Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation

From: Mitzi Barker [mailto:Mitzi@ruralcap.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 6:11 PM
To: Comments
Subject: Re RIN 3064-AC50

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

I am writing to express my opposition to proposed revisions to the Community Reinvestment Act as published in the Federal Register on August 20, 2004. CRA has been a powerful incentive to financial institutions to invest and actively partner with organizations who are serving the housing and community development needs of America’s rural communities. The proposed rule change would eliminate those incentives for smaller banks, and effectively remove CRA benefits from some of the most disadvantaged areas of the nation. I urge the FDIC to not adopt this rule as published.

Sincerely,
Mitzi C. Barker
Director, Rural Housing & Planning
Rural Alaska Community Action Program