It’s like drinking from a fire hose.

Everyday there seems to be a new announcement from Treasury on the latest initiative to restore the financial system. Last week we learned that the Treasury and Administration would like to have visitation rights and new regulations imposed on “systemically” important non-bank institutions.

Soon, the Treasury will announce their plan for regulatory reform of the banking system. They are expected to announce that the Federal Reserve will be the regulator to oversee “systemically important” financial institutions.

I resent the constant reference to systemically important and systemically unimportant financial institutions. I recognize that the government has replaced too big to fail with too big to close or systemically risky to close.

In my way of thinking there is no such thing as a systemically unimportant financial institution, regardless of its size. Community banks after all are systemically important to their communities. Just see what happens to small business agriculture and consumer lending if the local banks goes down. It has a chilling affect on the economic well being of the community for years to come.  Community banks after all, are nothing more than a mirror image of the markets they serve.

Just ask any of the local folks who have seen their dreams realized thanks to their local community bank.