Banks have got to start lending to someone at some point or they might as well just hang up the "CLOSED" sign and go into liquidation. Don't they have to start making some profits to repair their balance sheets?

I would have thought gold and silver mining projects would be attractive propositions for them as they have asset backing in the in ground mineral resource and the finished product keeps going up in price. Provided the management are credible and the resource is not just marginally economic I can't see there being a problem getting funding once Uncle Sam has taken away all the toxic waste into the Bad Bank...