FDIC Federal Register Citations

From: lee gaskamp [mailto:leegaskamp@bankofbrenham.com]
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 10:29 AM
To: Comments
Subject: Support for Raising the Small Institution CRA Exam Eligibility.

lee gaskamp
401 s austin street
brenham, tx 77833

September 20, 2004

Robert E. Feldman

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
550 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20429

Dear Robert Feldman:

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to comment on the FDIC’s proposal to
enlarge the number of banks that will be eligible for the small
institution Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) examination. My bank’s
assets total less than $1 billion and would be a direct beneficiary of the
additional relief provided by reducing the CRA compliance burden. I
strongly support this proposal.

Regulatory burden falls heaviest on community banks such as mine. We are
drowning in regulatory red-tape. The FDIC’s proposal is a major step
towards reducing the regulatory burden for community banks. While
community banks will still be examined under CRA for their record of
helping to meet the credit needs of their communities, this proposed
revision will eliminate the most problematic and burdensome elements of
the current CRA regulation for community banks.

I urge the FDIC Board to approve the proposed increase to $1 billion in
the size of the institutions eligible for the small bank CRA examination.
Thank you for taking my views into consideration.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

lee gaskamp