Someone earlier said something about the weak dollar being to blame for high oil prices, which is true, but the weak dollar has been a focus of the Bush economic and monetary policy. The idea is to weaken the dollar in order to make American goods more competitive globally in an effort to decrease the trade deficit. So no, The President (who I worked to get reelected- sorry guys) doesn't "set" oil prices, but he is certainly somewhat to blame for a percentage of the price increase.

Now someone is going to preach supply and demand next, but with the weak dollar and oil being priced in dollars the buying power of foreign nations is increased and they do what people do when there's a sale- they buy more.

So that's not totally what's wrong with oil (which I think is directly resulting in these layoffs), but it's a noticable amount that yes, the President is responsible for. And don't write me off as a liberal...I'm not. I'm a young conservative who used to call myself a Republican, but the Republican party is extinct as far as I can tell. We spend so much time giving talking points that we never have time for a true and honest discourse on the issues- Issues that are not just an academic idealogical excersice, but rather a stone cold reality that is hitting home for more and more people.

These message boards are just as divisive. Things are not good in general. Some people are fine, some are out of work. We're all paying a fortune on gas and groceries, but all we hear is Democrats pandering to the emotions of the displaced and the struggling while the Republicans do a similar "see no evil..." song and dance while debating the literal definition of "recession"...can't we just agree that it may or may not be a recession, but at the very least...this is really starting to suck.

If you're not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem! We need to quit complaining and start finding ways to help the job-loss situation. I am open to suggestions on this one. How can I, just one average Rock County native, help here. Oh, yes ... for all the people writing about special privileges for the Simmons workers. The story indicates that they are receiving nothing more than any of us can get for free at the Job Center. I encourage anyone facing a layoff to visit the Job Center; it is a great resource for finding a new job. I was permanently laid off from a Rock County position for close to a year. I am now grateful to say that I have gained a new job. And a good share of my nailing the job has to do with advice I received at the Job Center.

Why is it in every story in the comment area people are slamming gm workers god Get a Life!Other companys that are getting laid off are recieving help.there is a web site www.doleta.gov it deals with jobs loss it helps EVERYONE not just gm. So go out and do something other than Bi**hing in thes comment blogs people enough is enough!!!!!

Yes Bush sets the price of oil. Go back to school! The week dollar has to do with the price of oil which is connected to Americans buying product from over seas company. Look at what you buy! Yes you may pay more for it if it is made the USA but Americans get payed well, so buy american and support the almighty dollar and things might get better. I find made in USA all the time, but sometimes I have to wait to afford it.

Always GM,What about lear,l.s.i. and others who helped get GM this far? I guess one could say, It's only GM workers they are worried about. All others who have been working all this time and doing fairly well, Have a right to some help too!! Ones who know they will never see the inside of a new vehicle. And are normally happy with what they have. Those are the ones who would be more happy if they were offered at the least a portion of what GM already has. At least GM people have a cushion with buyout offers. Most of the outsource people who dedicated their time, are lucky if they even heard a thanks for their time. And we are expected to feel sorry for GM ? No thanks, I'll go on and keep driving my old vehicle and when it falls apart, I'll ride my bike to work at mcdonalds so I can make ex-Gm workers their breakfast.

FIRST AND FORMOST I AM SORRY TO ALL 70 SIMMON'S EMPLOYEES WHO WERE LAID OFF TODAY. ITS A SHAME THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE LOSSING JOBS, HOUSES AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN DUE TO THE COST OF OIL. SIMMONS FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST PAYING JOBS IN AND AROUND JANESVILLE AND ALL OF US GREW ACUSTOM TO CERTIN LIFE STYLES AND NOW ALL OF SUDDEN ITS BEING TAKEN AWAY FORM US. LAST YEAR I MADE ALMOST $70,000 DOLLARS THIS YEAR I AM ON PACE TO MAKE ABOUT 40,000 IF THAT. NOW THATS A BIG CHANGE IN MY LIFE STYLE. NOT THAT I COULDN'T LIVE ON IT BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW I HAVE A MORGAGE, TWO CAR PAYMENTS CREDIT CARD BILLS, INSURANCE, ECT ECT. I GUESS MY POINT IS THAT HOW CAN I KEEP EVERYTHING I HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR MAKING LESS MONEY AND WITHOUT DESTROYING MY CREDIT. LAW MAKERS AND THE STATE OF WISCONSIN NEED TO GET SOMETHING FIGURED OUT BEFORE IT GETS WORST. WE ALL AND NOT JUST SIMMONS EMPLOYEES NEED HELP.....

All I can say is....anyone bashing about their job and being unhappy with it...Be thankful you have a job. I made it into Lear for a year and was laid off. I just got around the corner to almost a year at Simmons and I too, was laid off from that job today. Won't be long and everyone will be on unemployment. And we cannot all take a job at McDonald's. No one will have any money to buy a burger...wait...the City Manager will!!!

I think the number of cases of people bashing GM workers, on all the blogs, is exaggerated. Bashing GM as a company, however, is warranted.

+1 newempire

I'm sure if you were to dig, into past articles, you would find Sheridan made the same comment concerning GM.
I am begenning to understand,though, why people are calling my fellow Janesvillites idiots. Many of you bash teachers, woodmans and GM yet these are your relatives, neighbors and friends. To change your attitude can change your life. Get one.

The economy REALLY STINKS!! I truly pray it gets better before it gets worse! I've been without a job, with no income before. Albeit, it was for two and a half months, I don't have children and was able to ask my parents for help (a place to stay and money to make the car payment to find a job!), but it doesn't take away from the families that have more responsibilities than I did/do. I realize how fortunate I've been and still am!

"Action and solutions please…not rhetoric and empathy".

The voice of reason is finally heard from.

Thanks!!

My comment on Mike Sheridan was for the fact that he is the President of LOCAL 95 UAW !!! It sure would be THE RIGHT THING for him to say something/anything to HIS UNION !!! Get my point ???? Does he have anytime to say to us ???? No I don't think this is his fault ,but let's hear something from him !!!

Great insight, newempire-the same logic goes for the verbal blows (all talk, no action) in here that don’t accomplish anything but animosity. Now I have an insight of my own for people who apparently hate GM (more apparently-Janesville workers), and hate them even more because the glee of seeing them in an uncertain situation is dampened by suggestions of help from Doyle, etc, etc:-
And now Simmons might be in for some of the same, and has been added to a few posts wondering why “only GM and Simmons...”.
Isn’t it logical that these large numbers of people (700+400-or even more?) mostly living in one community (and other very close ones) making relatively large sums of money and spreading it around the community would impact the area to a much greater extent than an individual loss of a job, or the loss of a small handful of jobs that pay much less? That doesn’t mean that those individuals are not just as important as any single individual who works at GM or Simmons-of course it does not. Do you see newspaper accounts and calls to action when one GM or Simmons employee loses his job for whatever reason? No-we’re talking about over 1000 jobs suddenly and all at once. Off the top of my head-that’s over ONE MILLION DOLLARS not generated and spent each week in a very small area. (feel free to correct my math). How about the (guess) 100 lower paying jobs lost in a week around here-that’s maybe $30,000 a week not getting into the area economy. And don’t forget, many of those GMers have devoted 1/3, ½ and even 2/3 of their lives to one company. How often does that happen?
And what about the ability of a GM or Simmons employee to find a job that matches his previous job? Nearly impossible. (Forget for a minute that you hate them for making that much-which of us “average” wage earners would turn it down-especially if it was as “easy” as some claim?) .But if those who make minimum wage and up to $10/hour found themselves out of a job, it would be easier to replace that job. And what about whatever “welfare” benefits Wisconsin might have to offer? Who’s going to be less likely, and who’s going to be more likely, to qualify for those?
Those government and other “bigwigs” who suggest help may be coming for GM or Simmons employees are not thinking about those individuals-they are seeking solutions for a much broader potential problem, one that very well might affect even those who are in an uproar.

What about the small group from Albany and Orfordville, just because they are less than 1200 in population, don't they deserve a statement as well. Nothing like picking and choosing who you feel sorry for!!

I suppose it is curious that there hadn't been any statements from Mike Sheridan on GM, but I wonder how much of that is due to his role with the UAW at GM-Janesville. I would assume that the last number of days have been someone preoccupied with actually doing things as opposed to making token statements. This particular statement, while nice to hear and somewhat obligatory, doesn't actually say anything other than "we'll do what we can to make sure the things that can be done...are done". That's not to slight the sincerity of the statement- Mr. Sheridan seems to be a man who does care about both the GM workers and his district as a whole (whether they make cars, mattresses, or whatever). The thing is, however, that we've become so obsessed with requiring our elected leaders to issue immediate and shallow statements of sentiment that we've forgotten to demand deliberate action. Isn’t the bigger story here that we are still arguing over what to label the economic situation while more and more workers are involuntarily gaining more and more free time to do the arguing? Action and solutions please…not rhetoric and empathy.

Not everything is about GM

Amazing----- Mike Sheridan talks about help for Simmons (that's a good thing) but why hasn't he made any statements on GM ???? Does he have any intrest in GM ???? I was just wondering ???

There are people that are laid-off everyday. Where is the support for them? True they are not Simmons or GM but these people don't get the same support. They must do it on their own.