WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-Credit Union Journal asked state leagues around the country the following questions:

HUMMELSTOWN, Penn.-If Diana Roberts were president of the United States, Americans would quickly connect the Hershey FCU CEO with her credit union roots, as she'd have the Pennsylvania CU Association's iBelong campaign logo painted right below the presidential seal on Air Force One.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.-Credit unions are gaining significiant auto loan share, but overall declines in auto purchases are preventing that from translating into big volume increases.

BROOKLYN, N.Y.-Organized programs and personal conversations are helping members at a pair of very different credit unions in different parts of the country make the most of their financial situations after being laid off from their jobs.

BATON ROUGE, La.-Market demand has led Neighbors Credit Union to underwrite its first two commercial loans.

OKLAHOMA CITY-As the curtain descends on the era of cheap money and free-flowing credit, one credit union is encouraging the next generation to revolt against the trend of excessive debt and overspending that some say has helped to cripple the economy.

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ST. PAUL, Minn.-Relationships are recession proof, suggests one credit union that recently improved member loyalty by handing seven members $5,000 each toward the purchase of a new home.

KENT, Wash.-The best laid plans of mice, men and credit unions often go awry, such as the case of Cascade FCU offering its members an "NSF/Overdraft Fee Holiday" during December.

Turning CUs Loose On EconomyBob Arnould, SVP-Government Affairs

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CAPE CORAL, Fla.-Why did so many credit union "members" and others invest and lose so much money here and in nearby Lehigh Acres? In part, because they found so much encouragement.

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla.-Many remain vacant two and three years after construction. Common but handsome Florida tract homes, most single-story 3/3s on plainly named streets like 22nd and 57th, indicative of a rush by builders too busy to come up with anything prettier. Nearly all have For Sale signs planted in the swatch of St. Augustine lawn.

BEAVER, Penn.-State regulators charged a local CD broker for credit unions with operating a Ponzi scheme which allegedly defrauded two local credit unions out of almost $200,000 last month.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-It's been probably the worst 18-month period in credit union history, but don't expect things to get better anytime soon, that's according to Melinda Love, the new chief examiner for NCUA.

AKRON, Ohio-Towpath CU has pledged a five-year contribution of $100,000 to the University of Akron's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

WEST ALLIS, Wis.-The proposed combination of Guardian CU and Prime Financial CU, which would have created the state's 11th largest credit union, was called off amid large losses reported by both Milwaukee-area CUs.

PHOENIX-Arizona FCU, which reported a staggering $115.9 million loss last year, is closing four branches. The closures, two in Mesa and one each in Phoenix and Tempe, will leave the $1.7-billion credit union with a total of 25 branches. The credit union had added three branches in the first half of 2008.

WASHINGTON-NCUA and the credit union lobby were working last week on several angles aimed at stretching out the $5-billion cost of the corporate credit union bailout over numerous years, in order to ease the strain on credit unions.

So what's the big hurry?