JANESVILLE — A neighborhood listening session Wednesday night became an impromptu pep rally for the city, whose residents are reeling from a General Motors decision to close the plant here by 2010.
Jim Fowler, 4015 Wilshire Lane, asked about the focus of city officials in the wake of Tuesday’s announcement—whether they are trying to get a different GM product here or, if not, how they will deal with ramifications of the plant closing.
City Manager Steve Sheiffer said: “The message that I’ve been giving (is): Yesterday was a day for mourning, today is a day for the future of Janesville.”
Sheiffer said the city has been working for 25 years to become part of a new, regional economy.
Amy Loasching, council president and General Motors employee, said it is important that the city partner with state and federal government and with the plant’s strong union leadership.
“If anybody can secure a product for the future, it would be the local (union leadership),” she said.
Loasching recalled being told when she was hired in 1986 that she would only be working for six months.
“There’s always hope for tomorrow,” she said. “If we give up, General Motors locks that plant up. We need to rally behind that work force and make sure that leadership is successful in bringing a new product here and keeping those doors open.”
If there are no possibilities, “We are still going to move forward,” she said.
Bill Jurs, 3918 Galaxy Drive, asked whether the city could get back any of the $15 million spent on the limited access road to General Motors now that the company has gone back on its promises.
Sheiffer said GM never made any promises but simply said the plant needed a better transportation network for the future.
The road was paid for with federal and state gas tax money and local tax increment financing money.
It has been open since late 2004, and General Motors is still open, Sheiffer said.
“So, I would urge everybody, let’s not focus on what occurred yesterday,” Sheiffer said. “Let’s focus on the future and how we convince General Motors to bring a new product here, how we can diversify the community and support the workers.”
One man suggested looking to other cities where factories have closed and put large numbers of people out of work.
Another said he owns a business and travels often.
“I am so very grateful to live in Janesville, and I just can’t wait to get back when I travel,” he said. “We just need to stay positive and work together.”
Doris Roehl, 4017 Dorchester Drive, said she is proud to be a Janesville resident and to come from a blue-collar family.
“I don’t think we have to apologize a minute for Janesville being a blue-collar town,” she said, adding she has heard some say that residents with less educations are byproducts of blue-color towns.
“Janesville should be proud to be a blue-collar town,” she said, noting that children of blue-collar workers go on to earn masters degrees and start their own businesses. “All because of General Motors,” she said.
“Let’s talk about being a progressive, forward-looking town,” she said.
“Blue collar, white collar, is irrelevant,” Sheiffer said. “We are the citizens of Janesville … This is a community issue. This is the point where the community has to come together.
“Today, we start working the future and start working it really hard.”