From: Tom Bishop [mailto:homestead@grasshoppernet.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 5:39 PM
To: Comments
Subject: Community Investment
The proposed regulations reducing the compliance measures for smaller
financial institiutions would have an ill effects, particularly on rural
communities where these smaller banks are located.
The number of Kansas banks required to follow the provisions of the
CRA
regulations and exams would be only about a tenth of the current number.
There are continuing challenges in the present enviroment with
ensuring
these rural lenders are meeting the credit needs of their communities,
especially minority and lower income borrowers and homebuyers.
This is not the time to reduce these requirements or to reduce the
number
of lenders responsible for compliance with these CRA provisions.
