From: Liz Curry [mailto:fullcycl@sover.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2004 3:19 PM
To: Comments
Subject: Community Reinvestment -- RIN 3064-AC50

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. These banks have ample capacity to comply with current CRA regulations and, in most cases, realize enormous tax benefits and savings from their CRA activities on the back-end.

In fact, banks used to pay a substantial amount more in taxes. If banks weren't given so many tax breaks, perhaps our low-income communities would have the services and infrastructure they need when they need them, instead of having to try and squeeze charitable gifts from these corporations. Now the tax-payer has to subsidize the CRA regulatory process and beg for charity from huge financial corporations that actually plow relatively little of their overall asset wealth back into low income communities, where many of their employees live if they're making under $10/hour.

Liz Curry
Full Cycle Development Consulting
P.O. Box 5805
Burlington, VT