SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — As his own credit union is at last seeing small signs of recovery, the president/CEO of the $1 billion Arrowhead CU vowed Friday to continue being "a vocal advocate" before Congress to channel TARP funds into needy CUs.

"There are states like mine as well as Florida, Arizona and Nevada that have been hit very hard by this recession and it is simply maddening and irritating that credit unions are treated so very differently from banks considering the vital economic role we play," said Larry Sharp, who earlier this month in a CUNA panel met with Congressional and Treasury leaders to complain about restricted bailout funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Sharp, who expressed gratitude that CEOs from other southern California and Nevada CUs joined him this week in making new TARP appeals to members of the House Financial Services Committee, said the economic distress in his area remains dire making it all the more urgent that lawmakers recognize the need to help CUs, excluded from TARP.