December 27, 2008

Steven Buster presides over Mechanics Bank, a 103-year-old institution that has been relatively unscathed by the collapse of the credit bubble that has plunged the financial industry and the nation into its worst crisis since the Great Depression.

Even so, the recession has hit different parts of its service area with varying degrees of severity, with Sacramento suffering the worst. "The further you get from the ocean the worse things get," Buster said.A veteran of more than 30 years in banking, Buster believes the U.S. and Bay Area economies will rebound - but not until government and business leaders calm the fears that have caused consumers to cut spending and businesses to delay investments.