BigCat~ I completely agree with you!! It will be hardest on those that don't get the GM benefits, but were tied to GM (Lear, LSI, trucking companies, etc) Best of luck to everyone!

JVLforNOW good ideas! I guess I would wonder what the possibilities of keeping a plant to manufacture something else would be as well. A wealthy visionary is what this town needs now, someone who could take advantage of this opportunity. This town has the muscle to get work done, so the question is, who or what needs to be manufactured on a LARGE scale??

momof1 - you r absolutely corect in saying that the GM worker will get the benifits they need to land on there feet. It really is not the GM worker that will have the greatest effect on the Janesville economy. It is all folks that work for other local companies that supply GM that will have the impact! These folks won't get the same support no matter how much the Govenor or Local 95 promises. These folks will do what ever they have to to support their families. They will feel cheated (rightfully so) and will carry a chip on their shoulder for quite some time. These folks didn't make the high dollar wage that the GM worker did...for most it was alot less. They to will lose their health care benefits and will have to find a way to make ends meet the best way they can. These folks won't get the oppurnity to re-school themselves...instead they will compete for a job with people who already are unemployed or working for a temp agency for even less than they make now and probably with no hope of getting benefits!

We all will be effected in 1 way or another...if you don't think so then you better buy bullet proof glass for your glass house so it don't break when it does affect your life. Will things get better...Absolutely but it will take some time and alot of work!

deltafox5674,
The Supreme Court does not set energy policy. I repeat, no one is blameless concerning the oil situation. Partisan rhetoric? Or facts?
And thank you for your service.

gstrube,
HR 5234 was introduced on April 27, 2006. Why wasn't it reintroduced when the dems took over Congress? If you read the bill, and if you look at Congressman Larsons web site concerning the bill, you will see that it does indeed repeal tax breaks for exploration. So you are saying we shouldn't explore for more oil? Or are you saying we should just make it harder to get oil?
That is my point. Can you say $5 a gallon?
Congresspeople can name any bill anything they want. Calling something a subsidy does not make it a subsidy. When Obama & the dem Congress raise your taxes they could call it "The Feel Good Fair Tax Act of 2008". I guarantee you won't feel good about it.

mk1009nes, pot-kettle..."Your right about no jobs in Janesville..." should have been "you're", but who's counting? Aren't there more important things to worry about in life than criticizing your neighbor for the most insignificant things?

I have an opinion about GM, too..

I am very sorry for all who will be losing their jobs that work for or supply to GM. I would never want this to happen to anyone, and I truly believe that when God closes a door, somehow He opens a window.

I hope all of you are given adequate choices and that you can make decisions that will leave you better off in the long run. I also pray that you will be able to find some peace. If you do not stay in Janesville, I hope you find a location where you are near friends, family and loved ones.

The bottom line is that the senior Bush was among those who got the ball rolling, not Bill Clinton. Don't lay his failure to get it through at the feet of Clinton.

Fattigman,
Corporations can't have sympathy any more than that computer you're looking at. Reports of profits can't be exaggerated or people go to jail (Enron). ExxonMobil made $40 billion dollars in a quarter, a lot of money. But they had earnings of $400 billion. 10% margin. Excessive? Executive compensation is another story, but what is the solution, government intervention? My plumber makes $40 an hour, I think that's too much & Doyle should cap that at $25/hr. When pristine Alaskan ice is drilled who knows where prices go, but it will reduce upward pressure.
It really is my money in my 401k, if I choose to invest it there. 60% of Americans also do the same.

I agree that is a very good idea. lets do it. that is the best idea I have heard. you are onto something chain. 

Ok everyone I got a solution!! When the plant closes take all the employees and have them work along with a construction company and level the place. Get Our beloved govenor involved and get some super fund money from the Federal level and clean up all the contamination in the area. Next we build a super max prison. we can use the employees as construction workers and they can still be union workers and work at building their future. After it is built they can then switch job functions and help run the prison. The state has very good benifits and insurance. and they pay pretty good too. Seems to be so many people commiting crimes these days that this would insure jobs staying in Janesville. also when people come to Janesville to see their convicted relitives they would stay at motels and eat in resturants here in town thus reducing the trickle down effect of the plant closing.

Mruglyhands, not to get off the subject but I have been down there in the park begging for donations for the fireworks right along side of you. you know that I have donated many days of my life trying to give back to this great city of ours and looking back I don't regret a minute of it but it will be nice to go and do things down there as a citizen and not have to stoop so low as to beg for donations and explain that the city does not do the fireworks, the Jaycees do. but that might be in trouble this year from what i have heard. So I will go down there with my fiance' and my family and hopefully enjoy the day in the park and not worry about it. I have done my time and I might come back and help, but not like I have in the past.

Wow... all i can say. Knew it was coming, but figured it would just be a few year shut down for retooling for the new generation of cars/trucks. I have relatives and many friends that work there, and feel the pain. There will be hard times to come... no matter what way you look at it!

hmmmm primetime pizza??? sounds good to me.
the writing was on the wall many years ago for the plant. when they were told about going to one shift and had so many days to take the buy out that was so clear that this was going to happen. i told several people that the plant
would be close whithin 2 years. gee maybe i should quit my job and become a fortune teller.

mruglyhands,
Your last post was one of the few of yours that I agree with. The Fed Reserve needs to change and our political party system does too. Change needs to happen and it will eventually. Thats what happens.

Crap...now that GM is closing Screamin' Meemies will never open back up! :(

Seriously though, I feel for all of the employees and their families for this loss. Yes this is a great loss for Janesville, but not the end of the world. There are other large employers in Janesville. Someone mentioned Mercy, but what about Lab Safety Supply? They employee a large group of people in both their administrative building and warehouse. Plus, people are still commuting to Madison as well from Janesville, since the Madison housing market is insane.

opps my mistake it was primetime pizza that Gm bashed no wonder I don't like GM products I knew they would be closing there doors glad I am not like GM.

chemical 6~
Well said my friend! Everyone is pointing fingers and passing blame these days. People want someone to blame....look in the mirror!
Nothing is guaranteed in life! You have to go out and get it. People can blame the president, the government, the union etc. but the bottom line is, these people with no sense of honor or duty and integrity that are running this country into the ground are being put into these positions of power ON OUR WATCH! People are okay when everything is status quo for them, but, when it affects them, all of the sudden it's an issue! Dig the well before you're thirsty! We don't have honest leadership to take us into the future! We have a generation of couch potatoes raising the next generation of tater tots! Wake up people! We need to change! We need to stop allowing the govt. to come to the rescue and make it happen ourselves. WE THE PEOPLE! That's the way this country was designed. Start reading your history instead of going by the garbage our schools are teaching and the manipulating media that's in our midst 24/7!

Has anyone heard what Zachow's will do? And when the Union Hall is sold, who gets the money? Plus, is Prime Time Pizza expected to give free food to the workers?

Hey mruglyhands I know who you really are I guess you can't figure who this is haha no hints either I will tell you one thing GM products I don't buy besides I haven't liked GM since they started bashing Jim's Pizza

To 'deltafox'...And if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon....There is NOTHING that supports your claim.

Both republicans and democrats are at fault for our economy- I think it's been a joint effort. All the bickering and separation should stop long enough to get our country back on track.

correction...FIRST shift was gone two weeks later. Sorry for my error.

I am sorry for all those affected by local plant closings and layoffs. I sympathize; I lost my job many years ago. I was given 2 days notice and severance for 2 weeks; the entire second shift was gone and second shift was gone 2 weeks later. I wish I would have had 18 months to prepare. But my parent's taught me a valuable life lesson earlier in life...plan for a rainy day. And guess what?...it rained today; pardon the pun. Everyone is pointing fingers at who's to blame. Has anyone mentioned the UAW who drove up labor rates to a point that made it difficult for the Big 3 to remain competitive? It's just a thought. I have seen it from both sides. There are a host of other players: GM's product offering, oil prices, NAFTA, etc. When I first moved to the area, I heard people refer to GM as Generous Motors. I asked why...the answer was the folks there were paid generously. At the old union job I mentioned earlier, they taught me one that I would like to forget...greed. It was take care of your own and screw the company. But guess who writes the checks? There are two sides to every story; this was mine. Thanks for listening.

OK all you folks back to work...get off the net...we have SUV's to build!

Sorry, my bad.

Did GM support this community? Did the community support GM? Did the workers support local businesses? Did they only support union stores and union made products? Have we put shoe companies etc out of business by buying chinese? When is the last time you purchased american made clothes or shoes? do we need to monitor our imports? Look at the toy industry and lead levels. who can control this...the consumer. think about it

Ummm, Deltafox, I was being sarcastic.

Too bad we couldn't bottle all of the anger and hostility here. We'd have enough energy to keep the plant going for another 90 years.

People just have to deal with it. It's going to happen whether Janesville likes it or not. It's gonna suck for a while but just move on. Find something else to do. If you don't then you will be poor and living out of your broken down Tahoe. Otherwise, just move on, find another job and get on with your life. Janesville is not going to "die", it might suffer for a while, but there are well over 60,000 people living in Janesville and only 2,700 people working at the plant, some of which don't even live in Janesville. It's going to be hard on people, but if you know that it's going to close, budget your money and find an alternate job... it's not the end of the world. You should be happy that you are alive and have had the opportunity and freedom to work. Some people in this world have no idea how good they really have it even when times seem like they are SO bad.
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My point... live, learn and love... Live in the now, learn to be proactive, and love life... it's the only one we've got

The members of the local GM group and local 95 should consider the same approach many others have in simular situations. Become employee owned...if the closing of the facility is as detrimental to the local economy as it is being percieved within these comments, maybe the city of Janesville should invest a bit of capital and do short term funding of it.
If this approach is taken, you may want to do a retool to a product that average working Joes can afford and will actually purchase. There is an opportunity for someone to make a difference. Get off the net and call your city manager and union reps to sponsor this program.

"The liberals, hippy tree huggers, America haters and Obama-types are directly responsible for our economic downturn in the past years. The left-wing America haters have been running this country for so long that the results are clear."
Where in the heck have you been in the last 8 years? Who has been running the show? For the last six years, who has held the majority in both Houses? Your comments are baseless and unjustified.

"As for who was in charge of Congress for 12 years, touche. I recall there was a democrat with veto (and briefly line-item veto) power in the Presidency for 6 of those years. No one is blameless"
Yeah, and six years after that you had a Republican President, Republican Congress, Republican Senate, and the last two years of that stretch, a Republican Supreme Court, and they FAILED to get an effective energy policy. So lets do the math...who was in charge more? Republicans! Check your facts before you go spewing partisan rhetoric please.

RuNuts has it right. Honda, Toyota and Nissan seem to holding their own, domestically producing most of their vehicles sold in north America, even while the economy falters and vehicle sales slow. They have vision that GM lacks.

Give me a break, Do you remeber the Clinton years? Peace, Prosperity,Interns! Those were the days! Zero budget Deficit. Bush and his ignorance have endangered all we know and our grandchildrens futures as well.GM is just as arrogant as Bush and now will suffer the consequences.

57Steve - You're absolutely right about the oil companies. They would never try to maximize profits at taxpayers' expense. Elected officials will only make gas prices higher by meddling! Corporations have great sympathy for the average payer at the pump.
If there are excesses, they will police their own industry just fine--they don't need government meddling in our competitive free markets. The reports of record oil profits are just exaggerated. Their executives lead spartan lifestyles, and donate much of their modest salaries to further exploration and drilling, for a brighter tomorrow. When we finally drill in pristine Alaskan forests, gas prices will go down to pre-Bush II administration levels. How dare unions negotiate starting salaries of $14.00/hour? No wonder business can't turn a profit in this country.Don't complain about oil company profits because it's really your money in the form of 401ks. The liberals, hippy tree huggers, America haters and Obama-types are directly responsible for our economic downturn in the past years. The left-wing America haters have been running this country for so long that the results are clear. Go McCain! Bring back the '50s!

I agree to an extent that the government is to blame, WE AS CONSUMERS ARE TO BLAME ALSO.

You can't tell me that the auto industry can't build a more efficient automobile that consumes something other than gasoline but we can put a man on the moon, I'm not buying it. It's all about the all mighty dollar and sooner or later the dollar is going to be worthless.

We as consumers have to take a stand a demand that something be done. Leaving Beloit was the best decision I could have made, now I'm in a larger city where I can leave my BIG SUV (yes, I too blame also) in the garage and take public transportation.

So, I hope Janesville/Beloit does recover and to all that will be/are affected, keep your heads up and God Bless.

Let me throw in someone to blame here - The Federal Reserve - Yeah - Since U.S. currency is based on nothing and they've printed so much of it that it's worth less than half what it was 20 years ago overseas; other countries don't want it or if you have to buy with it, they want more of it. That fed keeps on a printing and the value of our dollar keeps on a dropping but nobody is getting a raise because companies are seeing a slump in sales because we're all broke from the gas pumps. So now GM's firing folks just to survive. The U.S. Treasury should confiscate the Federal Reserve and it's assets and bring Bernanke and his clan out to the stocks. If our dollar held its value - then gas would be a buck a gallon and we'd all be driving Janesville Suburbans.

What a shame, but this was long coming.

There is no one in our govermembt not at fault. If the dems were in the white hose we would blame them. The problem has been around my entire life. How every one forgets the gas shortages in the 70s. I was only a small child but remeber. We as a country then needed to do more to solve our energy independece but nothing. Neiter the Democrats or the Republicans. Neither side will work with the other to get any thing done. Both want the credit to make themselves look good. That is all that matters to me. I say to Paul Ryan step up now. This is your home town. Not Washinton. I say the same to Herb Kohl and the other wack job in the senate work with the oter party and do whats best for this state and country.

Very sad day for all of us Janesvillians, my prayers to families

57Steve: You are about the only one here who is on the right track. It is our energy policy, or lack of one, that has gotten us into this mess. If we do not start on all tracks right now this problem will not go away. However, each and every time a comprehensive energy plan is introduced in congress, or even parts of one, the greens shoot it done with the support of your elected senators.

Having many friends who work at GM, I am sad for them. However, the times we're in now differ greatly from the 20th century depression era. All of these employees will be considered displaced workers when the doors close. Displaced workers have many opportunities from which to benefit, if they so choose. There is no reason why they can't take advantage of the free schooling that will be offered to them and learn a new trade. Everyone (kids and adults) need to start looking at what professions will be around until the day they die (computer techs, robotic machinery, plumbing, electricians, etc) and choose from there. We all know unskilled labor is being farmed out of the country so why not look to either a professional career or a skilled trade? We will all survive just fine, as long as people don't panic an think so negatively about everything. If you want a decent future, you have to make it...it won't just happen to you.

gstrube,
The oil companies get tax subsidies? I think you mean tax breaks for exploration, mainly in the Gulf of Mexico. If there were less exploration the price of gas would be even higher than it is now. The reality is corporations don't pay taxes, people do. When a company is taxed that cost is passed on to the consumer. Where else would the money come from? There should be no corporate taxes, they are just hidden taxes on you, embedded in the price of whatever you are purchasing.
A profit of 7% (oil industry average) does not seem outrageous to me. Is it to you? Last year Chevron-Texaco reinvested ALL of it's profits. ExxonMobil paid more in Federal taxes than it made in American profit.
So how does the oil companies making profit cost American jobs? Please try to enlighten me again.

The real cause of the GM plant closing is GM's failure to react over the years. The Japanese have shown that they have more foresight and business sense than our American leaders and engineers. We all made fun of them in the 1960's and 70's visiting our country with their cameras taking pictures of how we did things, but now they have done what GM should have been doing all along (researching what America needs and produce it efficiently and with fuel economy in mind). This is a global economy...has been for at least two decades. Wake up call for General Motors. A bit too late I'm afraid. By the way, aprox. 15,000 people leave Janesville everyday to work elsewhere. 2400 jobs and the the associated businesses 1000 jobs will give Janesville a pinch, but Janesville will survive. Re-education is the key.Madison, Rockford, and other cities have plenty of jobs if you have a marketable skill. Karma has a bitter taste

gstrube is right about energy it all the Presidents fault, because it has nothing to do with INDIA and CHINA and there increase consumption of fuel. To think that would be just plain dumb.

Ilovehockey – I will answer your question.

It does affect them, maybe not directly today but GM employees buy their products and the affects of GM closing could very well reduce future wages of those and all companies within a large area around Janesville. Do you think for a minute those companies pay what they do because GM didn’t affect them? Of course it did because even though GM might have been slow there was always the threat those companies might lose a valuable employee to GM for better wages.

Yes it is the gas prices. Trucks take a lot of gas. When the price of gas is high trucks don't sell.
Drilling for oil in America does not just mean ANWR. It means off the east coast, the west coast, Florida (where China & Cuba are already drilling), the oil sands out west, the oil shale, everywhere. It is said drilling in ANWR won't help, but what would it hurt? If they started drilling up there 10 years ago, would that have helped?
As for who was in charge of Congress for 12 years, touche. I recall there was a democrat with veto (and briefly line-item veto) power in the Presidency for 6 of those years. No one is blameless. 2 years ago the dems came in saying they would lower gas prices, they had a plan. It was $2.50 a gallon then. Now they say we need a little more time. Well, time just ran out for Janesville.
So we don't have the refineries to process more oil. Maybe we should build some. In the mean time you must be willing to pay $10 or $12 a gallon or whatever Chavez & the Arabs want because we don't have enough oil or refineries.
When the economy suffers everyone suffers, and the poorer you are the more you suffer. And it has a domino effect.
I am for all energy ideas. Wind, solar, coal liquification, nuclear, hydro, thermo, anything else I forgot and drilling for gas & oil. Here & now. Time is running out very quickly; how many more Janesvilles will it take before we get moving?

It's amazing to see all the so called "experts" come out of the woodwork who've never worked a day in the GM plant. They've not stood in the shoes of someone who actually does work there. I chose to leave there over a year ago thanks to a better opportunity that I was blessed enough to have come to my attention. When I left the plant, my thinking was all about me and what's in it for me. Now, through different thinking, my heart aches for these people. My heart aches for anyone who's livlihoods are on the line. It's time for communities to pull together and make a difference rather than ridicule others without knowing what they're going through. I for one, will pray for these people and I wish everyone the best and God's blessings during these transitional times. Everyone can and will get through this. Don't let GM or anyone or thing else dictate your future. Take it upon yourself to make it happen. YOU CAN DO IT! God bless everyone~ Kleej

The history I remember is that the union here DID agree to concessions, and with ways to 'help' management. The thing I don't get, though, is how people are so quick to argue AGAINST well paying jobs, with great benefits. Like somehow, wanting that is a sin, and people should feel guilty for having them in 'today's economy'. Look around Janesville, and see what well paying jobs have fostered--and I don't even live there. Great parks, some beautiful houses, some wonderful recreation facilities. Or are you saying that we should fight for low wages, poor benefits and row houses?

SK - it is nothing personal with MOMOMF1 - the point was that for those who post that GM has no impact on their jobs, their employers, etc, it is simply wrong. And I was proving it wrong.
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Staff was correct to remove the posts. THey left the immediate topic.

I think that we will see a lot of changes over the next 3-5 years for Janesville, and most for the good! I didn't grow up here, and don't get the whole without GM there would be no Janesville mentality. That being said, there will be a lot of positive changes coming soon. Everyone has to remember to keep their minds open and change will come alot easier!

momof1 - nothing subliminal, just a typo. But perhaps with the staff removing our posts, we will spark a 1st Amendment thread!
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good debating you.

Long_Time_Gone: I really don't want to get in the middle of what personal argument/grudge you have against momf1. However, I feel I need to speak up.
How do your current postings have anything to do with the topic?
Why are you so affixed on where this person works?
Get over it.
Maybe you should say where you work.

Oh c'mon now, staff is getting a bit crazy with the delete button.

Whether you are or are not connected to GM doesn't really matter. Whether you think GM workers were overpaid and under worked doesn't matter. These are people with families to feed. Have a little compassion. We have no clue what will happen to Janesville, we do know however that these people now have to uproot their lives. Rather than sit and criticize how much they make to "do nothing" or brag about how much you make and how you "work harder" than GM workers, why not thank god you still have your job and come together as a community in a hard time.

Anyone could have seen this coming. Between the UAW & NAFTA GM's days were numbered. Actually I give the Union most of the credit for shutting them down. The problem was there before NAFTA, but NAFTA pushed them over the edge. You can not expect to pay unskilled workers the kind of hourly wage + Benefits GM does, in todays economy & expect to survive (its fantasy). I knew it, everyone i talked to knew it, & I can't believe no one figured it out at the UAW. But they kept striking, & now they have put several thousand men & women out of work. The day of the Union is past. Woodman's employees figured it out & because of it, they're jobs will be here for some time to come. GM employees unfortunately weren't willing to look at the big picture.. Look to the future... theres enough blame to go around, but the UAW (IMO)gets 80% of it. GM employees get 15%, & NAFTA, 5%.

longtimegone~ I will, thanks for your well wishes!!!

mofo - "don't doubt that there will be people that think they can have my job. Guess what? Not gonna happen. No one is invinciable, that I understand as well. However I have doubts on GM line workers being able to perform my job."
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I have doubts to what you actually do. Since you fail to see the impact of GM on Janesville, I have serious doubts you are something a GM laborer could not train-up to one day take your job...
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But keep thinking yourself secure.

Playing the blame game? One of the saddest things about these closures is that the CEOs who are doing this to their loyal, VERY hardworking and much deserving employees will now probably see multi-million dollar bonuses for their business acumen when, in reality, it was THEIR disasterous decisions over the past couple decades that gave short-term profits priority over all other logic in environmental and market trends.

Hmn, No drilling in ANWR, or off any of our coasts. No refineries allowed to be built for 30 years. No nuclear reactors allowed, no drilling in Colorado, Utah, Montana where there are millions of barrels of reserve oil. I wonder which political party supported by the greenies has caused this? Oh the party of GM thats who.

my bad justsaynotomath

LongTimeGone~ not arguing that it will not affect the economy. I don't doubt that there will be people that think they can have my job. Guess what? Not gonna happen. No one is invinciable, that I understand as well. However I have doubts on GM line workers being able to perform my job.
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Like I said earlier, there will be a severance package for these employees of GM. Life will go on, it may not be as easy as before, but guess what, it is that way across the country. Hopefully more saved than didn't!!

Didn't management agree to all those supposed 'demands' of the union? Whatever crapola schwoogie raises is missing the point: Management agreed to certain terms, because they felt it was in the Company's best interests to do so. They AGREED! There is no way you can lay this solely at the feet of the Union. (Disclosure: Neither I, nor any of my family, have ANY connection to G.M., or any auto company)

hockeyluva - GM Dollars coming out of the community creates a vaccuum. That money will not be available to circulate in the local or national economy anymore. This absense of dollars will translate into a an absense of sales which will result in the laying off of other workers and then the closure of other businesses. That's WHY.

This isn't doom and gloom - it's proven economics.

mruglyhands did indeed answer your post.
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Sometimes when insulting, degrading comments are posted by mofo, SK, schwoogie, and ilovehockey, equally insulting comments are used to retort.
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I retract calling someone stupid, but stupid talk remains, and it emmanates from someone, who may be simply exposing their stupid side.

I understand GM is important to many people but think about the other plant on that street that is closing in SEPTEMBER!!! the old Gilman and they didn't make anyting close to what GM workers made and a majority of them aren't nearly as bitter as the GM works seem to be.....not all GM workers but a good portion that I have heard and seen.

mruglyhands, no need to attack me personally, I brought up a valid point, which by the way, you still didn't answer.

"For all those thinking the workers themselves caused this, it's just not true." No they did not 100% cause it, but they are definitely a factor. The price of gas is not the reason either. There are too many reasons why this is happening to just say this did or that did.

ilovehockey & mofo -- here's a small example;
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Those "unaffected" businesses you mentioned are indeed impacted. With 2,800 GM workers on the streets and in the job pool, don't think for a minute that management at other plants are not aware of their options.
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If employees want cost-of-living adjustments, improved benefits, whatever, management hardly has a local labor shortage - you are replaceable.
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Mind you, this is not a prediction, but rather than having 5 people lined-up behind you wanting your work station, you now have 50, and management has no incentive to improve your conditions for fear of you quitting.

Long_Time_Gone; Lemans Corp., Blains Corp., Prent, Freedom Graphics, Scot Forge, United Alloy, Freedom Plastics, Fairbanks Morse Engine, Landis Gardner, ABC, North American Tool, Bremner, Purpac, Tyson, Spacesaver, Nelson Truss, Genencor, Durst, McCain, Lab Safety, Husco, Birds Eye, Hufcor, A&M Mailing, Greentek, Generac, Pentair, Nasco, BMG Foods, Axium Foods, Honeywell, Hormel, Frito Lay, Greenco...and many more.

Need I go on? Am I, or what I say still "stupid"?

Schwoogie, very funny!

Darius, congrats to you. Too bad more of your former co-workers will not enjoy the same ending.

SK, good points. I think all employees of GM are capable of adapting, but what scares so many of them is the lack of reality in their perception of how life works outside GM. They will be the ones that cause a spike in suicides & crime, lap up the gov. assistance, and whine when unemployment runs out. Like our ancestors did, those that want to survive will adapt. That could mean additional schooling, relocation, or a entirely new career path.

momof1 and hockeypud - the multiplying effect of the dollar. Molly GM worker get's a dollar pay from GM and she gives it to Johnnie gas station attendant, Johnnie uses it to pay his supplier Rudy trucker, who takes a portion to give to the supplier Renee the refiner worker, and she then gives some of that to Jack the Texas oil man. That dollar that Molly got from GM went a long way didn't it? Well take away all of Molly's dollars and all the other GM workers dollars and pretty soon Johnnie is going to be laid off and then Rudy won't have anyone to deliver to, and Renee will have to skip her raise this year and not buy Christmas presents for little Dicky and Jane. Jack doesn't really care because he can just ship his oil to China.

GM Closing will affect (in a negative way) all of us who live in or near Janesville.

NVgrf-

Hate to break it to you, but NAFTA is a result of William Clinton, sort of. Yes it was originally proposed(and signed) by George the first(along with the leaders of Canada and Mexico), but he wasn't able to get it passed by Congress due to some serious opposition by all three countires. It was Clinton that pushed for it and got it passed, although he kept the original agreement relatively intact and only added the NAAEC and the NAALC. This makes William Jefferson Clinton the man who gets the credit for making NAFTA official.

So it appears that your so-called "remedial" History classes in Janesville only give you part of the story...

momof1, SK, - think about what you are saying, do you really believe your job is secure? This plant closing may not affect your job today as you know it but it is this type of economic decisions being made behind closed doors that could shutter you’re place of employment for cheaper over seas labor or make your job obsolete.

I See Ghost people

Zoom where did you come up with those figures? How much do you think labor costs per car? Figure in wages and benefits and the number of employees to make one car.

Ilovehockey- maybe you should post that on the article about GM closing too. I would love to hear about how GM closing affects those businesses!

momof1, I agree, but let those out there who think that it does explaine WHY they think that.

SK,
Labor is only about 17% of the cost of the vehicle. Most manufacturing is around 10% to 15%. Did you know that the cost of steel has almost doubled in less than a year? The problem is GM's slow response years ago to the changing economy.

schwoogie ~ AMEN !!

momof1 ~ You are absolutely correct.

Long_Time_Gone - Janesville has never had a true philanthropist or leader like Ken Hendricks was to Beloit, there are plenty who have contributed a great deal but not one to that extent.

mruglyhands-
I'll get right on that, just let me look them up in my rolodex

Someone should call Tesla Motors and tell them we've got a plant available to build their electric cars!

Ilovehockey ~ It does not affect them, just like it doesn't affect other major industries in Janesville.

too funny schwoogie...lol

SK~
NOT THIS FORMER GM EMPLOYEE! DEC. '06 I was liberated! I'm doing just fine. Others will too if they choose to. It's a mindset.

Okay, so let's open the discussion. How does this effect company's such as Lab Safety, Huffcor, Prent or Lemans?

SK - "I work in Janesville at a company that will not be effected at all by the closing of GM (I will not say where). Someone else said it & I agree ~ GM is not the center of the universe."
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And to you too SK, I slap you with a white glove across your cheek. GM does indeed affect your company -- liar liar pants on fire.

JimP - where are the Ryans, the Kennedys, the Steils, the Fitzgeralds, the Kimballs, the Cullens - Beloit never had such a group of business leaders - until Janesville drove Ken Hendricks to Beloit.
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My point is, where are the new leaders of Janesville? My guess is the above families all live in AZ by now.

mruglyhands: doom and gloom are an option if that is the way you want to live. That is perfectly fine with me. However, I choose a more positive outlook. No my job has nothing to do with GM. I work in Janesville, but what I do involves another part of the country completely, as does most everyone I work with. There is more out there and more to life than Janesville WI.

GM employee's are going to find it very difficult to find another job paying them the same wage & the same benefits to do a job like putting lugnuts on an SUV all day.
The high price of vehicles is because of the crazy amount these employees are paid. The only people that can afford these new cars is the GM workers.
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And when I go to the pharmacy & the doctor and have a high co-pay and see a GM working ahead of me paying a mere $2 for their co-pay amount it sickens me.
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They will learn very quickly to live like the rest of us. No more 3 brand new vehicles in front of their big fancy homes parked next to their boat & other toys.
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A buyout. A fancy GM term for what the rest of the world knows as laid off or fired. We don't have these luxuries.
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I work in Janesville at a company that will not be effected at all by the closing of GM (I will not say where).
Someone else said it & I agree ~ GM is not the center of the universe.

Rocky - very good points, but, if you read below, there are some here who will not support doing what needs to be done to attract such high-tech, bio-industry businesses.
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Heck, some here want their money back for building an access road to the plant. How is that a winning attitude for turning Janesville around?

Long_Time_Gone - I do indeed and if our Country's Legislative Bodies and Company Executives had half the wisdom and forethought he had our country as a whole would be better for it.

Hey momof1 - Nothing wrong with doom & gloom. You said that you had a job that doesn't have anything to do with GM - that's why I said you needed a macroeconomics class. Nobody is immune - just naive.

It was George H.W.Bush who originally signed the NAFTA Agreement. There are remedial history classes available in the Janesville School District Summer School.

This is the train wreck we've seen coming for the past 20 years. Fortunately our economy has diversified in that time, but not nearly enough to absorb this loss and the collateral losses. My sympathies to all those directly effected.

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Janesville city leaders need to get to work NOW in an effort to re-define the community. We are so close to Madison - a huge resource for high tech jobs, biotechnology, and the service industries. We need to stop being just a "blue collar" town (even though that is something we've prided ourselves on for years) and attract the more educated, technology-centered young adults that will make this community grow again. We already have some pieces in place. Communities that make this transition succesfully tend to have strong support fot he arts and education. We need to up our support of both.

----

So we can whine and complain and say how doomed we all are, or we can start re-defining Janesville. What do you choose?

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BTW - I'm cutting up my GM Credit Card today. Heck with 'em.

beachsexton - "but this is not the only engine running the greater Rock County area..."
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OK, here we go again with stupid talk.
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Name others?

JimP - You refer to Mr. Ken Hendricks. If only he was still with us. Janesville has no such person, or persons.
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Remember when the Gazette quoted Hendricks saying that if GM ever closed, he would buy the plant and bring new jobs to Janesville?

Can you say CLINTON-NAFTA?
YEAHHHHHHH

JVLforNOW, great idea to use the soon to be former GM plant location for a GM museum and fairgrounds. It would be a great place for the Beloit Snappers Stadium and a City of Janesville pool too. It is too bad so many people have to find other work, but this was not out of the blue. There has been talk of this for many years. Some have prepared, and some will find they should have better educated themselves, diversified their skill set, saved for a rainy day, and toned down their lifestyles. Some will find new jobs, some will relocate, and some will resort to the easy way out by feeding off the system. GM will have an effect on the economy, but this is not the only engine running the greater Rock County area. There are a lot of hard working employees of GM and it's subsidiaries that will be able to make the changes needed to find a new career path. They will be a welcome addition to area employers.

Can't say that this is a shock. Anyone had to see this coming as gas prices rose.
Long-term affect: Janesville is going to lose a major employer, and the lion's-share of workers will migrate.
Is this all that bad, though? A number of upper-middle class homes will be on the market; perhaps some culture (aside from the Armory) such as a music venue (aside from the Back Bar) might seep into the city along with a whole new citizenry who won't just fall back on a job at The Plant.
I know a few workers who took buyouts and will be affected by the closings. When I was 12 they told me "stay in school" don't work at The Plant. For years it was an attractive alternative, but now the city will be forced to take a long, hard, 100-year-look in the mirror and decide what the future will look like.
Good luck to those affected, hope you catch on somewhere.

tjncj Beloit might have been transformed but believe me the man who made that happen is sadly no longer here, so don’t depend on what you see today in Beloit to carry through tomorrow or next year. If it weren’t for his wisdom and generous giving it would still be Shutter Town, USA and just might have that distinction again.

I know as a server that my job will be affected by the closing of GM (either tipwise or the number of people that go out to eat); but I am young and in school for a very good paying job. Hopefully Blackhawk Tech will be adding additional spaces for the nursing program and radiography programs because they will be in even higher demand for people who want to make it. Education is going to be very important for these people who are used to their standard of living.

I am only guessing, but the plant, if ownership were transerred, would end-up being a Superfund site.
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Without the EPA forgiving liability, GM is stuck with it.

Hey mruglyhands: I don't need an economics class to know that we will survive. I am sure it will be rough for some, but not for all. The doom and gloom is purely pathetic. I for one choose a positive attitude.

JimP I absolutely agree with you, I was one of those told over and over that I was over qualified when trying to find a job closer to home so I could keep my hard earned dollars within my own community.

Tjncj, yes Beloit has those activities that come around for a month or two every year but where are the major job sources that will keep a decent family fed for the remainder of the year when the Snappers, Concerts in the Park, and Riverfest are over?????

Let me start by saying that I feel for those who will lose their job either directly at GM, one of its suppliers, or through the 'ripple effect'. That said, I believe Janesville will survive, perhaps even prosper in the long run. I moved to this area in 1999 from a city that lost two of its largest employers in the early '90s. For several years that area experienced financial hardships which eventually saw almost 15% of the population relocate. However, over time the town transformed itself first into a "bedroom-community" for the three surrounding larger cities (think Rockford, Madison, Milwaukee), then into a thriving service and recreational based economy and has now become a haven for hi-tech firms. While Janesville may suffer in the short term, I do not foresee the city's future as bleakly as many here do.

Hey momof1 - Take a macroeconomics class - We're all going to be affected by this and we'll adapt but it's going to suck for a while. Nobody is immune. If your job is completely reliant on international sales or something then your job might be o.k. but you're going to drive by the soup lines every day to get to it. If you call in sick their will be 20 ex-GMers standing in line to apply for your job.

57steve drilling in the Arctic would not help. According to Bush the problem is that we don't have enought refineries. Even if we were able to get more oil we don't have enough refineries to process it.

"I blame the Democrats for not letting us drill for oil in America."
Who was in charge of congress from 1994 to 2006?

Brought up at work last night, which is for a GM supplier. Plenty of parking already, why not tear down majority of the buildings and utilize the land for the new fair grounds? You could leave a portion of the plant standing as a museum of sort of all the products which have been built here in Janesville over the years. This would provide a river front fair ground site, and save the farm land out by 51/14. I know the cost of cleaning up the site would be expensive, but eventually it WILL have to be completed.

I’m absolutely amazed that people seem to enjoy others hard times, if they had a half a brain they would know that there is no way will Janesville be able to accommodate the future job needs of all of those affected by today’s announcement, whether or not there re-educated in a new field. It’s not just the 2600 GM jobs, other plants will shutter as well.

For those of you who say you’re not connected in anyway, I’m happy for you but don’t think for a minute you are secure because tomorrow your job might be shipped overseas and if you don’t think that’s possible do a search and you will definitely find college executives who have been unable to find a decent paying job, WHY YOU ASK, because employers tell them there over qualified.

I blame GM's management for this disaster. When gas prices were showing a steady increase, when speculators were forecasting $100 per barrel crude prices TEN years ago, based on the supply and demand forecasts (and yes, even China was included). What did GM do? They released the "Hummer", and saturated the market with V-8 powered SUV's. Like a previous poster has said, the problem lies within the board of directors, not the state, not the federal government, not the union, or the taxes. But disastrous decisions made by upper management.

pcnovice-I don't know what beloit you are talking about, but it can't be Beloit Wisconsin. They have reinvented thamselves after the loss of Beloit Corp and other large employers. Janesville will do the same. They have an International Film festival, the Snappers, concerts in the park, Riverfest, Dancing at Harry's a revitalized downtown area and more importantly a master plan of how they will continue to improve the city. There is something going on all the time, you just didn't look hard enough.

$229 million in payroll last year. How do you begin to replace that? All of Wisconsin will feel the pain of this.
I blame the Democrats for not letting us drill for oil in America.
gstrube, would you please enlighten me on exactly which Bush economic policy had anything to do with this?

The plant is on contaminated land. It would be a huge cost just to tear the whole plant down. The size of the plant is to larger for any small business to get in. I really don't see any use besides to make new military crafts like GM once did back in the 40's.

GM has had a poor business model for years and that is why it has had to close so many plants. What type of business pays employees for not working? If Mom and Pop at the grocery store had to pay their employees for not coming into work they would go out of business in a month.

Ok, so the plant will close. What I want to know is, what will happen to the plant itself? If there is already a plant, why couldn't it be re-used and restructured for something else? I mean... what are the other options? Tear it down and do what?

I do not live in Janesville, but am saddened nonetheless to see the GM truck plant close. I currently own a Janesville-built Suburban and feel that it is impossible to find a more quality put-together or safer vehicle for My family members to travel in. Yes it is hard on gas, but not nearly as bad as the " green folks " say it is when it is driven at the posted speed limit. There is a new concept that should be tried all across America. Speed limits should actually be enforced. Even a vehicle as large as a Suburban gets better gas mileage when driven on I 90 at 64 mph then at 73 mph like most of the traffic is moving everyday that I'm on this highway. I am a truck-driver who gets back and forth past Janesville many, many times a week, so I know what I am talking about.

There are decent paying jobs in Janesville...I have one...just not enough decent paying jobs.

Long_Time_Gone: Direct Quote from you:
"There is no single job in Janesville NOT dependent in some way on GM - not teaching, not Mercy, not anything on Milton Avenue, not retail, not car sales, not real estate, not Frostee Freeze."

That does imply that all jobs are connected to GM. It is simply not true.

This is not your father's economy. This is not your father's GM. Stop pretending like we are back in his day. This city is NOT depending on GM to exist. There will be stumbling blocks, but life will continue . I seriously doubt property values will drop as much as some suggest. GM people generous? please. I am sure there were some generous people but as a whole, not even close to "generous." Take a look at the philanthopy in this city. GM and it's employees barely register on the scale. My personal opinion is that unskilled labor has been overpaid for years and that is one of the pillars of the economic woes of our country. Our attitudes and acceptance toward debt are more reasons. Our government leaders are career politicians, they vote for their own pay raises and design more legislation to secure their positions. It's 8 years late for some, but wake up to the new millenium, the new world economy, and our horrible state of politics.

It's a sad day for ALL.

Janesville will soon be another Beloit, desolate, bleak, and barren. Some say Janesville doesn't rely on GM but let's get real, GM has been what's keeping Janesville alive. Beloit folks said the same thing when Beloit Corp closed, slowly but surely everything else went with it, the Beloit Mall, KMart, Sentry Foods.

I lived in Beloit for eleven years, moved from a big city because I wanted better for my children. Although the environment was better my family still suffered because I spent eight of those eleven years commuting all the way to Madison for a decent paying job even with a Master's Degree in IT. There were, and still isn't, any decent paying jobs in Beloit or Janesville, most of us who lived there had to commute outside of where we lived to make a decent buck.

I left Beloit last year and it was the best move I ever made. Not to say that it isn't a good place to live because it is but when you are young and not close to retirement, let's face it, there is nothing there, no culture, no social activities, no jobs.

It may be hard to hear but let's face it things are only going to get worse. So, with that I just say KEEP YOUR HEADS UP AND GOD BLESS.

Zoom - "Your words imply that ALL jobs in Janesville will cease to exist..."
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No where was that implied. Youru last post even corrected yourself.
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Again, I am slapping you with a white glove across your cheek.

Hey mk1009.... You're means you are. Not your. Learn to command the english language yourself before you rip on others for grammatical errors!

You know stricnyne, it's the speaking out that I think has gotten us into this situation in the first place. Why does government have to solve every problem? Why does GM have to pay through the nose for every Union whim? Why can't employees be loyal workers and citizens fix problesm instead of having government institutionalize everything? We spoke up and we spoke out so much that--well, Janesville's not a very good place to do business anymore. Remember when we were all complaining about the "Bush tax cuts?" Those went to the wealthy right? Those went to evil corporations right? Those evil corporations don't deserve that money - the workers do. Well, we taxed and demanded from GM in Janesville to its death. Maybe we should vote differently and try to be more appreciative and maybe just a little less ornry all the time.

My heart goes out to the people who have depended on G.M management to make decisions that would preserve their company. Seems it's always the worker that suffers the consequences of poor decision-making at the top. I wonder, for example, what would have happened if G.M. management had decided to REALLY market those electric vehicles, instead of shredding them to make their point that no one, even California, will legislate what cars they are to build....Prayers to those who did what they asked, and did it well, and now have their lives turned upside down.

I hear school bells in the near future for GM workers

These are your words...I think the word "dependant" was a poor choice.

"There is no single job in Janesville NOT dependent in some way on GM..."

TStrieker2~ Very well spoken comment. I agree whole-heartedly.

Long_Time_Gone~ Why is your business where these people work? That is their choice to disclose that on a public board, however, I personally would discourage it, because you just never know do you? And, MY job IN Janesville has absoulutely NOTHING to do with GM.
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I don't think that GM closing will have a huge impact on the overall economy of Janesville. There will be severence packages, etc that will help these GM employees to pay off some bills and get some education that will enable them to find other work. It really will be okay. As long as you remain positve and embrace the changes, life will be alright! Doom and Gloom attitudes will only make your life miserable.

Well the official doom of our Janesville plant is here. Like I said before, good luck to all who need to find new jobs and can not transfer to other places. I imagine having 2000 plus more new people looking for work will really make the job market tough. Good luck to all!

doc0430.............PLEASE TELL ME YOU WERE KIDDING???? :O(

Good words Thomas.

no I don't...anonymity is wonderful.

Your words imply that ALL jobs in Janesville will cease to exist because they are DEPENDANT on GM. That is not the case. I don't argue that there will be economic impacts. Use perspective.

ThomasStreiker - very touching, and very right.

Depressions will come and they will pass just as they have in the past. What makes the difference is whether or not we as Americans work together or not. What happened to the protests or the parades of the 60's and 70's. Young Men and Woman are dying everyday in an endless war...and all of us here at home are drowning in debt, high taxes, low pay, and a shortage of jobs. Since when did government and politics rule this country. America is the peoples land so why don't we as a UNITED country...take this great place back. We cannot be heard unless we speech as one voice. Speak up, speak out, lets use our freedom to our advantage before it is gone...Let's bring our freedom back to what it was and what it should be.

parkpatrol - LOL - I'm going outside right now to wait by my mailbox for the check paying me back for the road. They had to move my mobile home!!!

Zoom - don't care to disclose, eh?

mruglyhands - Fairview Florist - too easy a connection to GM there.

In times of trouble and desperation it is easy to turn to the dark side of human emotion and acknowledge the loss of the plant as the beginning of the end to our lives in and around the Janesville community. However, as a lifetime citizen of Janesville, I know we are not a people to take the easy way out of any situation. Janesville can and will get through the closing of this plant, but it won't do so if we sit around and pine about how "the end is near." Right now, we need to do what you do best, go to work and work hard. Spend your time in or around the plant doing your job to the best of your efforts, so when the eyes of the world turn to a "dying community" they will see the vitality and strong work-ethic this community has supported and taught throughout its existence. With those eyes of the nation will come the eyes of other industrial manufacturers or big investors who will see just how productive our small city can be. And, if they see you and the rest of the community working hard through these difficult times, they will see the heart this city has and has had throughout its short existence. This is not the end, but the opportunity for new beginning. Work hard, help your neighbors, and show those who are watching us now that we are Janesville, we always will be Janesville, and no place on Earth can work harder than Janesville. We have until potentially the end of 2009 to show people our resolve and that our hearts can’t be broken and that this community, this city, will forge ahead. It’s easier said than done, but there is no time like the present to light the fire of Janesville ingenuity, which will act as a guiding light to those now being left in the dark. Let’s stop blaming each other, and start getting the work done. As a young, future citizen, I believe in this city.

~Thomas Strieker.

...and as a butterfly flaps it's wings in Africa, storm clouds form over Janesville...

"not a single job" and "dependant" are absolutes. Please use some perspective.

Looks like Sheridan and Obama did good for Janesville....

RoseyPots might not be dependent on GM - Many of the workers might not be dependent on GM. There is such a thing as saving for a rainy day and there are a lot of other investments than Janesville based companies or GM stock. Five Buck Fridays at Fairview Florist are awesome!

I am in reality nothing close to a florist, I actually am involved on a professional level with an international company with manufacturing facilities in Janesville which has absolutely nothing to do with the automotive industry. RoseyPots is simply my “Pen Name”

gstrube no i can't but I can say Clinton and NAFTA in the same sentence.

Does this mean we get our money back from the road that we built for GM?

Zoom - tell me what you do, and i will make connection for you. Then we'll see what level of dependence you are at.

RoseyPots - Good for you; at least you acknowledge the connection.
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But if your ID is any indication, if you have been a florist for 30 years, you are indeed dependent upon GM at some level.

Long,
You said JOB, not connected. Two different things.

Very true

Hey number 2 (2222) - As someone who has had to raise money for the Fourth of July celebration at Traxler Park - let me tell you - I never saw this great charity coming out of GM. The company donated $50 every year. I don't think the Union donated a nickel. The attendees haven't donated enough to cover the fireworks in years. I wouldn't call 2,600 people who earn upwards of $50,000 a year without student loans generous. Not that I'm faulting them - we all have our own lives to fund but I always found it surprising that we had to rely on the charity from one man (a strip club owner) to pay for the majority of the fireworks in this town.

Long_Time_Gone.
I have a career not dependant in any way shape or form on GM, I have spent 30 years at it. You are correct, I am going to take a huge hit on the value of my property. I have been expecting that to be the case for many years so I am not dependant upon it for my retirement. This is Janesville, unless you lived here in a vacuum you expected this day to come. You will never see a single post of mine demeaning the GM worker in any way. But seriously I am getting a little tired of the bashing of those of us who did choose a different road and have been expecting and are prepared for this day. And yes, My prayers are with those displaced workers from GM and related industries.

Zoom - I can bet you whatever you like, that your ARE INDEED CONNECTED to GM.

marymac4,
Punctuation is your friend.

GM will always be looked at as the backbone of Janesville and it has been It has put alot of opportunities with other employers here and now it is closing its doors and so will alot of other businesses I had many family members work at GM and i also did years ago and I guess we should be grateful GM was here as long as it was Lets hope before 2010 the economy gives us hope.......

Long,
My job is in no way dependant on GM.

TCB,
There is no indication that jobs in Janesville will be relocated. Why relocate a high paying job when they can hire local at the new lower rate? GM is only shifting the workforce in one case where they have a truck plant very close to an auto plant.

I'm glad I will be out of Janesville when the plant does shut down because I don't want to see the effects it has on the town because we rely to much on it. I feel bad for all of those employees who now know at some point in the future they will lose their jobs. Maybe knowing ahead of time will give them time to find another job but in the job market we have now thats very unlikely.

Question??? What time does the Jotter come out. Looking for some great deals!!!! By the way--you are not the only employees in Janesville to lose their jobs. Although you don't think anyone else really had a job worth losing-- right???

Inxs - I love it! Blame the government lol! Why not blame the "drive by media" too??? Taxes, unions and regulations all joined to form an axis of evil that made GM decide to take their bat and ball home. Forward Janesville and Steve Schaeffer actively pursued business. Unfortunately, the collaborative efforts of the governor and legislature increase taxes to no end (they could reduce spending), the unions fought to squeeze away the profit, and now with green regulations on the way--the writing was on the wall. Bottom line is - we the people don't seem to like business very much and so we elect others who hate business too and finally all the "fighting back against big business" has paid off. We brought them to their knees. Inxs - if you're looking for someone to blame; I'd take a look at your friends, your family, in the mirror and at me. We the people have been flipping off GM for years. Maybe if another company does come in we can be a little more respectful and grateful.

Its a very sad day for Janesville. While I think that the area will eventually recover, it is my hope that the GM bashers will take the hardest hit. At every turn we have listened to those who think GM employees are over-paid and less than hardworking, yet, in the next breath would not subject themselves to the noise, dirt and monotony of an industrial factory. GM employees have always been the most generous of any Janesville residents-- and local charities are really going to feel it. Time for the rest of Janesville to step up and fill that gap! Instead of crowing "hah, hah"-- take time to think how this may eventually effect YOU! Home prices, local taxes, layoffs and closures in other businesses... again, a sad day for all of Janesville.

Will GM hourly employees be offered relocation? Sad day for Janesville-although not unexpected, given the age of the Janesville plant.

There is no single job in Janesville NOT dependent in some way on GM - not teaching, not Mercy, not anything on Milton Avenue, not retail, not car sales, not real estate, not Frostee Freeze.
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As families leave, as they must, for those plants in MI & OH adding 3rd shifts, less kids will be in schools, less revenue will be collected in property taxes, less personnel will be needed for nurses, admin, etc, less traffic in the drive-up lanes.
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To all those who are cheering GM's fall in one way or another, ya'll better have more in retirement than just your home - because no one is coming to Janesville - your home is now just a place to store your stuff until you die. And when you're dead, your kids will have a tough time selling it to get their inheritance.
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Stop the stupid talk and understand Janesville is (was) a GM town. Now, it will become Beloit, circa 1980.

What is wrong with most of you people GM is closing. Not good for the employees of GM Lear LSI or any related business or Janesville to some point. Everybody can and will be ok . It will take time and this town and former GM and others will find work. They are part of a first class workforce that has kept GM here so long. GM people be proud. It wasn't you that caused GM to close. prove to all these negative anti GM people that you are able to turn things around.

Hey justsaynotomath, for someone who has a masters degree you sure can't spell. I hope your degree isn't in English. Your right about no jobs in Janesville for the gifted individuals such as yourself with a Master's degree. Move to a bigger city and get over youself (I mean yourself...Opps).

Zoom, MERCY takes away from the community with their high costs at least GM put something we could see back into the community other then their building and signs. And im grateful we have medical competition coming soon.

INXS YOU FORGOT AUTO PARTS STORES! BUT I AM AFRAID TO LET YOU IN ON SOMETHING THE CITY DOES RECRUIT FOR NEW BUSINESS...MORE THAN ONE WOULD THINK.

I'm heading up to the roof with doc0430.

It's times like these that one must ask him or herself - What Would George Bush Do? Oh yeah - let's go out and spend some money!!!

mk1009nes if you work or have a business in Janesville I'd be very concerned if I were you because it will effect everyone including the value of properties when untold number of people leave Janesville to accept jobs in the other GM plants that are expanding.

DID we not now this was going to happen. And when you put all your eggs into to one big basket and build around it it is sad as "humpity dumpity has fell off the wall" Now watch the domino effect.Now those with 30 years plus in at GM dont have a choice on retiring and letting the others have a chance to get to retirement years..........I am so grateful i work for a company not dependent on the late great GMAC My heart goes out to all of the hard worKers at GM and to the not so hard workers also.

Wow, negativity will ruin your life, health and relationships. The School district will do just fine. If people/families relocate, it will be for another go nowhere blue collar existance that will ultimately be challenged elsewhere.If you have a masters degree in something relative to the real world, you could/should/would make your own opportunities, you should be smart enough . . ."you can lead or you can follow"

Janesville may not die but it surely will have a very negative effect on the business community as a whole, which will mean the lose of more jobs from construction to retail businesses.

Other large employers? What are you taking about? Oh do you mean Hobby Lobby? The Dollar Tree? Del Taco? The people to blam here are the city manager and the city council for not activly trying to bring new business to town. Why is it that Rockford and Madison get the business and we get nothing? Let's ask Steve that, oh wait we can't because he's done in a few months. Great legacies Steve! Thanks for all you have done to keep Janesvilles future bright and strong! Who say's we don't need a mayor! Great job Steve and City concil, we have no business but we do have sidewalks! Oh wait now that G.M. is gone janesville will now be known as the city with the most Check Cashing places, Buffets and Dollar stores!
It is just sad that a city with some much to offer and so close to Rockford and Madison and Milwaukee located next to an interstate could have brought in more business, it all comes down to mismanagment of this city. The next city manager will have there work cut out for them.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!!

But if GM goes, then all the other companies that do things for them will go, like lear, and what happens then?

Phil,
Janesville isn't dependant on a single employer. By the way, Mercy Health Systems has been the biggest single employer in Janesville for some time.

Sure this will hurt Janesville's economics but Janesville will not become a ghost town. Remember Beloit Corporation!! Sure the closing of a big employer hurts the local economies but it doesn't make everthing go away. Anyone that thinks Janesville will be a ghost town is someone that has their thinking based on GM being the center of the universe. Wake up and look around, Janesville has plenty to offer besides GM (and suppliers that relied heavily on GM orders).
QUOTE:
"Every end has a new beginning" -unknown

great comment(s) futureteacher. It could be worse. People can be leaders or followers and with all of the negatives comments we have more of the second option.

Yes, it is certainly important to rethink the necessity of education at this time. Sadly, there will be hard times ahead for the school district of Janesville due to the closing of GM. Not only will enrollment decline due to relocation of families, but GM supplies millions of dollars in property tax revenue that has helped to fund the district for years. I can see the loss of a lot of elective courses and larger class sizes in general as the district tries to compensate for this large loss. The impact of this closing, while not as detrimental to the community as it would have been during my childhood in the 1970s, will have much more far-reaching impact than many of us have even begun to consider. Having grown up the child of a GM working parent, my heart goes out to these families as they try to figure out a new way of living and having to make some really tough choices about the future.

This is an very sad day for Janesville. Even for all you haters!! You all in some form or another benefited from the plant, deny all you want! I am NOT employed by GM! and I'm not looking forward to packing up my family and moving them to a strange town so we can start our lives over again because a "burger flipping" job in Janesville can't even be found! Hooray to all!!..u got what you wanted..but lets watch and see whose going to be doing the crying!
To all that employees...Keep your heads up!

Aside from everything else, this will certainly make my choice easier for brand of vehicle to purchase from now on.

I dont think Janesville will become a ghost town. That is negative paranoid thinking. Change happens. It's too bad for the folks who need to realign their lives. Perhaps it is time to rethink the importance of education in America. Perhaps it is time to rethink the importance of self-growth individually. Some will need to learn what living within your means is, good luck with those payments.

I'l be up on the roof trying to decide which end to jump off of if anybody needs me!

Janesville will not be a ghost town in a few years. There are many large employers that don't rely on GM.

I was surly hoping GM would retool Janesville to make more economical vehicles that are in demand.

Maybe now Janesville can learn to not be so dependent on one employer.

I moved away from Janesville about 10 years ago, still have friends there. I kept telling them when I left, GM will probably close within 10 years. Looks like I was right. It doesn't surprise me at all, and anyone that put all their eggs in the GM basket is going to have a rough road ahead of them.

theres goes janesville economy... many more jobs will be lost because of GM. parts suppliers.. ect. time to pack up and move.. janesville will be a ghost town in a few years.

Its too late for that, should have been doing it for the past 2 years. It's here now and your on the back of the wave. Liberty D's are in short supply and ebay is flooded. Good luck...I sincerely mean that. Buy food for long term storage if you can. Sorry for the doom and gloom but it really is looking like the greater depression is on it's way.

It's difficult at times like this to avoid cynicism. With so many large employers in our area closing or cutting jobs, with gas prices rising on a daily basis for no apparent reason while the oil companies continue to make record profits, and with the value of the dollar plummeting, it's tough to remain optimistic.

Better start Ebaying all our crap and buy liberty dollars. The Greater Depression is on it's way.