**EXHIBIT (12)**

 

**COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES**

** **
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | **Twelve**                   | ** **     |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|------------------------------|----------------|
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | **Months Ended**        | ** **     |
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | **September 30,  2008** | ** **     |
|                                                                                             |       |                         |           |
| Income from  continuing operations before provision for income taxes and fixed charges  (Note A) |       | $                            | 92,531,264     |   |
|                                                                                             |       |                         |           |
| Fixed charges:                                                                                   |       |                         |           |
| Interest on  long-term debt                                                                      |       | $                            | 34,533,037     |   |
| Interest on  short-term debt                                                                     |       | 1,850,072                    |           |
| Interest on note  payable to securitization trust                                                |       | 4,250,000                    |           |
| Other interest                                                                                   |       | 1,140,351                    |           |
| Rental expense  representative of an interest factor (Note B)                                    |       | 5,314,761                    |           |
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | ** **                   | ** **     |
| **Total  fixed charges**                                                                         | ** ** | **$**                        | **47,088,221** | ** ** |
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | ** **                   | ** **     |
| Ratio of  earnings to fixed charges                                                              |       | 1.97                         | x              |

 
| NOTE A: | For the purpose of  determining earnings in the calculation of the ratio, net income from  continuing operations has been increased by the provision for income taxes,  non-operating income taxes, minority interest and by the sum of fixed charges  as shown above. |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| NOTE B: | One-third of rental  expense (which approximates the interest factor).                                                                                                                                                                                                 |

 

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