We need many, many more banks with these characteristics because these are the banks that absorbed the shocks of the crisis, remained relatively healthy, and, most significantly, now have the potential to thrive as robust sources of credit in their communities after the crisis.
When the economy is well on its way back to recovery, and private markets and institutions are once again able to perform their vital functions of channeling credit and supporting economic growth, we will put these emergency tools away. None of us has the luxury of choosing our challenges; fate and history provide them for us.