janesvillian~ You are absolutely correct. I appreciate you pointing that out. My post was by no means meant to single out GM workers soley. I was just stating what I said in the context of the article. Like I said, the mass media that's been brainwashing people over the years is everywhere and affecting the masses all over the world. Thanks for helping to put that in perspective! Also, just for the record, I constantly fought an uphill battle when it came to living within my means while I was at GM. I was fortunate enough to have access to some great media that changed my thought process and my life for that matter. I'm certainly nothing special in that dept! God bless....

darius, the newspaper headlines show that it wasn't just GM workers who got hooked on credit over the last decade. Good for you for living within your means, but it's actually a transnational problem (affecting the UK and Spain in particular besides the US).

The people who are in for the shock of their lives are the one's who hired into GM right out of high school. When all you're used to is making that high wage and most basing their lifestyles off that wage, this change can be devastating. I worked for much lesser wages before hiring into GM and it was a definate advantage for me. I saw so many individuals spending and spending and counting on the closing of the plant never happening. The people who are the most stressed out by all of this are those who haven't been educated on financial common sense. They have massive credit card debt, loans on alot of extra curricular items, vehicles payments to go along with the mortgage payment. Now, I'm not critcizing anyone, because you can't know what hasn't been taught. We're all products of what we've learned up until now. Our mass media that's been fed to us over the years that's been teaching people instant gratification and "you deserve it now" garbage, has reared it's ugly face and the people of this country are seeing the results from that media and our inability to leverage the proper education to the masses through the years. In other words, the corporate American driven agenda that's been taking advantage of the vulnerability of so many people has caught up with not only the companies but allowed families and communities to be destroyed. We're all to blame in this because history tells us these things eventually catch up with us, yet, many people stood by and watched it happen and did nothing. I'm not excluded from that group either.

Where are all the people who where in denial that the GM plant closing would effect more than the "over payed" GM workers? The day the Gazette printed the story of GM closing MANY were so happy these people were loosing their jobs even though they were told this will effect EVERYONE. I wonder if their still happy? MANY MANY companies will feel the loss of all the "over payed" GM employees not having all that money to spread around Janesville.

"Nothing changes. Everything same," said Hong, who has been in business since 1989. - from the story above.
No brackets, just quotes. If you're going to lecture on journalistic methodology, particularly when you use such citadels of journalistic integrity as Newsweek, Time and AP for references, accuracy makes you look less foolish, professor rockstars.

opinions~ I definately can see it!

Citgo....hmmm a u.s. Business?

janesvillean, we'll have to disagree on contemporary journalistic practice but you are right that the Kenosha plant is still operational. The AMC plant in Kenosha that built vehicles was closed after Chrysler acquired AMC. The engine plant remained open, however. In fact, I have several friends that are employed there.

ARE THERE STILL 1200 PEOPLE AT THE PLANT?

rockstars, contemporary journalistic practice is to record quotes as stated.
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localboy, the Kenosha plant is still active enough to be closed for 30 days along with every other Chrysler plant.

"Hey, things are tough all over."

Me speaking generally, my cpinions are more for business to business purchases. If GM is making commercial trucks in Janesville, and you go purchase their competitor trucks, how do you expect GM workers to support your business with good intentions? How is that supporting your community? If GM supplies a huge amount of the tax base for the city, county, and state, how is it those municipalities then go and purchase Ford's with that same tax money in good faith? Generally speaking, there is no loyalty to buying/supporting local.

cjjs35- you make a good point with the Fagan example.

I thought Chrysler closed that engine plant in Kenosha.

Additonally, I said nothing about an opinion making anyone an idiot. I said someone would be an idiot to spend $5k more on a truck when the cheaper one would work just as well, in a business sense.

I did not say you were an idiot. I was speaking generally and not directing that at you or any other specific person.

rockstars - if stating my opinion makes me an "idiot" as you say, then I must be a idiot.

Sorry, hannah. I don't make it down by GM all that often. Why don't you tell him "hi" for me? I'm not the one that needs to get out more. I'm just suggesting a little more.... journalistic integrity.... here in this story and not that journalists propagate stereotypes. But, hey, if you're all good with propagating stereotypes, that's your business.

Apparently you forget the Chrysler plant in Kenosha, too, localboy. As far as telling that to the people that have lost their jobs, I don't need to. I lost my job due to the economic condition, also. I'm a GM fan, but please, take your holier than thou crap somewhere else. It's a combination of the economy AND competition. Consumers (in all aspects) will go where they can get the best deal, regardless if they support their local economy. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS. Why spend $40k on a truck for your business when you can get one that fits your purpose for $35k? If you buy it the $40k truck just because it is built locally (and I'm not even talking US/Japan, I'm talking WI/MI), then you're (speaking generally of course) an idiot.

darius: If I were to develop something for local shops to sell goods online. It would be in the format of a craigslist. But the community government or some central point of management would have to involved. envision a website portal that online shops could build their own virtual shops with in this portal. Shipping would be cheap cause the purchase would be made locally. So the consumer could pick up the product or have it shipped. Can you kind of envision what I am talking about?

localboy-Did you see the story about Fagan getting through these times. Most of the comments were about how overpriced or how bad the service was at Fagan a "local" company. So if the local company is making people go to evansville or orfordville to buy a product whats the diffenence if Jacks or Davis go elswhere to buy one

You don't buy towing, landscaping, rock salt, and feed on the internet/online.

I guess I didn't explain myself well. Local companies should buy local, just as locals should buy local when all possible. It is what supports your community. Not finding the cheapest product to satisfy your habit to purchase or accumulate material items.

localboy, all I can say is, blaming customers for not buying your products is not a business plan.

Opinionsforfree~
Here's the problem all businesses face in what you're saying. With the internet now, people can shop online from other countries as easily as they can shop from a local Janesville company now. The reality is, people are going to shop for the best deals period. If it means shopping from an online store in Australia to get what they want, that's what they will do. It's already happening. What I was saying is, the companies realize that the masses are shopping online and their dilemma is, how do they standout and lure the shoppers to their site when their is over 70 million online commerce site to choose from? That's where community comes in. Figure out how to build a massive online community, and make it indentifiable for the manufacturers all over the world, and you'll really have something.

rockstars- make sure to tell all of these businesses that are closing that "it is just business" that they have to shut down. When all of those people are without a job, let them know it is "just" business.

There isn't any loyalty to local business anymore. Look at Rock County. GM was the largest employer and provider of the tax base, and they choose to buy Ford's with the money that GM gave them in taxes. I could never understand that. The city always did a good job in trying to buy GM to be loyal. The state wasn't much better. I wonder how much Chryler and Ford contribute to the state's economy, and the state's fleets are plum full of competitors vehicles. Well, now everybody can buy what ever they want, as the only thing left of GM in Wisconsin is a SPO in Hudson.

Hate to say this, localboy, but business is just business sometimes. Maybe they got a better deal elsewhere. Not that I think anyone deserves to necessarily lose their jobs but GM (along with Ford and Chrysler) need to become more competitive with the other manufacturers. Not just now because they are all suffering, but when the economy is prosperous, too.

jvlreader- "Cheep" is what a little birdie would say. "Cheap" has another meaning altogether. I don't get the Gazette. I get the Wisconsin State Journal and the Wall Street Journal.

hannah & billnewbie, do you two not get out much? Have you never seen brackets [] within quotes? Those are words that were not said but IMPLIED for clarification purposes. Maybe you should read some articles in Newsweek, Time, or on the AP and not just the ones from the Janesville Gazette. Time to crawl out from under that rock now... ;)

Ed Hookham at Jack & Dick's - wasn't too concerned about GM business when he went and purchased a International tilt cab delivery truck when they were making the same thing in a GMC/Chevy/Isuzu right across the street from him. Same with Devorak's landscaping, Wurtz's Mobil/Towing, Chamber's & Owen and all the other companies who didn't support the local economy by purchasing Janesville built products.

THE SKY IS FALLING!
THE SKY IS FALLING!


BLAH!

I wish everyone would please check their spelling, grammar and puncuation before they post. You are making yourself look bad and distracting the reader from your message.

Wait till next week all the paper will read is good by to GM.page after page.Then let the bashing begine.

Beeferer: You don't subscribe to the Gazette because you are to CHEEP. News is news, good or bad, and no I don't work for the gazette. And if you think the Gazette global economy crisis, you are out of touch with reality.

I know it's their job to post good and bad. They are just focused on the bad. I'm sure some good is happening there. Where are those stories?

It's the Gazette's job to report news, good or bad. Guess what, there is a lot of bad news right now, especially with GM Janesville closing, and the fall of the auto industry. It isn't the Gazette's job to make you feel warm and fuzzy. Stop whining and get over it.

I, actually complement the Gazette for each of these stories because they include interviews with affected people so that readers get perspectives that they might not otherwise see.
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Thank you Gazette.

Agreed Anonomouse- I have never had a comment deleted by the gazette, but now that I say that....

I only had one comment deleted that I know of. The Gazette isn't a bad newspaper it's just focusing on too much negativity right now and they continue to do it. There has to be other news besides GM happening there. I do know it's not the biggest town but I'm sure more is happening. I did like the Christmas program article. We need more like that right now and less of this getting everyones story about how they are going to be affected by GM closing. It'll never end if they don't stop it.

I wonder if there is any correlation between those smacking the Gazette in this forum and those who have had comments deleted in past forums? Just a question, folks. I am not trying to imply anything here.

darius: Local businesses if they are smart will need to setup websites and may sell good and services from their sites. The local businesses who are not known can also advertise their website on lets say on the gazettextra.com. So the "invisible part of the econ" can still work there are steps that need to be taken to change with the times

I don't think anyone is complaining about the "littler" guy getting his 15 minutes of fame. I think people are getting sick of all the doom the Gazette is printing. Some of it is actual news but a lot of it is just stirring the pot.

So many have complained in past stories that it seems the whole world (locally) revolves around GM, "What about Lear, LSI?" people would say.... Now they do a story going even one step further-the even "littler" guy...and what do we "hear" now? More complaints.
And the quote from Hong? It was a quote from Hong. It's about as accurate as you can get. The Gazette should paraphrase him just because he's a few words short of your "perfect sentence"? Now THAT would be an insult, implying he needed an interpreter.

fishingal- I am under the impression that you or someone close to you works for the Gazette.

cjjs35: I think the point of the articles is to remind the readers that it is not just the employees of GM, Lear, LSI and so on that are being affected with the closing of the plant. It is more wide spread than we realize. I, for one, would not have thought of a gas station and a Feed Supply store being affected, just because of their location. It is an eye opener, and makes me think of the other businesses in that area that rely on the traffic of the plant. The reporters are doing their job, informing the public of local situations.

For all those that support this article(yes, I agree, this story has been reported to death), have you noticed that it seems that the Gazette is playing on both sides of the fence. They have run a few articles saying that certain stores are not closing, it is just mean and nasty rumors and we should ignore them. Then they run stories about the doom and gloom certain workers and business owners are going to face once GM closes.

You cannot have it both ways! They are contributing to the doom and gloom!

This is probably the biggest news ever to hit Janesville. Of course the Gazette will "report it to death". It effects every person in this city. How can they do anything different?

Wow! I have to tell you that felt really good!

This is why I don't subscribe to the Gazette. The articles they publish seem to be meant to get a "war of the words" going on these message boards. Gloom, doom, negativity, and child-like journalism with an illiterate editor watching over the whole mess makes for a rag that appeals only to people who are living in a make-believe world. The only benefit to the community is that they provide a great place to vent. Kind of like a Toyota at the union hall where you can pay a dollar to take a swing at it with a sledge hammer. See how I worked Toyota into this message? I can't help but feel that the Gazette's continual GM bashing over the years has contributed to the global economy crisis. If they would have published positive news and written fondly about the very business that has put bread and butter on their supper tables for so many years, then the lemmings in this town would have bought American-made products. THE GAZETTE IS UNAMERICAN!

fishingal- I get that the gazette is doing there job reporting local. But this is not a new story. Its been done to death. I can understand reporting on Tuesday when the plant is done but they can find other stories to report on.

I wonder, rockstars, if it's appropriate to edit a quote, even if it feeds a stereotype. I think not.

It's a pity that these people are considered by many as undeserving of consideration. Some may even enjoy reading about their woes in a self satisfying way. Too bad these insignificant ones are beneath the notice of our benevolent Governor as he's made no promise to relieve their plight. And you can be sure the Congress will waste no time on hearings concerning them. So much for the concept of "equal before the law" as some classes of workers seem much more equal than others.

Can I just point out the grammatical error that feeds an Asian stereotype in reference to Mr. Hong? The quote shouldn't say "Everything same" as the article reads. It should say "Everything [will remain the] same" or something to that effect, regardless of how he actually said what he said. Either neglectful editing or an attempt at very deadpan humor.

Local Matters. That's what the Gazette staff has committed to. These are local stories about local people being affected by the closing of the plant. If they didn't write about these local businesses, who would? Every single business in our community deserves a story like this. They introduce us to businesses and their owners that we may not know about, and they need the coverage/awareness in hopes of replacing some of the lost traffic. Great Job, Gazette. Keep them coming.

Its like a train wreck you try not to watch but you just can't take your eyes off it. I'm actually shocked at the way some of you go after each other. I just wonder if any of you know each other in real life.

It's actually sad but becoming quite entertaining watching the resident of Janesville going at each others throats.

Thank you Janesville Gazette for printing another doom and gloom story. And people say I am negative and the sky is falling?!

Newspapers are having a hard time in the economy too, they must write articles to increase sales. Let the drama continue until people stop buying them.

Havent we run these stories to death.

just like the GM workers or any displaced workers for that matter, these convenience store owners will have to find another means to make a living as well. I mean that with all due respect. It's the way the new economy works. Putting a convenience store near GM was a great idea years ago. Put a store where there's the community flows and the customers will come. Same reason franchised businesses are always setting up shop around the local Wal-Marts. The community is the key in the new economy. Here's the problem the companies are facing now with the emergence of the internet and the invisible economy: How are these co's going to be able to drop their stores in the middle of an invisible community that includes every country in the world now in this global economy?...Anyone know how to build that community?