I thought this story was about a time machine.

Sorry janesvillean and truth1, I am not good with figures, just gave it a shot. I admit I don' quite get these things, but just from observation alone, I think this project is way out of whack! JMO

Not sure I understand your point, BunBun. What would you suggest we do to get our economy moving? Criticize the ideas of those involved? Yeah, that should work.

"At least they're trying to do something."
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So would placing a tourniquet about the neck of a person with a paper cut finger qualify as "doing something".

Ditto on the highway 14 expansion posted below. 3 lanes on the interstate is great, but it may be prudent to develop alternative routes north.

We are not at 31% unemployment. And while some posters like truth1 want to use the most expansive definition (U6) of unemployment, that figure is ALWAYS higher (nearly double) than U3, the standard reported rate. Right now the important thing is that we have about 2.5 many people unemployed as in normal times, no matter which rate you choose to measure it by. It seems silly to argue which number is the "right" rate when they measure different things. Most people don't even know there are different rates, let alone what they mean.
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The rate for Rock County -- 12.7% -- is the "average" for the cities and rural areas. It's not really the average because it actually measures unemployment across the entire countywide workforce.

I would ask those of you who have negative things to say about this event and the people involved what YOU have done lately to help our community. At least they're trying to do something.

Why is Sheridan and the rest pushing this now? Its an election year folks and they have big plans for you. Trouble being these same people that told us they support the expansion are the same ones that voted to take money from the transportation fund. To help Jimmy Doyle fill the potholes in his budget so the money was there but not anymore. Also this project does not even have an assigned number yet. Which means its not on anyones radar anytime soon. Sheirdan and his little cornies are just blowing smoke. Another thing learned was that this project has been sitting on the list for years. And the longer it sits there the lower it goes on the list. Over 600 accidents last year alone on this highway. And its only going to get worse since Ill has 6 lanes on thier side running into 4 on ours. So these idiots in Madison may be good at promises but thats all they are promise's. Nothing can be done since there is no money to do it with. And WHY is there no money? Because like every other stuffed suit up there they cannot let money sit where its supposed to be. I would like to ask Mike this question: Why did you raid the transpotation fund to fund the general budget? I wonder what his answer would be. Vote these idiots out and if we don't we have no one to blame but ourselves. I feel pretty good I never voted for any of them to begin with.

I’ve been commuting from Janesville to Madison every day for years. The traffic is heavy compared to a few years ago. I highly doubt an interstate expansion would bring jobs but it would make my commute less congested. If the goal is to turn Janesville into a bedroom community and not a place of work then expand Hwy 14 to four lanes while you’re at it. A billion dollar highway project will not bring jobs, a business friendly (tax incentives and union free) environment will.

did anyone notice in the photo that there were no people of color at this meeting? if rock county is planning its future, shouldn't we try to get some input from more than just us white folks?
just saying.

States that cater to corporate greed are part of the problem and not the solution to high unemployment. How much money do these companies have to make to be happy? Bailouts,unforgivable loans, and extortion of state tax money has to stop. There is too much unemployment to pay for more corporate greed.

justme46- You have to add the percentages and then divide by 2 to get the average. If we do the math your way, you could add in the unemployment figures from another dozen or so towns in our area and get an unemployment rate of 180%. Glad to help.

Remember Ruether Way and what it cost the City of Janesville to " keep GM here ", remember Mike Sheridan being both president of the U.A.W. 95 and holding his government position at the same time? Mike has done a fine job at NOTHING. The estimated cost of his interstate expansion is $1,000,000,000 with no promise of anyone moving their business or starting their business in the City of Janesville.

OH WAIT!! There is the hope of the ice arena and the thousands of jobs that will create. LOL And yes that figure is ONE BILLION!!

So then the purpose of this meeting was what?
The meeting accomplished what?

No, you don't add percentages to get an average..I got a laugh out of that one...but the REAL unemployment rate in Rock is at least 30%, probably much higher.

Roadmap to the future- the problem is that it is a toll road and full of potholes....

I hope Robson actually said more at this event than just her tired, old rhetoric about WMC. Seriously, how bad do things need to get in Beloit before she wakes up?

I really don't know, Reilly. I just added them, not good at math, but any way you look at it, it is still depressing. JMO

Justme - I don't think 31% is accurate. I'm no math genius but wouldn't you want to average the two percentages, not add? Not that it makes it any better......just an observation.

Great, let's race to the bottom! Companies pay the extra money regularly when they have an educated workforce, but we can't invest any money in education, can we?

Hixson is hilarious. Someone should tell the absent-minded professor that what he said is exactly what he was elected to do --- make the case for his district every day he is there. What else was he doing while racking up all of those $88 per diem days? -- In case you missed it, nearly more than any other legislator last year.

Frankly, Rock County needs to wake up and demand more out of Sheridan. He's the Assembly Speaker. With all of that power (that he seems to not realize he has) Rock County shouldn't have to go up to the capitol to beg. Sheridan should just be getting this stuff done.

As for the Interstate expansion -- are roundabouts still in the works for the I-90 redesign in Newville? If so, why don't Hixson and Robson get the D.O.T to alter their plans. Roundabouts are fine in some areas, but not at the end of a exit ramp where people come flying off the Interstate.

Diane Hendricks is moving to Illinois, 2 companies will offer 160 jobs combined over 3 years. I see Janesville going right down the drain, we are half way there now! Just an example, hubby and I were headed to Madison about 4:30 p.m. yesterday. Traffic going north was very, very light, the other side going south was jam packed!! Do you know why? Because the majority of Rock County goes to work out of our area and they were getting off work and heading home. How very sad, I thought. I know, it is just a very small example but when I realized this, it struck me as odd, but then again I thought "this is what it is coming to", our areas unemployment. Pretty soon these commuters are probably going to move out of Rock County, either due to foreclosure or to get closer to their work out of our area. Between Beloit and Janesville, we are at 31% unemployment. This makes me worry a lot about our future in this city. I have been worried for the last 3 years, but now it is hitting harder and harder (the reality).