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Residents Fear Ripple Effect If GM Plant Closes

Madison, Rockford, Beloit Could Be Impacted By Possible Closing

Posted: 9:07 pm CDT June 2,2008

The word of the possible GM plant closing has nearly everyone's attention in Janesville.

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Several businesses and restaurants in town and found the topic was on nearly everyone's minds, WISC-TV reported.

"People who come in here are people who do work at GM," said restaurant owner Tim Saliu. "You get the GM retirees that come in every Tuesday morning."

"I would pretty much say it's the heart of it because there are so many things that would be affected by it," said 20-year Janesville resident Joyce Griffin.

Some say if the plant closes, the ripple effect would be felt much farther than Janesville.

"It's kind of like a domino effect," said Saliu. "The well-being of Janesville means the well-being of the town in one way or another. Like I said, everybody either works there or is connected somehow."

"A lot of people at General Motors don't live in Janesville," said retired GM worker Bob Coon. "They are from a lot of surrounding communities -- Madison, Rockford -- all over. So, it's going to affect a lot of people all over."

Coon worked at the plant for 30 years. He retired two years ago.

"This plant has provided generations of jobs for people here," said Coon.

Rock County's economic development manager James Otterstein and Forward Janesville's John Beckford both declined said that there are too many unknowns to speculate.

Otterstein and Beckford said they would be watching Tuesday's announcement very closely.

Note: Check back Tuesday morning for livestream of General Motors news conference. The newsconference is scheduled to start at 7 a.m. Central time.

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