The Northwest Straits Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Program received $4.6 million in federal stimulus dollars this summer, with a goal of removing 90 percent of the estimated 4,000 nets by December 2010.

Nets have injured or killed 30,000 birds

Highlights for the Third Quarter of 2009:

• Adjusted EBITDA improved 88.9% to $1.7 million from $0.9 million in last year’s third quarter, marking the 8th consecutive quarterly improvement;
• Gross profit increased 11.4% to $3.9 million from $3.5 million in the year-ago quarter;
• Gross profit margins increased 900 basis points to 48.7% from 39.7% in the third quarter of 2008;
• Cost of sales decreased $1.1 million or approximately 21.1% to $4.1 million, from $5.2 million in the third quarter of 2008;
• Strengthened balance sheet with $6.6 million in cash as of September 30, 2009 compared with $4.5 million as of December 31, 2008;
• Transaction-based sales were $21.8 million compared with $22.9 million in the year-ago quarter, reflecting the slowdown in the economy and elimination of underperforming units;
• Average transaction-based sales per withdrawal transaction improved to $2.47 from $2.35 in the third quarter of 2008, resulting from the elimination of poor performing ATMs;
• Average commission per withdrawal transaction increased to $1.73 from $1.69 in the third quarter 2008 as a result of increased surcharge fees;
• Net transaction-based sales per withdrawal increased to $0.74 from $0.66 in the third quarter of 2008; and
• Average number of transacting machines was 11,233 compared with 11,813 in the year-ago third quarter.

Highlights for the Nine Months ended September 30, 2009:

• Adjusted EBITDA improved approximately 91.3% to $4.4 million from $2.3 million in last year’s corresponding nine month period;
• Gross profit increased approximately 11.0% to $11.1 million from $10.0 million in the year-ago period;
• Gross profit margins increased 950 basis points to 49.4% from 39.9% in the first nine months 2008;
• Cost of sales decreased approximately 24.5% to $11.4 million, compared with $15.1 million in the corresponding period of 2008;
• Transaction-based sales improved to $64.4 million compared with $60.8 million in the corresponding period of 2008;
• Average transaction-based sales per withdrawal transaction improved to $2.43 from $2.37 in the corresponding period of 2008;
• Net transaction-based sales per withdrawal were $0.69 compared with $0.75 in the year-ago nine-month period;
• Average commission per withdrawal transaction increased to $1.74 from $1.63 in the first nine months of 2008 as a result of increased surcharge fees;
• Average number of transacting machines was 11,329 during the nine-month period ended September 30, 2009 compared with 10,584 in the corresponding period in 2008.

Management Discussion

Richard Stern, President and CEO of Access to Money said, “For the past two years, our management team has implemented a complete restructuring effort that included repositioning the portfolio by removing underperforming assets, improving operating efficiency, reviewing vendor relationships, and renegotiating contracts. We also identified complementary business partners and managed the transition towards our core strengths, while focusing on the sales, service and management of ATMs within the United States. Our acquisition of LJR Consulting in April 2008, our subsequent integration efforts, followed by our re-branding into “Access to Money,” all contributed to the significant transformation of our Company, and have helped to set our strategic direction.”

He continued, “Our efforts have resulted in consistent positive improvement in cash flow, as evidenced by our $2.1 million increase in cash since the end of last year. Despite the difficult economic conditions, we expect continued improvements in cash flow. Our cost savings and efficiency measures have resulted in improvements in gross profits, gross profit margins, adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP income, even though the downturn in the economy has affected our transaction levels.”

Mr. Stern added, “With the restructuring efforts behind us, we are concentrating on making continued improvements to our operations and differentiating our services in the marketplace. In line with this strategy, we have implemented initiatives that we believe will offer benefits to both customers and consumers alike. For example, we have deployed between 25 and 30 Select-A-Branch test locations at various commercial retail sites and have seen between a 30.0% and 40.0% increase in transactions at these sites. We remain excited about this technology and its applications across a broader portfolio of machines. Moreover, this quarter, the first tranche of student loans for which we provided outsourcing services, were funded by our financial institution customers.”

He concluded, “Our team continues to work on growing our business through new customer acquisitions, streamlining our existing business, improving our operations, and evaluating new business services that complement our core strengths, as we strive to improve shareholder value.”

Third Quarter Financial Results

For the third quarter ended September 30, 2009, sales were $23.3 million compared with $25.2 million for the same period in 2008. Transaction-based sales for the third quarter were $21.8 million compared with $22.8 million in last year’s third quarter. The decrease in sales is primarily attributable to the economic slowdown. Machine sales for the quarter were $690,000, a decrease of $378,000 from last year’s third quarter, due to lower demand of new machines as compared to the prior year period.

Commissions for the third quarter of 2009 were $15.3 million compared with $16.5 million in the year-ago third quarter. The decrease in commissions resulted from the Company’s reduction of non-profitable machines and lower transaction volume due to normal attrition between the third quarters of 2008 and 2009.

Cost of sales from operations decreased approximately 21.0% to $4.1 million during the third quarter of 2009 as compared to $5.2 million during the third quarter of 2008. The reduction in cost of sales was due primarily to the reduction in cost of cash, resulting from a change in cash providers, improvements in third party service vendor communications, and reduced processing and telecommunications costs from improved contracts with vendors.

Selling, general and administrative expense, which includes stock compensation expense, decreased by approximately 12.5% to $2.8 million in the third quarter of 2009 from $3.2 million in the third quarter of 2008. Part of the reduction in costs was attributable to the Company’s restructuring of its workforce and consolidation of offices.

Operating income for the third quarter of 2009 was $1.1 million, compared with $235,000 in the third quarter of 2008.

Net loss for the third quarter 2009 was $2.6 million, or $0.12 per share, compared with a net loss of $1.1 million or $0.05 per share in the third quarter 2009. Non-GAAP net loss for the third quarter improved to $0.1 million, or $0.01 per share, compared with a non-GAAP net loss of $1.1 million or $0.05 per share for the 2008 third quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2009 improved 88.9% to $1.7 million, compared with $0.9 million in the third quarter of 2008.

Nine Month Financial Results

For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, gross sales were $68.7 million compared with $67.2 million for the same period in 2008. Transaction-based sales for the nine-month period were $64.4 million compared with $60.8 million in the year-ago nine-month period. The increase in sales was primarily attributable to the additional sales from LJR Consulting, which was acquired in April 2008. Machine sales were $1.6 million for the first nine months of 2009 compared with $2.3 million in the first nine months of 2008, primarily because of lower consumer demand related to the economic downturn.

Commissions for the first nine months of 2009 were $46.1 million compared with $42.0 million in the year-ago period, with the increase primarily the result of the acquisition of LJR Consulting.

Cost of sales from operations improved approximately 24.5% to $11.4 million during the nine month period ended September 30, 2009 as compared to $15.1 million during the comparable 2008 period, resulting from the same factors that produced more favorable costs for the third quarter.

Selling, general and administrative expense, which includes stock compensation expense, decreased by approximately 25.2% to $8.3 million in the nine month period ended September 30, 2009, from $11.1 million in the comparable 2008 period. The major portion of this reduction was due to a $1.5 million change in non-cash stock compensation that occurred in 2008 along with reductions of $676,000 related to accounting and professional fees and $286,000 of lower outsourced services costs.

Operating income for the first nine months of 2009 was $2.8 million, compared with an operating loss of $1.1 million in the year-ago nine-month period.

Net loss for the first nine months of 2009 was $6.5 million, or $0.30 per share, compared with a net loss of $5.2 million or $0.26 per share, in the first nine months of 2008. Non-GAAP net loss for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2009 improved to $1.1 million, or $0.05 per share, compared with a non-GAAP net loss of $5.2 million, or $0.26 per share in the nine-month period ended September 30, 2008.

Adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2009 improved by approximately 91.3% to $4.4 million, compared with $2.3 million in the first nine months of 2008.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures

This earnings release includes financial information in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (”GAAP”), as well as non-GAAP financial measures for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

To supplement its condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, the Company uses the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP net loss, non-GAAP loss per basic and diluted shares, and Adjusted EBITDA. The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release may be different from, and, therefore, not comparable to, similar measures used by other companies. The Company’s non-GAAP measures of net loss and loss per basic and diluted share used in this release exclude valuation adjustments associated with its outstanding warrants. Its non-GAAP measure of Adjusted EBITDA removes the impact of its capital structure (interest expense), fair value adjustment of warrants, asset base (amortization and depreciation), stock-based compensation expenses, taxes, and certain non-recurring expenses from its results of operations.

Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance by excluding certain expenses and expenditures that may not be indicative of its core business operating results. It believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparisons to its historical performance and its competitors’ operating results. Management believes that these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making.

The tables below present a reconciliation of the non-GAAP net loss, loss per basic and diluted share amounts, and adjusted EBITDA to the GAAP net loss and loss per basic and diluted share amounts, the most directly comparable GAAP measures for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

About Access to Money, Inc.

Access to Money, Inc. is one of the largest providers and non-bank operators of ATMs in the United States. With more than 12,000 terminals under contract, its customers range from national specialty stores, retailers and credit unions to individual convenience stores, and are located throughout all 50 states. Access to Money also provides student loan outsourcing services to university credit unions throughout the United States.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements other than statements of historical facts included herein, including without limitation, statements regarding our future financial position, business strategy, budgets, projected sales, projected costs and plans and objective of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” or “believes” or the negative thereof or any variation there on or similar terminology or expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from results proposed in such statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to: a decline in ATM transaction volume or fees, changes in technology standards, regulatory changes, increases in interest rates, the inability to obtain cash for our ATMs, market acceptance of our student loan processing services, demand for student loans, availability of credit, changes in regulations regarding student loans and financial institutions, and statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing, as well as other factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date of this press release. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing. We assume no duty to update or revise our forward-looking statements based on changes in internal estimates, expectations, or otherwise or to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

                                Financial Tables

                               Access to Money, Inc.
                  Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
                                    (Unaudited)
                     (In thousands, except per share amounts)

                                 Three months ended        Nine months ended
                                   September 30,             September 30,
                              -----------------------    --------------------
                                2009           2008        2009        2008
                              --------       --------    --------    --------
    Sales                     $23,319       $25,221      $68,694     $67,158
    Commissions                15,291        16,518       46,109      42,041
                              --------       --------    --------    --------
    Net sales                   8,028         8,703       22,585      25,117

    Cost of sales:
      Cost of vault cash          490           998        1,461       3,018
      Other                     3,627         4,251        9,978      12,089
                              --------       --------    --------    --------

    Gross profit                3,911         3,454       11,146      10,010

    Selling, general and
     administrative expense     2,769         3,208        8,211       9,463
    Stock compensation expense     30            11           95       1,629
                              --------       --------    --------    --------

    Operating income (loss)     1,112           235        2,830      (1,082)

    Interest expense and
     amortization of debt
     issuance costs             1,290         1,358        3,873       2,773
    Loss on early extinguishment
     of debt                        -             -            -       1,456
    Other expense (income),
     net                          (13)         (244)        (107)       (302)
    Loss on asset disposal         13           182           77         193
    Change in fair value of
     warrants                   2,450             -        5,445           -
                              --------       --------    --------    --------

    Net loss                  $(2,628)      $(1,061)     $(6,458)    $(5,202)
                              ========       ========    ========    ========

    Weighted average common
    shares outstanding         21,786        21,486       21,667      19,786

    Basic and diluted loss per
     share                      $(.12)        $(.05)       $(.30)      $(.26)

                               Access to Money, Inc.
                      Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
                                   (In thousands)

                                            (Unaudited)          (Audited)
                                            September 30,        December 31,
                                                2009                2008
                                            -------------       -------------
    Assets
    Current assets:
      Cash                                     $6,628              $4,535
      Restricted cash                             800               2,012
      Accounts receivable, net of allowance of
       $284 in 2009 and $684 in 2009            2,868               2,998
      Leases receivable, net                        -                 176
      Inventories                                 578                 505
        Prepaid expenses and other                327                 308
      Deferred financing costs                    259                 259
                                            -------------       -------------
        Total current assets                   11,460              10,793

    Property and equipment, net                 3,104               2,815
    Non-current leases receivable, net              -                 786
    Intangible assets, net                      1,816               2,120
    Goodwill                                   10,654              10,657
    Deferred financing costs, long term           142                 337
    Other assets                                  388                 593
                                            -------------       -------------
        Total assets                          $27,564             $28,101
                                            =============       =============

    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Deficit
    Current liabilities:
      Accounts payable                         $6,206              $6,851
      Accrued and other expenses                5,789               5,369
      Term loans                                1,710               2,067
                                            -------------       -------------
        Total current liabilities              13,705              14,287

    Long term liabilities:
      Term loans and other debt                17,995              17,032
      Warrants                                  6,938                   -
                                            -------------       -------------

    Shareholders’ deficit:
      Common stock, $0.001 par value - 70,000
       shares authorized; 21,786 and 21,486
       shares issued and outstanding at
       September 30, 2009 and
       December 31, 2008                      135,852             145,938
      Additional paid-in capital                   63                  63
      Accumulated deficit                    (146,989)           (149,219)
                                            -------------       -------------
        Total shareholders’ deficit           (11,074)             (3,218)
                                            -------------       -------------
    Total liabilities and shareholders’
     deficit                                  $27,564             $28,101
                                            =============       =============

                          Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation
                                    (Unaudited)
                                    ($millions)

                                 Three months ended        Nine months ended
                                   September 30,             September 30,
                              -----------------------    --------------------
                                2009           2008        2009        2008
                              --------       --------    --------    --------
    Net Loss                    $(2.6)        $(1.1)       $(6.5)      $(5.2)
    Add:
    Interest expense              1.3           1.4          3.9         2.8
    Depreciation and
     amortization                 0.5           0.5          1.4         1.4
    Loss on early extinguishment
     of debt                        -             -            -         1.5
    Non-cash stock compensation
     expense                        -             -          0.1        1.6
    Loss on asset disposal          -           0.1          0.1        0.2
    Change in warrant value       2.5             -          5.4          -
                              -----------------------    --------------------
    Adjusted EBITDA              $1.7          $0.9         $4.4       $2.3

                       Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Net Loss
                                    (Unaudited)
                        ($millions, except per share amounts)

                                 Three months ended        Nine months ended
                                   September 30,             September 30,
                              -----------------------    --------------------
                                2009           2008        2009        2008
                              --------       --------    --------    --------
    GAAP net loss               $(2.6)        $(1.1)       $(6.5)      $(5.2)
    Impact of change in warrant
     valuation                   (2.5)            -         (5.4)          -
                              -----------------------    --------------------
    Non-GAAP net loss           $(0.1)        $(1.1)       $(1.1)      $(5.2)

                                 Three months ended        Nine months ended
                                   September 30,             September 30,
                              -----------------------    --------------------
                                2009           2008        2009        2008
                              --------       --------    --------    --------
    GAAP loss per basic and
     diluted share             $(0.12)       $(0.05)      $(0.30)     $(0.26)
    Impact of change in
     warrant valuation          (0.11)            -        (0.25)          -
                              -----------------------    --------------------
    Non-GAAP loss per basic
     and diluted share         $(0.01)       $(0.05)      $(0.05)     $(0.26)

Rep. Pete Hoekstra , R-Mich., said sources “outside of the [intelligence] community” learned about Hasan’s possible connections to the Asian country, which faces a massive Islamist insurgency and is widely believed to be Osama bin Laden’s hiding place.

Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , would not identify the sources. But he said “they are trying to follow up on it because they recognize that if there are communications – phone or money transfers with somebody in Pakistan – it just raises a whole other level of questions.”

Much remains unknown about the 39-year-old Hasan, born in Virginia to Palestinian immigrants. He lived alone near the Army base in Killeen, Texas, and would sometimes use a neighbor’s computer even though he had his own.

“With what I know about Hasan to date … I would expect we will learn more about him that will make us concerned,” Hoekstra said, “rather than information that says, ‘Oh man, we got that all wrong and this had nothing to do with terrorism.’ ”

Hasan’s finances have been a mystery since last week, when the Army major and psychiatrist allegedly shot and killed 13 colleagues at the sprawling Central Texas military base. Hasan earned more than $90,000 a year and had no dependents, yet lived in an aging one-bedroom apartment that rented for about $300 a month.

“You can bet there is an ongoing, extensive investigation into every single financial transaction he made,” said Matt Orwig, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas who has no direct knowledge of the Hasan case. “Federal investigative agencies are very good at tracing the flow of money, both to him and from him.”

Authorities know that Hasan sent repeated e-mails, starting some time in December 2008, to a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen. That cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, formerly served as imam of a large northern Virginia mosque where Hasan worshipped. The U.S.-born cleric praised Hasan after the massacre as “a hero.”

In January, al-Awlaki told readers of his blog about “44 ways to support jihad” – a term often translated as “holy war.” Many of his points dealt with ways to fund such efforts.

“Probably the most important contribution the Muslims of the West could do for Jihad is making Jihad with their wealth,” al-Awlaki wrote. “In many cases the mujahideen are in need of money more than they are in need of men.”

He also stressed the importance of “avoiding the life of luxury.”

A spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department referred questions Wednesday to the FBI , which didn’t return a message seeking comment. FBI officials have said they studied Hasan’s communications with an unnamed radical Muslim and concluded they were a harmless part of his academic research.

Hoekstra said he wants to know whether authorities knew about Hasan’s behavior when they decided his contacts with the Yemeni imam were essentially harmless.

“The conclusion based off just the e-mails might have been perfectly legitimate,” Hoekstra said. “But if the [terrorism] analyst for some reason didn’t have access to all this other information, that might be where the problem is.”

Some of Hasan’s former colleagues in the Washington area said his behavior raised red flags that should have been addressed. While pursuing a master’s degree in public health, Hasan lectured a class about suicide bombers and the conflicts faced by Muslim U.S. soldiers fighting against other Muslims.

Doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, where Hasan trained and studied, questioned whether he was mentally unstable and a possible danger to fellow soldiers, according to National Public Radio . Discussions began in spring 2008 and continued over the next year.

“Put it this way,” NPR quoted one unnamed source as saying, “everybody felt that if you were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, you would not want Nidal Hasan in your foxhole.”

S. Ward Casscells, former assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, told The Dallas Morning News that Hasan had trouble connecting with patients and colleagues at Walter Reed.

“Doctors at Walter Reed I worked with say he was a strange and lonely guy who did not really earn the trust of his patients and fellow doctors,” said Casscells, vice president for external affairs and public policy at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. “They attribute that to his personality, not to religious discrimination.”

Despite concerns about Hasan, his views and his poor job performances, the consensus was to send him to Fort Hood after he finished his medical training, The Associated Press reported. Fort Hood was considered the best assignment for Hasan because other doctors could handle the workload if he continued to perform poorly, and his superiors could document any continued behavior problems, the AP quoted an unnamed military official familiar with the discussion as saying.

Family members said shortly after last week’s rampage that Hasan opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wanted out the Army and had sought legal advice. But Pentagon officials said they found nothing to indicate that Hasan formally sought to leave the Army, the AP said.

Even if Hasan had sought a discharge, the Army almost certainly would have denied it, senior Army officials told The Washington Post . Hasan had a continuing obligation to the Army because it provided his medical training and promoted him in May to the rank of major.

Colleagues and associates have described Hasan as a loner who voiced his opposition to the wars, including his assertion that Muslims were justified in fighting American troops. Hasan’s family has said he became more distressed as he learned he was about to be deployed to Afghanistan.

“He is a kind of fundamentalist. He thinks a Muslim must defend themselves,” said Golam Akhter, a civil engineer from Bethesda, Md., who said he spoke with Hasan on several occasions at the mosque where they worshipped.

He said he knew Hasan was a doctor but didn’t know he was a member of the Army.

“He used to dress in long dresses just like Pakistanis, and that made me also concerned,” Akhter said. “Usually only the imam uses those loose and long shirts and sleeves. That made me [wonder], being very educated, why he is using the imam’s dress.”

Matthew Levitt, director of counterterrorism and intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said wire transfers to Pakistan would be “extremely significant in terms of a potential network for this particular case.”

Tracing money to Pakistan could be easy if Hasan used a formal bank or wire service. It would be more difficult if he sent money under another name or used an informal channel known as hawala that is popular in Pakistan and doesn’t involve paperwork.

“If it turns out the person was radicalized to the point he was sending money to other insurgents or other terrorists, that takes it to another level still,” Levitt said.

Michael Jackson spoke candidly about his abusive relationship with his father, told how his father beat and threatened him and his brothers, and in 2002 MJ’s will made no mention of Joe Jackson. The singer’s private trust provided for money to take care of his mother, Katherine Jackson, his three children, and various charities Michael supported.

Now, Joe Jackson is seeking an undisclosed amount from Michael’s estate to help cover monthly expenses his lawyer, who filed the request, Brian Oxman, says is in excess of $15,000 per month. Joe and Katherine are still married, but live in separate residences. The request claims Joe Jackson was dependent on his son for income, provided through Michael’s mother, Katherine. According to the filing, Joe suffers from diabetes and had a stroke in 1998.

Joe Jackson will likely not get word on his sought after money until after the turn of the year; a hearing is set for early 2010 at which time payments to Katherine Jackson from Michael’s estate may be re-evaluated.

“I want to see what the turnout was among the unaffiliated voters before I can actually comment on the numbers,” said Daggett in a one-on-one interview with News 4 New York roughly, thirty minutes after he delivered his concession speech.

While New Jersey has far more voters who are registered as unaffiliated rather than as Democrats or Republicans, it has been an uphill battle for Daggett to attract voters because of his third-party candidate status.

Daggett said he called Gov. Jon Corzine and he congratulated governor-elect Chris Christie.

“We got to get behind him, it doesn’t serve our state to not get behind the winner of this election,” Daggett said. “Even though I had a number of concerns about how he conducted his campaign.”

Daggett was endorsed by several newspapers including The Star-Ledger.  What did his gubernatorial run teach him?

“What we found was the most important thing is you have to have money,” said Daggett.  “What I fear is if you’re not independently wealthy, you might not have a chance.”

Speaking to reporters today after an event in the Brighton Park neighborhood promoting a tree planting program, Daley said the taxing districts are good for Chicago.

“To be perfectly frank, I think it’s just a lack of marketing about what they do and account for,” Daley said. “We just have to show, with better marketing, we have to show what the benefits to the community are.”

These are among the projects funded with money from the federal stimulus package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

A total of about $5.5 million has gone to Chemung County, or $62.49 per resident. The money has been awarded to educational institutions, local government entities and private businesses.

In Steuben County, that amount is $6.6 million, or $69.04 per resident. Schuyler County has received only $139,087 in stimulus money or $7.36 per resident. Projects funded in both counties include Section 8 housing assistance for the villages of Bath and Watkins Glen.

The stimulus package was based largely on proposals made by President Barack Obama and was intended to provide a boost to the U.S. economy following the recent economic downturn
.

The legislation includes federal tax cuts, expansion of unemployment benefits and increased domestic spending in education, health care and infrastructure, including the energy sector.

In all, $19.5 billion has been earmarked for eligible projects in New York state, according to data provided by USA Today.

Strings attached

Along with the money comes an extensive set of rules for oversight and accountability, said James Mirando, executive director of the Elmira Housing Authority.

The agency is in line to receive about $863,000 in stimulus funds to finance improvements at its public housing complexes.

“The public thought people would be getting a lump sum of money, but that’s not how it works,” said Mirando. “Nobody just gets the money. The government requires it to be held and requisitioned according to a specific system.

“We have to have bona fide contracts and based on the accountability. We also have to have certain things in place on the government’s Recovery Act Web site.”

The city Housing Authority’s plans for the stimulus money include a new sprinkler system and trash compactors at Flannery Apartments on South Main Street in Elmira, security cameras and lighting at Hoffman Plaza on Hoffman Street and new bathroom vents at Bragg Towers on DeWitt Avenue.

An architect has prepared the specifications for the work and if the housing authority’s board approves them, bids will be sought.

“When the bids come back, we go back in the Recovery Act Web site and tell the government what funds are committed to what jobs through real contracts,” Mirando said. “In theory, that’s how it’s supposed to work.”

Paying the bills

The process is similar for all of the entities expecting the money.

But with the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency, there is a slight twist, said IDA Executive Director George Miner.

The $9 million needed to finance the extension of water and sewer lines from Pennsylvania to the CVS warehouse construction site in the town of Chemung has already been borrowed and the work has started.

When the stimulus money is received — the IDA expects about $1.4 million — it will be used to reduce the principal of the borrowed amount.

“It’s just like getting that income tax return check and sending it all to the credit card company,” Miner said.

“What we are also getting is a lot of scrutiny over the stimulus money. The company doing the utility work has to do the reporting and fortunately, they’re familiar with the process.”

Pell, work-study cash

Educational institutions like the Elmira Business Institute, Elmira College, Greater Southern Tier BOCES and Arnot Ogden Auxiliary are all in line for Pell grants funded by the stimulus package. The educational grants are based on need and applied against the students’ tuition fees.

But Arnot and Elmira College each anticipate stimulus money in the form of federal work-study grants, which will be used to pay the wages of eligible students who have on-campus jobs.

“Each year our financial aid department requests federal work-study money work and each year, we get less than we ask for,” said college spokesman Michael Rogers.

But this year, because of the stimulus package, the college got an extra $49,467 that it must “more than match,” Rogers said.

“There was a little more money for those who asked for it,” Rogers said. “It’s an increase and we have to account for every dollar.”

Help for Elmira projects

The city of Elmira is also included on the list of stimulus fund recipients.

Elmira does not have a homelessness prevention program, but through $560,951 in stimulus funding, the city and Catholic Charities are developing one. The two-year program would provide short-term rental assistance or utility payments for those in danger of losing their homes, said Jennifer Miller, deputy director of community development.

The city has been approved for $366,738 in stimulus money to purchase surveillance cameras that will be installed in chronic crime areas or neighborhoods where crime is increasing.

“The surveillance cameras will cost $120,000 and the rest of the money will be used for the Promenade project,” said Miller.

The Promenade project is a joint venture between the city and Elmira-Corning Transportation Council to spruce up the area of the Norfolk-Southern railroad viaduct from Water to Second streets. The project has also received $1.25 million in federal transportation funding.

Stimulus money in the amount of $78,960 will allow the city police department to purchase and install digital in-car video cameras, said Deputy Chief David Gardner; $10,000 from the grant will enable the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office to purchase similar equipment for its patrol cars.

“We have them and have already started to install them,” said Gardner.

“The plan is to have 10 cameras on the street and each car will have its own camera and control. The program will be fully implemented in early 2010.”

Shoot, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mariano starts going three innings and becomes the next Goose Gossage at age 40. He hasn’t changed a bit since I first became his teammate in the ’90s.

You go back 10 years ago and he’s the same guy, with the same demeanor and the same approach. There is still nobody you would rather have on the mound to protect a lead.

Even so, I’m a little surprised Girardi didn’t get Phil Hughes back into action in the eighth inning. I know the Yankees really wanted this one, but you have to get Hughes back into a game to redeem himself a little bit after what happened in Game 1.

Of course, it doesn’t get to the point of making an eighth-inning decision unless Burnett shines as he did. My prediction going in was if he went seven innings, the Yankees would win. That script played out.

Pedro Martinez nearly matched him. He is not overpowering, but he made pitches and gave the Phillies a chance. That is what you wanted.

If there is one thing that struck me about the Yankees’ starting lineup, it was the absence of Jorge Posada, putting Jose Molina behind the plate.

Yes, we all know that Burnett prefers Molina, but frankly I don’t understand it. Posada gets a bad rap. I’ll go on record as saying he was probably the best catcher I ever had. We were totally on the same page.

Certain pitchers are more comfortable with backup catchers, but when you’ve got a guy like Posada with that much experience, it’s kind of tough. Burnett says it’s about him out there — it’s not about the catcher. But you know what? It’s about winning, too.

If you’ve got a more experienced guy, especially one that hits, it makes things a lot easier. Molina is not that effective offensively, compared to Posada. When it’s crunch time –and the World Series certainly qualifies — you want to go with your best out there.

But Burnett feels he’s more comfortable with Molina. I don’t understand that, because I’ve never had a problem throwing to any catcher.

I like the fact that Jorge, if he sees something, he comes out and tells you. He says it right to your face. He’s an in-your-face type of guy and I like that, because sometimes that fires you up a little bit, especially if you are getting your butt kicked.

He’s not afraid to show his emotions out there, and that’s what makes a good catcher.

But these days, Azhar is showing up at school only 37% of the time, and Rubina has only a 27% attendance rate, the trustee said.

“It’s pathetic,” said Noshir Dadrawala, who helps administer the Jai Ho trust established by the filmmakers to provide an education, living allowance and housing for the young stars, who both grew up in Mumbai’s real-life shantytowns.

Azhar played hero Jamal’s brother, Salim, while Rubina was cast as the young Latika, who grows up to become Jamal’s love interest.

Dadrawala blamed the children’s busy schedules for their chronic truancy.

“They are constantly going to Paris and Cochin and Chennai,” he said. “That’s fine, but go over the weekend, not at the sacrifice of school.”

The children’s parents said the absences were because of deaths in the family and other problems and promised to get them to school from now on.

“Slumdog” director Danny Boyle and producer Christian Colson said in a statement that the children’s families “need to honor their part of the bargain.”

Dadrawala said the trust decided that if the children do not get their attendance above 70% they will lose their monthly stipend of about $120. If they fail to graduate, they will forfeit a lump sum payment set aside by the filmmakers to help the children, who grew up in one of Mumbai’s more wretched slums, get a start in life.

The filmmakers have declined to reveal the amount in the trust.