LEE COUNTY, Fla. - Car dealerships don't expect to find a check in the mail if the government goes ahead with a loan to the U.S. automakers. Without it, however, they say their businesses, employees, and ultimately their customers would suffer.

"The effect of the automotive industry in this country, in every city, state, is just beyond most people's imagination," said Frank Galeana, Jr., of the Galeana Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge and Galeana Kia dealerships in South Fort Myers.

The Galeana family sells cars in three states. Their dealership in Lee County recently added Dodge vehicles to a line-up that already includes Chrysler and Jeep. All American-owned, all struggling with sales. His sales force does what they can to convince customers.

"We start with the rebates, what the dealership has to offer, anything that we can do, we'll trying to help them out," said salesman Heiko Renecz.

But the realities of the economy have made it difficult.

"(The) problem that we're having right now more than anything is customers either thinking they can't get credit, or those that are coming in that we truly can't get credit for," Galeana said.

Galeana is confident the government will step in to do what's best for the economy; the alternative, he fears, would be too devastating.

"There's a dealership in every hometown. And these dealerships contribute greatly, in employment, as taxes," Galeana said. "It's not to be looked at as an expense, it should be looked at as a potential to keep this industry going, to prevent the unemployment from building up any higher than it already is."