Small towns across America are losi...

Small towns across America are losing business because existing and potential businesses cannot obtain financing for startup and expansion.

"Potential employer cannot expand because of their inability to qualify and/or fast credit in amounts sufficient to come up to face to face their needs," says Bastrop, La., Mayor Clarence Hawkins. "Long-term fixed-interest credit must be made available to revitalize these [rural] areas if they are to remain viable."

Rural towns do not ne to vegetate at 2.1 percent like they did in the 1970 They absolutely need to keep pace. if it were not that since those halcyon days, expansion has been meager: 1 percent in the 1980 and 15 percent by the and of 1993 - rates that are now falling, according to the Federal lay up Board. Most of the at hand gains are going to tourist towns and areas with one connection to nearby big cities.

The weak vegetation in rural loans is used as evidence to