Tuesday, April 29, 2008

He Giveth and he Taketh Away

Doyle is sending a Rapid Response Team to assist laid off GM workers in Janesville…

Gov. Jim Doyle promised to help 750 workers at the Janesville General Motors plant who will be laid off due to sagging sales.

Doyle promised Monday to send a rapid response team to help the workers expedite unemployment claims and give them access to job training and placement services.

...while at the same time working to force more of them out of work. 

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle is trying to develop an agreement between the United Kingdom and Wisconsin to work together on climate change issues.

[...]

The agreement would build upon current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote low carbon technologies, as well as encouraging collaboration in researching and sharing experiences, technologies and solutions.

 

(11) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1729 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. Good to know.  Now I know who to call when my number comes up at Motorola.  I’m pretty sure it’s only a matter of when.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 29, 2008 at 1746 hrs


  2. Yes, goodness knows that exploring new technologies is the surest way to ruin an economy.

    Posted by djheru on April 29, 2008 at 1837 hrs


  3. Yeah I’m sure it has nothing to do with how Doyle has helped make this a welfare state.  Too high of taxes for companies and for workers (so that the companies have to pay them more to offset the taxes) is what is killing our competitive edge.

    Posted by Josh on April 29, 2008 at 1930 hrs


  4. To try to place the blame on Gov. Doyle for the loss of these jobs is absurd. Look at the economy across the country and you will have your answer. Are you going to blame the poor economy on George Bush? If the whole state of Wisconsin can be blamed on Jim doyle then the country is to be blamed on George Bush, right?

    You guys are always trying to put the blame an the Democrats but can’t just understand that sometimes shit happens. I applaud the Gov. for not wasting any time to get resources to Janesville to try to lessen the burden.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 30, 2008 at 0105 hrs


  5. MF,

    I am blaming, in part, those who push an environmental agenda that contributes to the high cost of gas.  The high cost of gas is causing fewer people to buy SUVs, thus resulting in job losses for those who build SUVs (like those folks in Janesville).  Doyle is one of those people who is pushing for just such an environmental agenda. 

    As a matter of course, I lump Bush in their too.  His push for ethanol and weak dollar policy also contribute to the high gas prices.

    Posted by Owen on April 30, 2008 at 0637 hrs


  6. “in there too”

    sheesh.

    Posted by Owen on April 30, 2008 at 0638 hrs


  7. Owen,
    I want to say first that I like your site and for the most part can find reasonable discussion from both sides.

    As you have probably guessed I lean to the Democratic Party. I just wish that we could get people to understand the whole system better.
    The Conservative Republicans are always blaming the Democrats for being “tax and spend” Liberals. If they would step back and see how much the Republicans have spent, on the federal level but the state level as well. The problem is that when we are going to fund an expensive war with future ramifications such as taking care of our returning veterans who have been wounded. We need to pay as we go and not put it off for future generations.

    If a Democrat gets elected President and decides that we need to pay our bills, how will the conservatives react?

    On the state level, Tommy Thompson left us in a mess because they never reduced spending when the economy tanked at the turn of the century. The Republicans controlled everything at that point yet the Democrats get the blame. I have been watching long enough to see the rhetoric and I don’t believe that we should continue to spread it.

    We need to all work together and forget the blame game. The stakes are high and I don’t want my kids to be worse off than me.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 30, 2008 at 0836 hrs


  8. How about putting some of the blame on GM for betting the house on gas-guzzling (and yes, polluting) SUVs and pick-ups in the first place.

    And let’s not forget, this isn’t the first time American automakers have made this same mistake. After the gas crisis of the 1970s, we saw the same thing. GM, Ford, and Chrysler only made a token effort to become more fuel efficient. The result? Toyota is the on the verge of being the world’s largest automaker, if it’s not there already.

    People are buying Toyotas and Hondas exactly because they’re fuel efficient and they pollute less. If American companies hadn’t been dragging their feet on these issues, perhaps these jobs wouldn’t be disappearing.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 30, 2008 at 0844 hrs


  9. You are absolutely on the money apc.

    It has been thirty years and much research done to improve things but they sat on the sidelines while Toyota grew. I still won’t buy anything but American made (and owned). They got around a bit of that by bringing production to the states, even though all the parts are still coming from out of country.

    Hybrid and fuel cell technology is there and our automakers can still get back in the game but Toyota has a substantial lead in the market.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 30, 2008 at 0851 hrs


  10. Full points to apc and mf on this one.  The all Republican leaders under Bush spent like grandparents on their grand kids.  Sure they gave me a tax cut, but the debt has spiraled upward.  Two sides of the same coin.  Unless they plan on using Peter Francis Geraci, I just don’t see much difference in the policy of charging me up front or making me pay later.  A fiscal conservative would be great, but I just don’t see the Government giving up a lick of power at any level without something drastic happening, and money is power.  Bush did not give up a bit by giving us those tax cuts, he just deficit spent instead.  Less money may have gone in to the federal government because of those tax cuts, but I bet the bills were at least as big as under Clinton when the deficit was shrinking.

    Sadly, I doubt there 20 responsible fiscal conservatives in the federal and state level Governments combined, and they are ignored or even considered crackpots more often than not.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 30, 2008 at 1331 hrs


  11. Yeah it is all GM’s fault for SUVs.  How many SUVs does Toyota make now? Rav4, Highlander, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Sequoia, Lexus RX, GX and LX, Toyota Land Cruiser and I seem to remember upon launch of their new “massive” Tundra them blabbing about the 381 hp V8.  Check out the incentives on the Tundra right now.  As big as any domestic product.

    Truth is all the vehicles have gotten to be porky because that is what we allegedly wanted.  Everyone now has gps nav, mp3 etc.  Even comparable midsize cars of 10 years ago were 500-800 lbs lighter because now they have to have 5 star safety or the likes of IIHS and Consumer Reports will lambaste them.  Look at where the Accord and Camry are now compared to 10 years ago.  The V6 Camry is rated at 21 mpg in the city.  That is pathetic.

    I see far more smaller vehicles on the commute now and that is clearly being driven by mileage and gas prices.  GM is putting 4 cylinders with 6 speed autos in the new Malibu and soon to be many more cars.  Camry Hybrid sales are way up. I don’t think this is just a GM problem. It is just a lot closer to home because Janesville is where Suburbans are made.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 30, 2008 at 1448 hrs


Commenting is not available in this channel entry.