Duke, Elizabeth

One widely held misperception is that CRA is only about mortgage lending to low- and moderate-income borrowers in lower-income neighborhoods.  As a former community banker, I know that CRA's impact is just as important in meeting the needs of small farms and businesses and, as such, it serves as a valuable catalyst for job creation in both urban and rural areas across the country.  This point is particularly noteworthy at a time when mounting job losses are adding to the woes of consumers and exacerbating the problems in housing and mortgage lending.