From: Marc Diaz [mailto:mdiaz@mba2006.hbs.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 8:04 PM
To: Comments
Subject: Community Reinvestment -- RIN 3064-AC50

To Whom It May Concern:

I oppose the FDIC's proposal to allow banks with assets above $250 million to be examined as small banks under the Community Reinvestment Act. This policy would reduce lending, investments and services in low-income communities. As a board member of a community development credit union, I saw first-hand the power of the financial resources that CRA provided. I also observed that many local “community-sized” banks would not have been inclined to serve their local communities with their full range of services, if not for the enforcement power of CRA. CRA has broken down barriers limiting local communities’ access to credit and services, while also improving the efficiency of our capital markets. Let’s not let loopholes undermine the power of CRA’s contributions.

Sincerely,

Marc Diaz