All of a sudden WI is going downhill because of Walker...?
Wow just wow.....fear mongering of the premium kind.....
I guess I missed the utopian party during Doyles regime.........

The 49 states are doing well because of Scott Walker - Wisconsin is doing poorly because of the recall, unions and Barack Obama. LOL

It's the thought that counts, Mouse. You're very kindhearted.

I was going to buy Walker a sympathy card, but it would cost the tax payer $1000's to check the signature.

Amidst all of the bad news about the Wisconsin unemployment picture, there is good news on the national front. The Gazette has the article, with comments disabled, here: [ http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/U... ]

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the most impressive surge for the job market since early last year, the United States added 243,000 jobs in January, far more than economists expected. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years."

janesvillean, Bowlgal can't have an opinion? You tell her to read facts and in the same breath you tell her she can't have an opinion? An opinion is what it is. Off your high horse.

Wow, so many on here think Walker single handedly destroyed this discount card selling company in the year he has been in office! Really??? Is he to blame for high gas prices, global warming or what they now call it "Climate Change" too? All I can say is "WOW"! Stupid seems to bread more stupid!

Im just saying if you were deciding where to locate a new company and you did it based on the type of people and comments on the local newspaper, Janesville would rank low. To many people still whining about what they lost instead of being positive about what they could have. GM closed and probably isnt coming back. Time to move on and realize the next opportunity may not be a silver spoon but could be a great opportunity nonetheless.

Cards printed in China. They won't be missed.

It's all based on demographics. The larger chain stores at least can pull statsitcal data on size of area, distance to closest store, competitor info, etc... They can gage how well a store will do before ones even built, given they take the time to utilze the data. Mom and pop stores, don't have that advantage. much of their data has to be collected independently-if they bother to do at all. Location of business is key, but so is keeping the business "fresh". Sometimes these places offer qualtiy products/service/price, but go to the wayside to the "new" stores that open. This happens a lot in the food industry. SOmethmies nothing more than changing a sign or ownership can generate enough buzz to reattract customers. Business also need to look at their marketing plan, most have minimal to none. A 10 or 15% coupon doesnt cut it anymore. The point of this is to drive traffic to the business. People want at least 50% or 75% or better yet, something free. Look at Michaels, Kohls, Fanny May...when they give those free coupons in the Sunday paper, it drives huge amounts of traffic to their stores. Building Blocks had a great way of retaining business with their stamp card based on money spent in the store. Unfortunalty, business will lose up to 20% to 30% of business each year, so they have to look at ways of driving new business to their location.

momof4 wrote: "I wonder why new employers, companies etc dont want to come to Janesville. Is it possible they look at the blogs on the Janesville Gazette to see what kind of people live there. With all the negativity and childish posts on here, I wouldnt open a new business there either. It tells me there is nothing but cry babies, (former)spoiled employees, whiners and lazy people who just want the silver spoon handed to them again."

Find me an online newspaper in this country that doesn't have this same level of immaturity and vitriol in their comments sections. Should you accept the challenge, I'd suggest clearing your calendar for a few weeks as you're going to be at it a while.

I wonder why new employers, companies etc dont want to come to Janesville. Is it possible they look at the blogs on the Janesville Gazette to see what kind of people live there. With all the negativity and childish posts on here, I wouldnt open a new business there either. It tells me there is nothing but cry babies, (former)spoiled employees, whiners and lazy people who just want the silver spoon handed to them again. I dont believe the attitudes you people have now are the same attitudes that built Janesville years ago. If they wanted something back then, they worked for it with very little complaint.

Bowlgal, you must be listening to Fictional News Channel. The United States economy has experienced ten straight quarters of growth since summer of 2009. While this has not been enough to replace all the jobs lost under Bush policies and budgets, it has at least, using your standard, "stabilized" the economy.
.
In fact, just this last week, figures for the fourth quarter GDP were released, showing accelerating growth.
.
As an added spritzer for the salad, under Walker, Wisconsin is now the ONLY state in the nation to experience six consecutive months of job losses. The US economy is moving forward, but Wisconsin's is running in reverse.
.
I suggest paying more attention to facts before spouting opinions.

I wish the dollar stores would go many they are next. Along with the check cashing places since there will be no checks to cash in this area soon enough

Better send Walker a card of congrats.
When adiscount card store can't make it in Wisconsin, then we have a major problem.
What next..... the Dollar store?

This is a total bummer! The only place in town I like to get cards simply because their prices are affordable and the range of cards is larger than any of the other stores in town.

Bowlgal writes -- "Things are looking better under Walker's one year vs Doyles eight and Obama's three. Obama should have at least stabilized the economy and jobs, yet it is still getting worse and when Obamacare kicks in, you will not see any growth."

Don't know what charts you're looking at to make that statement, but I think you have them upside-down.

Sad to see another business close. Does anyone recall how long they were in business there? It seems like 20 years or more.

business need customers, customers need money... no money, no customers, no business. the rich and the uber rich only must spend a small % of their income. thier 'investments' will go no where with out customers with money to demand product. middle and lower class MUST spend 100 or near 100% of their income every month. this is demand. this creates jobs, this is a healthy economy.. henry ford knew this. john maynard keynes knew this.

Why were employees unable to comment?

turkeyman, I see your point as you are coming from a place I once was. However, whatever Bush screwed up, Obama has taken that for a ride and left it in the corn fields. Things are looking better under Walker's one year vs Doyles eight and Obama's three. Obama should have at least stabilized the economy and jobs, yet it is still getting worse and when Obamacare kicks in, you will not see any growth.
First order of business in January 2013, repeal that stink bomb.

Sorry to see it go. Never like seeing businesses leave.
-
On that note, I'm going to go buy the last of the guards and give them to all the Walker whiners on here.

Having worked there not so long ago I know for a fact it has to do with the Landlord not wanting to renegotiate the lease that is all and not all this other stuff being talked about. The profits were fine year over year hopefully they will come back as a stand alone Party City in the future. They will be missed.

I heard GM will be coming back to Janesville and moving into the Factory Card Party Outlet building.

Small businesses come and go. I see no one mentioned the jobs created in the new strip mall vs. these lost. There are 62,000 people that live in Jvl with over 152,000 in rock county. 120 jobs is probably .05% or less of total jobs in the area. It's a drop in the bucket.

Add this to the 120 jobs we already lost in the area. So what i am asking is what the hell are we going to do about it this needs to stop at some point just cant keep taking hits on jobs like this.

Add this to the 120 jobs we already lost in the area. So what i am asking is what the hell are we going to do about it this needs to stop at some point just cant keep taking hits on jobs like this.

I feel sorry for those who will be losing their jobs. As per below comments, we are all aware that jobs are scarce. Let's try to do something positive for once and send good thoughts or prayers (if you are into praying) for the people losing their jobs. Keep in mind that a lot of these employees are losing their only source of income and I am not sure that working just short full-time will allow these individuals to collect unemployment.

Who can afford to shop at these 69 cent card stores?

Shut up about it being Obamas fault, Walkers fault or unions fault. You people are so annoying. Thanks

If any city needs more businesses, it's JANESVILLE. People are afraid to come here because of the closing of GM, SO, let's market more business for the area and build it back up! That's progress. The dems compain, well then do something about it!! Get on the bandwagon for businesses so we get what we call, JOBS.

Nice
"Midnight_Ride- the poor economy was created by the BUSH administration! You can't expect Obama to fix in 4 years what Bush screwed up in 8."
Does that also mean you can't expect Walker to fix in a year what Doyle screwed in 8 years?

Wisconsin is open for business! Unfortunately, too many businesses aren't staying open in Wisconsin.

Only if Walker didn't remove $700,000,000 out of the pockets of Wisconsin's workers.

Thanks for the insight RichE95

Starbuck~The hostess store closing--you are really going to try tieing that into the failings of Walker? Really? Walker has enough of his own shortcomings for sure, but blaming the Hostess store closing-which I understand is due to their union.....has nothing to do with Hostess filing bankruptcy. And nothing to do with Grainger laying off. the 20 or so people they are laying off now is no comparison to the 70++ laid off 3 years ago--long before Walker sat in his chair.

The marketplace will always decide which store succeeds and which store closes. We used to shop at Factory Card Outlet but stopped when they changed most of their inventory to cards printed in China. We swithched to Dollar Tree whose cards are cheaper and where the vast majority a printed in the United States. Their American card content is higher than any store in town. Hopefully that will continue.

Midnight_Ride- the poor economy was created by the BUSH administration! You can't expect Obama to fix in 4 years what Bush screwed up in 8.
Jvlhomeowner- I noticed that too....let's build more strip malls and not fill the vacant buildings we have in town. It's just sad.

Midnight_Ride- the poor economy was created by the BUSH administration! You can't expect Obama to fix in 4 years what Bush screwed up in 8.
Jvlhomeowner- I noticed that too....let's build more strip malls and not fill the vacant buildings we have in town. It's just sad.

....the poor economic climate inherited by the Obama administration from the Bush administration

News:
what does that have to do with this story?
This store isn't union, it's just failing.
It's too bad that another store is failing, but we keep building new spaces....

I would think it is safe to say this is a direct result of the poor economic climate created by the Obama administration.

Yeah Walker says the state of the state is good! Ha! He needs to go! More jobs are being lost than created. Grainger is laying off, Hostess store closes, now factory cards.

Indiana has got it right. They are now a right-to-work state. Unions are a drag on the economy.

In the words of Ron White, "You can't fix stupid, but you can adjust it with a 2x4"!

In way is Walkers fault no jobs no one to buy their stuff. Trickle down.

That's too bad. I've bought my kids their birthday balloons and other party goods there for years. Hope the 50/50 store is still around - ?!?

Wonder when the haters will blame this on unions.

Really? Blaming Walker for a business that can't stay open because their overhead exceeds their sales? WOW, is all I can say to that!

thanks pres Obama

Thanks Gov Walker.

Not surprised. While they often seemed busy, it's hard to make overhead when you're selling 69 cent cards. and their inventory of other party goods was no match for michaels, hobby lobby, 50/50, etc.