Taxes are so high in this state even Favre had to take his $12 million to another state!!!!!!

And taxes, and social programs.

Newell is in the business of closing plants. Since the late 90s up to now. Place Janesville with the rest of them.

This also gives Newell an opportinuty to break the union.

I work for Sanford and I also will never buy Newell rubbermaid products ever again! Most of us knew when sanford said we might move to mexico we then thought yah right, might? you know you are! The Mexicans will take forever to do the quality and turn over that we do! And Are there any mexicans left there? I thought they were all here stealing our jobs! mexico pay's $2.90 per hr with benefits. We were told if we wanted to compete and have our job stay here we would have to work for free! Our Government and corporate greed is destroying America!

Tired of hearing, you make some valid points.

It's kind of like the democrats blaming every thing on Bush without looking at what they do to creat job losses like high spending and taxes. I hate that old "executives are pocketing the money" mentality when in reality aggressive taxation leaves less money in circulation.

NAFTA will look like a picnic if the Messiah & Pelosi decide to bring Card Check back to the table

it was in the paper almost 3 weeks ago they were cosidering it. Plenty of time to SAVE 150+. Well maybe not, the C council was busy micro managing the 9k for Tallman house & the gov. well he was preparing his "exit" speech.

One more thing: Where was our City Council & Governor at with our money they were so willing to give to GM. Why was an offer Not made to Sanford with a portion of it. Guess 150+ jobs isn't alot to them. We should only attact "new" business I guess. Next week we'll probably read about a co. coming to town & getting TIFF money that wants to startup here & hire 14 people! WOW - cant wait for the "good" news.

Lars; nice post
Time for a gut check for the rest though (most of you anyway): All the chest pounding, Buy American, anti-NAFTA retoric doesnt change this: 90% of these posts are written by pure hypocrites. Here's why: When anyone of you needs something done at your homes - who do you call, a couple of contractors & guess what - they're NON UNION. I've said it before & I'll say it again; the one way solidarity bs in this town makes me want to puke. When its your wages its gimmee gimmee but when it comes time for you to write the checks - low bid all the way no matter who it effects. I would love to hear 1 factual claim out there of someone that had a union contractor do work at their house - it would be very hard - there are no union residential contractors here because they cant survive in this hypicritical community. no painters, no masons, no carpenters, no heating contractors, no plumbers, no roofers - should I go on. the ONLY union contractors able to "survive" here are the electricians because they've been strong historically in numbers here due to GM. Like clockwork for years there were 2 shutdowns & changeovers which required 100-300 electricians which created 10's of 1000's of dollars in income for them so this "made it worth it" for them to be union. Other than that, you can't name any that survive. Don't read into this, I love living here - I just cant stand the fact that people are so shortsighted. Solidarity right?! WRONG

Interesting post, Lars. I have to agree with some of your reasonings and disagree with others. First off, I would like to say that nobody likes over-taxation: A corporation, a small mom and pop shop or the average worker. I just don't feel it is right that any corporation should just be able to up and move due to that fact without any reprucussions. Most major corporations received major tax breaks to begin with. Secondly, unless you are somehow related to Rip Van Winkle, you should have seen this coming 20 years ago. This is not Obama's doing, he only took office during the downturn (most likely won because McCain stated that the economy was strong or maybe you forgot) and is trying to, and I stress trying, make this country more self sufficient. I have never supported NAFTA which was Bush 1's baby, but Clinton signed, but it is not The North American Free trade Agreement that is hurting us as much as China. They OWN us, does that not scare you? Thirdly, you sound like a company spokesman for Wal-Mart. Why are they so hated? They make billions of dollars per quarter and have an enormous amount of employees! Unfortunately, the majority of their employees are part time and receive no benefits and are paid right around minimum wage. Makes it sound like a fun place to work and shop at! No wonder they fire people when they speak of unions! Which takes me to my last point. Union hatred seems absurd to me. It seems when people hear the word union, they assume huge wages.. Not always true. If you were to take the time to actually research and learn what unions have done for America, and for any worker that is not union, you may change your hatred. I doubt that will happen, but I'm just saying... 40 hour work weeks (could be working in China with 18 hour days and a cot to sleep in), safe work environments (OSHA, EPA), Abilty to stay home with a parent that is sick or the birth of a child (FMLA), Being able to work in a job that is suitable (ADA); The list goes on and on. The bottom line is that you can hate unions but you can thank them as well. I do agree with you on the big government/health care plan though. Kind of reminds me of the patriot act. Nothing like having your phone tapped for no reason at all. But the government gets to decide what they want to hear and when? I don't like either of 'em.

Looks like the race across th Rio Grande is going in the other direction now.

So let's see, Sanford is leaving because of Walmart, the Almighty Dollah, Greed, and the VRWC.

Hmmmm... Has it occurred to anyone that perhaps the reason so many companies leave for other nations is that those nations understand a very basic rule of economics? That rule being that a company is in business to make a profit. Don't tax them out of existence and they will usually stay.

The recent jihad against Profit, waged by Obama and his populist Democrats, might have something to do with businesses not wishing to remain within our borders. It is a willful ignorance that fails to see that big business creates jobs and opportunity. Penalize them and they won't stay. Pretty basic stuff people. Boycott Walmart all you wish but that evil corporate entity employs thousands of people. The Unions did a pretty darn good job of destroying our auto industry through such stupidity.

No matter how hard you people try you cannot repeal the basic laws of economics.

Government involvement in business ALWAYS fails. Just wait until the government gets its hands on your healthcare. Capitalism is by no means perfect but it is better than the tyranny of crippling taxation and government bureaucracy.

Enjoy your beds folks. You made it.

That's what I am talking about wisconsingirl52.

Everyone quickly blames everything else but a high tax environmnet. More taxes, less money in your pocket because we have to subsidize all the social spending in this state (5 or 6 billion in debt already). When does it end?

Ross Perot said it right up front on NAFTA.."If you sign this bill,all you'll hear is a big SUCKING sound as all of the manufacturing jobs leave the US". He hit the nail right on the head.

Started boycotting Wal-Mart after I saw a documentary about them a couple of years ago.
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Guess I'll add Rubbermaid and Stanford to the list.

Wisconsin's hostile corporate tax environment played a big part in this decision. When will the state legislators learn? The job bleeding will continue until the State of Wisconsin gives companies a reason to locate here. Currently they're only giving them reasons to leave.

Everyone will be standing in line when the next Mexican reataurant opens here...LOL.

I understand the anger at companies sending jobs overseas and also understand the name calling aimed at the CEOs and corporate bodies.

I also understand the attitudes of the great majority of Americans who won`t stick together and buy American - it is, in part, because they are as greedy as the corporations they rail at.

It`s a people thing.

More great news for Janesville. Darn. I wonder when we will hear something like XYZ Inc. to hire 5000 in Janesville....

High taxes also plays a big part of this mess. More taxes, less profits less jobs. Less captial investmen,t more layoffs.

localmatters: I think you hit the nail on the head. That is the reason for the economy and housing crisis right now. It is GREED. Everyone wants more and more. This includes CEO's, Corporations, and Consumers. No one wants to pay more for something than for another thing. That is why people can say what they want, but they would never buy a 100% made US car. It would probably be $75,000 for a Malibu.
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Wake up people. Consumers are the ones that make decisions. If you don't buy people won't make it anymore. People started buying cheaper and cheaper items so they started making items that cost less and less and usually that means lowering labor costs.
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Problem is that we want people to buy the products we personally make, because that keeps us employed, and usually we want a lot of money to support our "lifestyle", but we turn around and buy the cheapest stuff possible, because if we can save a nickel we will.

sorry gazette, made a comment about a local company that was true. Watch your paper in the future. And you remove it! So tell me why I canceled your paper and subscribe to the Madison paper?

ja67 - I agree, it's hard to find much made in the USA anymore. I remember last Christmas I receved about 10 gifts from family members - all made overseas. When I opened one that said GM Goodwrench, I thought finally, an American made product. Nope - it said made in Taiwan. Our government has to step in to balance trade. Also - with the economy the way it is, I started using WalMart too. People just can't survive without discounted prices.

Keep buying from WALMART people...Everyone wants cheap items from WALMART, therefore everything is being made overseas. WALMART forces small businesses to shut down, and forces plants to close and move to China. We wouldn't need their cheap items if they didn't cause so many people to lose their jobs.

Sanford is owned by Rubbermaid. Rubbermaid was one of the first factories to go south when petroleum product prices rose.
Frontline did a great job of outlining the issues in "Is Wal-Mart Good For America?"
We have no one but ourselves (I boycott WallyWorld) to blame. if you shop at WalMart, you are part of the problem. Live a Big Box Life, live a Big Box Lie.
it's also crap that this is not about efficiency. That plant was running at 14% productivity and had HUGE overhead. It was corporate suicide.
The TAA/TRA benefits would be great- if people TOOK them. When Sanford closed down its Madison plant 3 people out of 247 took TRA benefits and went to school. The rest just looked on for low paying jobs.

Where is Mexico??

I see the racist comments have started. No wonder Janesville is in deep trouble.

MacDaddy -- The American consumer is its own worst enemy. We want it all...cheapest goods but American made. I work for a company who distributes goods to retail and I was in a store in Iowa. A customer cornered me and started on the fact that he wasn't going to buy this "china made" wrench set. I proceeded to show him an American made version that happened to be about 20% more (both in cost and retail). I walked away but kept my eye on him. After a few minutes he put down the American made product and went for the less expensive. He did buy that "China made" wrench set. Can we have our cake and eat it too with American made goods? I am willing to pay a slight premium for American-made products. I'm wearing Merrill, Wisconsin made casual shoes today. I paid about $20 more for these than a hush puppy. My under garments (both undies and socks) are made in Rhode Island. My casual pants are union-made by Carhartt (Goodwill find) but my shirt is Bangladesh.

Those who've commented -- where are the goods you own and wear made? I'm not judging, just curious. Many preach Made in America but are draped in overseas wear.

Man Janesville needs some love a /hug or
sumtin..rough year all around.

NAFTA was on the table before Bill Clinton came into office but he made changes to it and signed it into affect but no changes were going to make it good for USA workers, as we can see.

Why send the jobs there when all the Mexicans are here.

slightly off topic: If you are trying to save jobs in JVL. One thing you all can do is to stop using self check outs when your shopping.
Sure the technology is great but how many jobs are lost due to the person checking themselves out! Also, You don't receive an employee discount for doing someone else's job and the products you buy aren't any cheaper. Therefore, Who gets the extra money.
Upper Management!!!

Unfortunately there is more involved in these lop sided trade agreements than just moving products or companies. Everyone wants peace, especially with countries like China, who have a few billion people at their disposal. As a result, if we create trade partners we create allies. China would have gone to war with us over Taiwan eons ago if it were not for our trade relations. Moreover, China owns quite a bit of property and roadways in Mexico, which is easy access to the U.S. if needed. Although I agree we could stand to revise some of these trade agreements, it's tough to have it both ways. People don't like war and they also don't like losing jobs. It's not as simple as people like to believe and it's easy to arm chair quarterback these decisions. Unfortunately, not every country is as civilized as we are.

I see more & more Mexican's here. Guess they will have to stop coming to the U.S. They can have OUR jobs in their own country!!!
The world is a mess.

I'm tired of our jobs going to Mexico, China,Japan, and other countrys. Our government just stands by and don't do a darn thing about. The Fairs Trade Agreement was the biggest farce from the beginning. No wonder we have so many people out of work here in the United States. And we can't find a product in the store that says MADE IN THE USA anymore.

you know the ironic thing about Walmart is that i remember when it first opened, you would see the signs hanging from the ceiling saying "Everything Made in the USA" and that was their big thing.
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Funny thing, i was at Walmart on Saturday and i didn't see those signs anymore. I wonder where they went?????

NAFTA was a badly written piece of legislation that BOTH political parties had a hand in passing. It could have had a positive economic effect on the US and the countries which joined NAFTA. There should have been a stipulation in the bill that required companies to pay the same wages to their workers no matter where the jobs were located. That would have raised the standard of living in other countries and allowed their citizens the means necessary to buy our products. Instead, our standard of living is being lowered. Eventually they will be at the same level as the countries where our jobs are being outsourced. Mexican workers at Sanford still won't be able to afford American made goods and former Sanford workers will, very likely, be forced to live on less. Who wins? The company and their shareholders! (oh and don't forget WalMart). Lower wages, no benefits, fewer safety regulations, same price, bigger profits. Welcome to the world WalMart has helped create! Every dime you spend there furthers their view that moving jobs out of the country is the right thing to do. Promote job outsourcing, shop WalMart! (and many of the other big box stores).

OOPS!, That came out confusing:)

Anywho, mexico does have a min. wage, enforceable pollution laws and mandatory education.Sorry for the confusing, jumbled post peoples

For elmooso and SarahB1-

" no enforceable safely or pollution laws"=false-http://www.natlaw.com/pubs/spmxen13.htm

" no min. wage"=false-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_country

"Besides the benefits mentioned in another posting that Mexico does not provide its citizens is the fact that education is not mandatory in that country either."=FALSE- The third article of the Constitution of Mexico is about national education; its premise is that education should be mandatory, laica (non-religious) and free. In Mexico, a basic education is mandatory for 10 years, from Jardin de Niños (kindergarten) through to Secundaria (secondary) (i.e., the American equivalent is from K-9), “…but in practice this is largely ignored”- http://www.waet.uga.edu/wiki/index.php/M...

I'm really ashamed of Janesville allowing this to happen. I know the Parkers are no longer involved in the business, but the basis for this company was Janesville, WI. All of the present, retired and deceased employees of Parker must feel cheated
for their dedication that puts them on the scrapheap and moves the operation to Mexico. I certainly understand Sanfords need to turn a profit for the shareholders who really don't care how or why its earned. Sell your soul for a few Sheckels Sanford, you don't live in Janesville, I guess it's unimportant to you how 153 people that have worked for you exist now.
For Shame!!!!! JUST DON'T BUY PARKER!!!!!

Yes, HW tried to get it done during his term. Clinton inherited NAFTA and introduced some provisions that attempted to protect workers. However, NAFTA is a free market baby and as such, supported by Republicans not Democrats. Remember that Clinton was fiscally more moderate, and socially liberal (but not far liberal).

"Following diplomatic negotiations dating back to 1991 between the three nations, the leaders met in San Antonio, Texas, on December 17, 1992, to sign NAFTA. U.S. President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas, each responsible for spearheading and promoting the agreement, ceremonially signed it.
Before the negotiations were finalized, Bill Clinton came into office in the U.S. and Kim Campbell in Canada, and before the agreement became law, Jean Chrétien had taken office in Canada"
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Facts are pesky things.

Ya, it was real nice of them to contact us to tell about the closing. I work there too, and the whole period between the announcements was bull. Everyone knew it was gonna happen, but supervisors said to keep hope going. Different union employees said that the talks were a joke, basically were told that there was nothing they could do to change the minds of the company leaders. I can tell ya one thing, won't be buying any more newell rubbermaid products!!

For year's I have look'ed @ label's to see where item's were made trying to buy american as I watch'ed other's buy item's from where ever & just say it' cheaper now more eye's are open now pay the price

NAFTA was on Clinton's watch.

Don’t have to deal with OSHA or EPA either.

Until the government steps in and demands that anything sold in the US be made in the Us, we are in trouble.
Same goes for American companies. If they want to sell their product in another country, they should build a plant there, hire the people there and sell the product made there in that country.

China owns our debt. Instead of spending our money we repay they are buying good old fashioned US Savings Bonds. What a return on our money...

I heard a man on the radio the other day talking about how important the relationship between Mexico and the US was. He said "It's just not Mexican plants exporting good to the USA, it's American plants exporting goods from Mexico to America too. How ironic.

Janesvillean: actually if you check your facts Bill Clinton was the president at the time.
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He served from 1993-2001. last i checked he was a DEMOCRAT.

Janesville continues to go down the drain. And our community leaders remain silent and useless. I cannot wait to see what the 2010 census numbers are for Janesville. And we want to build a children's museum, a bike tunnel, renovate and add on to school buildings that will soon no longer be needed? Give me a break!

I have family that works at Sanford and its bad enough to have their jobs lost to Mexico, but on top of that...the workers found out by reading the Gazette NOT by the owners of Sanford. Nice Sanford...really nice.

People can blame NAFTA all they want, but if it wasn't Mexico it would just be some other cheap place to make products. Three things need to happen:
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1. We need to be more competitive
2. We need more incentives to keep companies in the U.S.
3. We need to stop buying so many imported products.
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Nonetheless, and unfortunately, it's the workers who get the short end of the stick even though they give it 100%. The good part about Sanford moving to Mexico (Rather than say Kansas) is that it will likely qualify workers for federal TRA/TAA benefits for education and other assistance. Not that this makes things all better, but at least there are more options available and more time to pursue them. My heart goes out to all those affected.

maybe we can get these companies to take some of them back to mexico with the companies that are going there.....frreing up more jobs for the AMERICAN worker

Janesvillian: Thanks for the clairifaction on the NAFTA debacle. Opionsforfree,you may want to review his post as well.

Macdaddy: You may want to review who actually voted for and against NAFTA, which was put on the table by George H.W. Bush. 34 of 61 yea votes were Republican. 28 of 38 nay votes were Democratic. Feingold and Kohl voted nay. Also, treaties are approved by the Senate, not by the House.
http://www.citizen.org/print_article.cfm...

We keep sending all our companies to Mexico and all the Mexicans keep trying to come here~~hmmmmm, strange, isn't it?

Let's raise their taxes - that'll keep the companies here!

Thanks NAFTA

Can't say the first word that I said after reading this headline less my comment be deleted. But damn, that's another hard hit to our local economy. Best of luck to everyone who is losing their job...

And yet where I work we're taking on jobs that used to go overseas...

A lot of people are up in arms about jobs going to other countries. How many of them shop at Wal-Mart?

Mexico,China,India etc. have no SS no med.ins. no enforceable safely or pollution laws no min. wage no rights for the workers at all.. that's why we need Fair Trade laws in dealing with this...

Um....there can't be much of a labor force left in Mexico...they've all moved here to take jobs!! I see a pattern here....

mespl--don't hope for higher gas prices. We'll be the ones footing the bill on that, not Sanford.

Moving to Mexico to increase efficiencies, that is quite an interesting spin on hiring cheap labor, I hope that gas prices go back up and these companies shipping overseas start to feel the pinch from rising shipping costs.

Make sure you all write your Democratic Representatives and let them know how much you appreciate NAFTA!

This has nothing to do with efficiency. It's all about the might dollar. Mexican workers will work in the factory for a fraction of what Sanford would have to pay our workers here. How many more hits can Janesville and Rock County take? It's time our state government figures out a way to attract more companies, instead of pissing on their shoes every time the step through the door.

You are right vetman. In an ideal world it would be nice to not have to resort to boarder tariffs, but for years and years why do you think American products did not sell well in other countries? It was because they were taxed so heavily in certain other countries they were not affordable. It's a viscous circle but I believe the day needs to come.

I hope the people in mexico buy all the sanford products that i will refuse to buy now. This practice of companies doing this has to stop somehow.I say if were not good enough to make the product here in the usa,then I dont have to buy it.Maybe it could at least save one job in this country,and that would be worth it to me even if it cost me a little more!

My heart goes out to all the affected workers. So many things to say but cannot formulate the right comments.

Come on people did you Obama voters really think he would "create or save 3millon jobs"

MEXICO,I wander whats wrong with the economy here? I'm going to have to move to mexico to get a job, whats up with that?

It time for people to punish companies like this and quit buying their products. I wonder how many bought school supplies with the Sanford name on them?

companies will keep shipping jobs out of the country until we put a tariff on the boarders.

In order to improve efficiency, we will move our plant to Mexico to make pens there that we will ship back here to sell.

I hope that the Mexicans buy a lot of pens.

Taking it to Mexico. Sickening.

lets help the Americans by sending MORE jobs to Mexico! When will these companies get it?

So sad, Good luck to all.