With the country’s ability to generate revenue very constrained right now, there isn’t enough money flowing down from the government to big banks to regional banks to smaller local banks. And on the consumer side of things, there aren’t enough jobs paying wages high enough right now to allow every income level of the population to handle overall living expenses, make home and car payments, and keep up with a regular budget.

It’s simple math, of course, but when you combine the disasters we’ve seen (and are still seeing) in real estate, the auto markets, and the overall financial markets, one thing seems pretty clear: We’re moving away from being a borrowing society, and we’re becoming a cash one. If things don’t change soon, the only people who’ll be able to buy high-ticket items will be those who are liquid — those who have cash on hand. While some people will maintain that there’ll always be money available to borrow for things like homes, cars, and higher education, recent events make such predictions seem far from a sure thing.

But what about right now? What can you do currently to secure a personal or small business loan? We already know that the White House basically told banks to start loaning money again, but those were just large banks — ones that received federal money from a $700 billion bailout package. What about all those other banks, though — especially local, smaller ones that exist primarily to serve communities and local businesses like yours? Clearly, the money isn’t flowing down fast enough.

Have you seen any evidence that banks in your community are beginning to lend money again?