341 Garnett Court # 5
Fayetteville, AR 72701
September 19, 2004
Robert E. Feldman
Executive Secretary
Attention: Comments/Legal ISS
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
550 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20429-9990.
Re: RIN 3064-AC50
Dear Mr. Feldman:
Over the past twenty years, my public service and community
development work has ranged from work as an congressional aide in the
United States Senate to chairing the Advisory Council for the Federal
Home Loan Bank of Dallas to work with grassroots community development
organizations to develop jobs and housing in one of the poorer parts of
the United States. Therefore, my experience with community reinvestment
issues is first hand, and I understand the balance between political
realities and community need.
I am writing to you to state strong opposition to the proposed
changes in the Community Reinvestment Act regulations. For small towns,
the changes could be a death knoll to community revitalization efforts.
The regulations would exclude such a substantial percent of rural banks
that the regulations could no longer be viewed as encouraging the kind
of investment that the regulations were developed to promote. In my
opinion, this would not only undermine rural communities, but it would
be bad policy for our nation. Please do not adopt this rule.
