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Danville, Rockford Pin Economic Hopes on Casinos
DANVILLE, Ill. (AP) -- Danville has been on a losing streak since the 1970s.

Once a thriving factory town, the central Illinois community lost 10,000 people when manufacturing jobs started leaving the Midwest in the 1970s and '80s. General Motors left town in the mid '90s.

But Mayor Scott Eisenhauer and a lot of others believe there's a chance to change Danville's fortunes with a casino.

It's a similar story in Rockford, where almost half of all workers took home paychecks from auto parts makers, aerospace companies, machine shops and gadget manufacturers.

First, though, they'll have to convince Gov. Pat Quinn.

Lawmakers passed a gambling expansion bill last month that included the OK for casinos in Danville, Rockford, Chicago and some suburbs.

But Quinn dismissed the plan, saying he would "never support" it.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
06 11 11 by Newsroom
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