| MECHANICS SAVINGS BANK From: sherwood moody [mailto:smoody@mechanicssavings.com]
        Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 7:10 PM
 To: Comments
 Subject: Community Reinvestment: RIN number 3064-AC50
 sherwood moodyPresident and ceo
 mechanics savings bank
 P O Box 400
 auburn, me 04212
 September 19, 2004  Robert E. FeldmanFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation
 550 17th Street, NW
 Washington, DC 20429
 Dear Robert Feldman:  As a community banker, I am pleased to comment in support of the 
        proposal issued by the FDIC that would amend the definition of a small 
        institution to be a bank that is under $1 billion in assets. I believe 
        that this change will provide much needed regulatory burden relief for 
        me and other community bankers. It seems that every week there is a new 
        or additional regulation with which we must comply. This is one example 
        of regulatory burden relief that will really make a difference. I would 
        much rather use the limited resources available to my bank to serve my 
        community than to collect and maintain data and documents to prove to 
        examiners that I am meeting the needs of my community.  [please include something about your institution, its size, the area 
        it serves, number of employees]  Compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act is something we take 
        very seriously at our bank. We don’t just believe it is the right thing 
        to do; we believe it is the right business thing to do. No community 
        bank can survive and compete without meeting the needs of its customers 
        and communities. We believe in our community and in our customers and 
        want to work with them to provide products and services that best meet 
        their credit needs. We do not need a complicated examination process to 
        show that we are complying with the law.  It is absurd to think that a bank thousands of times larger than my 
        own community bank should be examined using the same procedures. I 
        strongly urge you to amend the definition of a small bank for CRA 
        purposes to be an institution with less than $1 billion in assets, 
        regardless of whether the bank is part of a holding company. This is a 
        good proposal and is the right thing to do.  Thank you for considering my views.  Sincerely,  Sherwood C. Moody207-786-5700
 President and ceo mechanics savings bank
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