself and life on some blog..but if i could just keep refering to one thing THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT GM CLOSING and in the long run THE ECONOMY CLOSING DOORS ON US. Not how much money people make, their work ethics, or the way they spend their money.

I wish all the ignorance of the "lazy GM worker" would stop. You individuals should wake up and see what is happening to this country as a whole!!! There are the few workers that "blat off" but for the most part, life isn't a bowl of cherries down there. It's hot, tiring not to mention what it does to a persons body after years on the line. We as a nation are in trouble, I worry for my kid's futures; that's why I buy AMERICAN every chance I get. Too bad more of the so called Americans didn't. So cut the crap on how lazy everyone thinks an employee is and try to turn this nation into the UNITED STATES we started as. I am educated thankfully, but I do feel for this community and losing the businesses that go along with GM.

Well said Darius. People now don't like to save and want the new car now. So, they buy on time and then they over extend themselves and need more money to pay off the bills. So, more husband and wives are working fulltime and letting the daycares take care of their children. The true reward in life is seeing your child become a productive adult that will contribute to society. That is true wealth.

respect go in the military first before you talk about respect yellow and you going to college good for you but i do have a degree in criminal justice so guess what i do,so to all you people crying about GM just a fact of life in the auto industry,I also worked in the plant in the summer time there and seen how people acted and smoked, drink,on the line run out to zachow's for a shot and a beer,

I guess we can blame congress for not allowing oil companies to drill for oil in our own country. We should have seen this coming 15 years ago. It's a shame that these people are losing their jobs due to nothing more than politics.

yellow~
I understand where you're coming from. When you say wealth, you're referring to "money". Money alone doesn't define true wealth. I think it's great that your parents did what they did. Most won't even do that, because they're so busy spending it on their selfish selves. But, all that time your parents are off working to create that income, was time they didn't get with YOU. Kids are only kids once! I was at GM for 10 years and left because I decided to face reality. Was $27/hr or time with my wife and young kids the most important thing in my life? Most people believe you have to make 50k/ year or more to be happy. Money doesn't buy happiness. It's the time you create with that money that equals true wealth. Nothing against college, but, they teach the same thing....go out and work until you have one foot in the grave and enjoy the rest of your life after that! What about enjoying life when you're young and old? What about spending time with our children and instilling good values in their lives rather than daycare or schools being their mom's and dad's?? Why can't that be a part of the equation?
It can. Most don't have the courage or knowhow to make that happen. I didn't!

JimP
"People" are responsible for greed in this country! You're assuming that everyone who yearns to make a dollar in this info. age and create wealth for themselves has a self serving agenda! I'm talking about the wealth that these corrupt crooked corporations once controlled, being dispersed back into the consumers pockets. I'm talking about consumers who are willing to take a stand against selfishness and greed!
The only way people are going to be able to do that is through "change". It's going to take people like you and me to start caring about out neighbors and surrounding communities and learning to work together rather than against each other. Did it ever dawn on you that those people in those corporate and stock market board rooms were born into this world just like you and me?? People aren't born greedy and evil. They are TAUGHT to be! If those people taught the wrong way can make it into power, why can't people raised on principles and values that actually have a sense of honor and duty be elevated into those positions? THEY CAN. It's just going to take people to stop making excuses like "i'm too busy" or "I tried and failed" or "My friends told me that would never work". If enough people get their heads out of their rears and take this seriously, they can create a ripple effect and more people would jump on board!

Snarly:

Actually I am starting my 4th year in college, I worked at GM last summer as summer help. What are you going to bash about that???! Why dont you bash the fact that alot of people in my family have spent their lives working hard there for themselves and the people of Janesville and GM. So basically what i am getting to....I am laughing at you working 3rd shift in a factory when I will have an amazing college eduaction, a great job and a wealthy life BECAUSE MY PARENTS PROVIDED FOR ME BY WORKING AT GM allowing me to go to school! Its called RESPECT, have some for your city, your state, and your country!! Stick up for what you believe in, but dont belittle the people that are actually working hard towards what they believe it. (And I could also call you a jerk, such as you did to me...but my educated self is not going to lower my standards to you)

Snarly has a miserable personal life and is very jealous of the GM worker or he would not be on here commenting EVERYDAY like he has been since GM became so eveident in the news and the Gazette.

Some of you truly amaze me. TV's for Packer games or they won't show for work? TV's that "are not allowed be turned off?".

Obviously, some of you have never worked at Janesville GM. As far as the Packer game goes that all of you are referring to, the reduced production that night was due to parts shortages from severe weather near one of our suppliers. The TV's turn on & off whenever one pleases. The TV's are there for in house broadcast purposes, and GM, not the Union or employees, decided to broadcast some other events on these TV's such as the Packer game, Badgers, and even the Presidential Debates.

If any of you think GM workers are lazy, please feel free to take a FREE tour of the plant before it closes. As is any company there are a few who appear to have less work or responsibility, but unlress you know for a fact, never assume anything. Some people get Ergo breaks because the jobs are so poorly set up.

And another thing, dont blame the Gm workers wages for ANY OF THIS. Gm Janesvilles payroll is less than 5% of their daily revenue. Most businesses run closer to 25%. So how can you blame the workers wages when it amounts to such a small percentage? This number is now closer to 7% due to running only 1 shift now, still hardly large enough to blame the workers.

Reality is, GM as a whole is in trouble for THEIR PAST and CURRENT PRACTICES and BUSINESS DECISIONS. A CEO taking the largest bonus in HISTORY all while posting the LARGEST LOSS in company history? Lots of blame to pass around. Stop hating on the employess who are only doing what they are told to do, assemble the vehicles GM designs, markets, produces, and takes 5 years to bring to the consumer such as the new Camaro.

For all of you who say those employees are lazy and over paid, you obviously next set foot in there so you have no room to talk. The place is hell, specially during the summer months when I was just a temp employee. Working there for a summer made me want to get my college degree even more. Are there some people there that dont do much? YES, 95% of those employees work in hellish conditions. Until you set foot on that line, dont talk about something you have no room to talk about.

*cringe* To clarify, I never said that people should buy foreign vehicles. [I don't even drive a car. I'm lucky enough to have a train where I live] I simply suggested that they were ahead of the curve. I know that GM has taken the initiative to develop a few more full efficient vehicles, but perhaps the plant wouldn't be closing if they had used it partly for the production of smaller vehicles.

hay yellow i have a great job and it is 3rd shift you jerk, and pays a lot more than GM, and we don't need a tv in every break room to see the packers play so are you one of those GM workers who are out of a job, GOOD.

Face it. Janesville is on the downward slope. We are better off with GM being gone and to be honest with some of these fat lazy workers. Also, please stop the racist comments about Beloit. You are really showing how uneducated Janesville is.

we pay for the gas not him wake up yellow

I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.

Atlas is shrugging

Snarly:

Do you have a job, and what are your hours of that job??? I doubt that you work a 10 hour night shift. Is it a crime to be passionate about a sport? I'm sure if you are, you are probably sitting at home on Monday nights watching that football game. What is the big crime with people wanting to see a score of a football game? I think that is pretty natural...so how about you stick to the serious subject of this blog which is the fact that GM IS CLOSING DUE TO THE ECONOMY...NOT THE WORKERS (if it was the workers than just Janesville would be closing, not various other plants around the world!) Take your jealous butt back to school and get an education and stop wasting your time degrading everyone else maybe you would find a job that you could make $20 an hour (which is average)

Why would a person get into a car one day knowing they were going to get into a car accident when they drove....THEY DIDN'T KNOW. Its the risk that everyone takes everyday, and its the risk that everyone is taking with the economy. Foriegn companies took the risk to try a different more fuel efficent car, GM has introduced a variety of alternative fuel vehicles. With the product they are producing no matter what changes are made, it is going to still take alot of gas and money to fill it up. Why does the President of the United States allow himself to be driven around in a 2008 Tahoe???!!! That has to say something to everyone! No matter the gas prices, it is still a good full size vehicle..i'm sorry but I am AMERICAN I will buy AMERICAN and I will not drive my kids around in a car the size of a small box no matter how much money I save. I owe my loyalty to myself, and all of the other workers down at GM.

It's unfortunate that GM has found itself in this situation. I can't fathom what this is going to do to the city's already ailing economy. With such a large company going under, the ripples will be felt by even the smallest of Janesville companies. I understand that there are some people who are going to continue to drive the large SUV's and trucks despite the record gas prices, but why didn't GM recognize the decline in vehicle sales before this happened and make the necessary changes in manufacturing. Why did foreign companies foresee this happening, and not only cut back on the manufacturing of larger vehicles, but also develop smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles? Couldn't GM have made the adjustments, and perhaps used part of the Janesville plant for the manufacturing of smaller vehicles, instead of shutting the plant down entirely. Just seems like such an unfortunate waste. I wish everyone the best of luck during these trying times. Keep smiling :)

darius,

You astound me!

1st you talk about “the information age” tell me what has the information age ever made? Has it produced food, cars, beds, chairs, WHAT? The information age has had an effect on design and similar areas that help in production but it still takes workers making decent wages to buy those products

Now you’re talking about greed and loyalty. Has it ever dawned on you that the stock market and corporate boards dictates the greed?

The stock market wants dividends and if they don’t get it instantly tell sell. Corporate Board stock holders in for the long term want the same, a good example is American Axle, they cut wages by 50% and what do they do in return, they gave the CEO and 18 million dollar bonus plus stock.

The cost of those decisions has been millions & millions of jobs.

Yet you and a few others here want to lay blame where it doesn’t belong.

hay yellow it is sad that the GM workers can not show up to work on a packer monday because they did not have a TV to watch, WAKE UP. the GM workers had to have the TV or they would not come to work on packer monday, what a bunch of crap,O and the plant shutting down just a fact of life in the auto industry.

I don't understand why people feel the need to blame this on GM employee's here in Janesville. GM is a NATION wide company, therefore it draws in alot more money than the average company (that all the complainers are employeed at).....in result they can afford to pay their employees high wages, provide them with much needed benefits. And if you pay attention to the news, the Janesville plant is not the only one that is facing long term down time. Please, tell me what the difference is of having a TV in a breakroom and keeping it on compared to other people that are sitting on their computers all day long looking at gazetteextra? What is 1 tv to every 25 people at GM compared to 1 computer per person at your place of employement. Before you go around bashing Janesville, the GM employee's or even the UAW open your eyes to much more serious things such as gas prices, the housing market, food prices etc....Who are you going to blame for all of that??? The same thing that you will blame GM for closing THE FALLING ECONOMY!!!!!!! Leave everyone else alone, get an education, and grow up!

GM and it's employees (I WAS one of them)
are products of our "instant gratification" society. Had the company, the union and the employees had the vision that all of this greed would one day catch up with them, they would have acted accordingly. GM is all about making the most profit, the Union is about squeezing the most profit out of the company for the employees who will turn around and put a portion of it back into the unions pocket! It's a vicious cycle that occurs pretty much everywhere in corporate America! Everybody wants what they want NOW! If a company took the approach that they would be content to settle for less profit than anyone else, they would develop a loyal community that would flock to them with extreme loyalty. It would be a win-win. It won't happen with this instant gratification society that we're cursed with. Ego's and pocket books have cursed our culture and have been a parasite in our mainstream culture. Nobody cares about anybody else anymore. They want what they want! Get over that real quick, or you'll die off. It's not a theory either. It has to happen.........or else! It won't do any good burying our heads in the sand either hoping it'll all just work it's way out! Not gonna happen!

so is GM going to give those TV'S to the workers,now that they will not be used for packer games

The UAW and employees are resposible for GM leaving. Job Banks? they got paid and didnt even have to go to work. Sub Pay? A television at every break station that was not allowed to be turned off ever. Stupid grievances written at contract time about the front entrance not looking right. etc etc. Not being able to run the plant on Monday nights when the packers were playing because enough employees did not show up? The only plant that shut down during deer hunting. The more they got the less they did. And GM was stupid enough to go along with all this. You could see this comming many years ago. Iam 85 and am so sorry to see GM leaving.

Have no fear the socialist state of WI will be here to provide all, for all. No more envy over who gets paid more,you'll all make the same wage. Don't worry about housing or health care. it will be provided...no more materialism, we'll own everything and dole it out as we see fit...

cocktail848 maybe you should have another one... when is the last time you came to Beloit? It is not a s-hole as you state. In fact this city has won awards recently (2007 National Champion - America in Bloom) and continues to revitalize the downtown and other areas. You obviously haven't been to Beloit in some time or you would know better. Keep worrying about Janesville and leave Beloit out of it. The citizens here are enjoying the fact that we continue to improve every day!

The problem isn't with the laziness of GM workers, it is how skewed their wages are. There are people who work hard, repetitious jobs and make a third to a fourth of what workers at GM make. When that happens people on either side become envious or arrogant.
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Let's instead of fighting or bickering, work together to help out our fellow brothers and sisters. GM dollars are gone which will affect much more than just those employed by GM. So let's work on a solution rather than complain about problems we can't fix.

A snippet of an article and out from wood work come those UAW haters, who contribute nothing to this site unless they can bash GM or the UAW. I won’t acknowledge those posts with anymore than that. As for Beloit, I think the time has finally come when Beloit should be proud. They have a greatly improved river front, downtown, and job outlook. Granted, there are still pockets of major problem areas, but overall I’d say at this point, depending on GM’s situation here, that Beloit is better poised for success. Things change quickly though.

cocktail848

I guess you didn't do your home work either, oil always has been traded on the futures market. In case you haven't kept up SemGroup has collasped and filed for bankruptcy one of the largest future traders in oil.

Bush's energy policy was A sweeping package of tax breaks for energy suppliers

General Motors is a day late and a dollar short.Made five spent ten..Has nothing what ever to do with the the U.A.W. people that work there.Give up the bad mouthing of the employees.It's the economy.Don't need to be a brain sugeon to figure that out!

Let's face the fact's the GM PLANT is closing up everyone has their oppion's about it, and alot of other work place's will be hurt also like lear,allied,lsi and other's but with GM the workers will get a good part of there pay on unemployment,the other companies workers will not just unemployment, so where will all this get us, poor time's comming. as some of you say the gravy train is done,now it's time to go find another job, and it will not pay $20.00 plus an hour if you are looking in the janesvill area. O and i'm sure they will not have TV'S to watch packer game's on monday nite and have a bar in the parking lot,SO GOOD LUCK.

I'm sorry, what did you refer to Beloit as? I think you may need to take another look. Our buildings are gorgeous, as is our riverfront. We have worked hard to make it look this way, and the entire community is proud of our city.

cocktail~
I agree with what you say. It all boils down to "VISION". We are in a different age. We are not in the industrial age anymore. The companies that are trying to flourish using industrial aged thinking are dropping like flies. The American workers are being dropped as well because they've been taught to be at the mercy of these companies. (Trading their time for money) The American worker is losing as well trying to apply Industrial aged thinking to the new age that's upon us. The information age. People don't know what they don't know, and unfortunately, most have no fortitude to re-train their brains and take advantage of what's coming fast. Companies like GM for SURE have hung themselves slowly but surely over the years because they've been too used to be the high and mighty and thinking they're invincible. Companies and people that don't embrace "change" in this day and age are headed for a trainwreck. I was on those tracks. I'm not the smart one here, I'm just getting the word out. I pray it helps someone out there.

Jtmek, I think your numbers are way off. Actually, it is the other way around. 10% who actually work, 90% who are lazy. As I said, GM and UAW and their workers are to blame. Bush has no control over what happens to GM here in Janesville. Please stop the ignorant comments.
This city has gotten too big for its britches and their elitist view has to change. We have looked down too long at Beloit,Milton,Evansville,etc. Maybe with GM gone, we can "right size" and bring smaller industry and jobs in.

JanesvilleHero, you obviously never worked at GM. It is hard, grueling, repititious work. I would say that 90% of the workers down there work extremely hard. It's not fair to say that they are lazy. If you look at any business, you will find people who are not pulling their weight. So quit whining about the GM workers unless you have walked in their shoes.

"Once proud city?" Really? A town of lazy plant workers who continuously whined about pay and working conditions when all they did was take advantage of what they DID have until it drained out and now they find themselves exactly where they belong! I say NOW we finally have a chance of making this city one to be proud of. Good riddance to GM.

the river is high enough quit your crying about gm closing.

Hate to say it but the party is over. Doors will be shut for good by the end of January 2009. Thank you GM and UAW for creating more problems for this once proud city.

No, that is the dates they told the suppliers, the same day they made the announcement to the workers about the layoffs. But back then, they told the employees they didnt know the dates. Yes, it is old news, but officially its not. See GM wants to inform the employees first before anyone else. Yea, right.

I thought this was already announced at one time. The workers have already been told that they are not working any of November or December.