Convention Keynote Not to be Missed      

While the entire annual convention is one for the record books, our featured keynote speaker on Tuesday is not to be missed. Dick Morris is a leading Political Consultant, author of ten New York Times Best-sellers, and is a regular Fox-News Channel Commentator. The nearly-daily columns produced by Morris and his wife see an e-mail circulation of half-a-million people.  

He has handled the winning campaigns of more than thirty Senators and Governors, and provided the strategy that engineered Bill Clinton's comeback re-election victory in 1996. Internationally, he has spearheaded the successful campaigns of the president or prime minister in nine countries.Time magazine has called him "the most influential private citizen in America."  

Through the years, his writing partner has been his wife. In their book - Outrage, they predicted the collapse of Fannie Mae. In Fleeced, they foresaw the stock market crash of 2008. In Catastrophe, they warned that Obama's stimulus package would not work. Other best sellers include: Behind the Oval Office - his memoir about the Clinton, Off With Their Heads about the war on terror and Rewriting History and Because He Could, biographies of Hillary and Bill Clinton.

• Times for breakout and general sessions have remained the same for each day. Please refer to the Convention Brochure if you have questions.   

• If you are staying in the Hilton Garden Inn, you must buy meal passes to participate in meals at the convention site. E-mail us if you need tickets or have questions.  

• If you are scheduled to golf, please remember to dress for the fall weather.  

• Stay alert! We'll have surprises (and prizes) for you throughout the convention!   

IBANYS & ICBA Urge Letters to Senators        

We told you about the Communities First Act, but now we need your help. IBANYS and ICBA are urging all members to contact U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, and ask them to support and co-sponsor S. 1600, the Communities First Act.  

• Increasing SEC shareholder registration threshold to 2,000 from 500 for banks. To de-register stock for banks, increase shareholder threshold from 300 shareholders to 1700 shareholders.

• Requiring the SEC to ensure that accounting principles truly reflect the business model of the preparer.

• Extending 5 year NOL carry back. Allow community banks with $15 billion or less in assets to spread out their current losses with a 5 year carry back allowed through 2011.

• Allowing community banks under $10 billion in assets to raise additional capital without losing net operating loss carry-forward tax benefit.

• Amending Dodd-Frank to provide that mortgage loans held in portfolio by banks under $10 billion in assets are excluded from escrow requirements.