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02
Backing down on payday loan sharks
Feb 26, 2008This can’t be good. The Associated Press (read the whole article at the Virginian Pilot’s Web site, pilotonline.com) is reporting that Virginia Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, a powerful Democrat, is threatening to kill payday lending reform, unless an industry-approved compromise is reached. How will that protect those who are lured in and then bled dry by the industry?
Meanwhile, House GOP Caucus Chairman Terry Kilgore, who was championing a decent reform bill, has indicated the House will drop its five-loan-per-year limit. That’s not a positive development either. That was the provision of the House bill that had the most potential to actually help the lower-income “customers” who are most likely to fall into an inescapable cycle of debt.
Photo of payday lending protest in Abingdon by David Crigger.
The Associated Press article gives a hint at the real motivation to scuttle compromise (at least on Saslaw’s part). It’s all about the money:
Payday lenders contributed about $310,000 to legislators in 2007, including $27,000 to Saslaw, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, an independent, nonprofit tracker of money in state politics.
I’ve differed with Terry Kilgore in print on other issues, but on the matter of payday loans, he’s been on the side of the angels. He should use his considerable clout to keep the loan limits in place. Absent a true interest rate cap (without all the additional fees tacked on), the limit is the best way to protect people from an industry that profits from the despair of others. Hang tough, Terry. Don’t compromise on this matter.
Posted by Andrea Hopkins Smoke ban’s last stand
Feb 21, 2008Earlier in the week, I spoke with members of the Virginia Beach restaurant community. They are trying to get a full committee hearing on Virginia’s proposed restaurant smoking ban, which was shot down in flames last week by a six-member House of Delegates subcommittee ... without a recorded vote, no less.
The group is asking Virginia residents who feel strongly about this matter to contact Delegate Terrie Suit, R-Virginia Beach. She is chairwoman of the General Laws Committee and seems to be the person with the most power to bring this to a vote before the end of the session.
If you are so inclined, you can e-mail Delegate Suit at deltsuit@house.state.va.us and let her know that you support a restaurant smoking ban.
The restaurant group also is suggesting that House leaders receive similar e-mails. You can contact Speaker of the House William Howell at delwhowell@house.state.va.us or House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith at delmgriffith@house.state.va.us or House Republican Caucus Chairman Terry Kilgore at deltkilgore@house.state.va.us.
The Senate passed a restaurant smoking ban. The least the House can do is put it to a full vote.
The view from above
Feb 13, 2008On Monday, I accompanied a group of Wise County residents to a large strip mining site near Appalachia. I was struck by the overwhelming sense of nothingness. The trees are gone. The animals are gone. It appears that an entire mountain is gone. There was no sound other than the coal trucks winding their way up the mountain
I am not passing judgment on this mine or others like it, but even proponents cannot claim that they are not making unalterable changes to creation. In the past, proponents have argued that strip-mined land can be put to beneficial use in a region with too little flat land for development. But how many golf courses and strip malls does Southwest Virginia need.
If this practice accelerates, it will change the landscape permanently. I’m not certain the change will be for the better. Some people will become very wealthy, but will the community as a whole benefit?
Huckabee in the Tri-Cities
Feb 04, 2008Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee might not have much of a shot tomorrow, but don’t tell him that. He gave quite an upbeat speech to a crowd of 500 to 600 supporters Monday at Tri-Cities Aviation in Blountville. Huckabee’s message - an interesting mix of populist appeal and traditional values - had the crowd fired up. And an appearance by Chuck Norris didn’t hurt either.
Here are some of the details that I found most interesting.
1) Huckabee made a point of noting that the other candidates have ignored this region, but that he would not. “This election will be won or lost in places that others have forgotten,” he said.
2) On the economy, Huckabee struck a populist chord, noting that he wanted to be the candidate not of Wall Street Republicans, but “Wal-Mart Republicans.”
3) On his experience in Arkansas, Huckabee talked about his effort to reform schools. When he took office, the state ranked 49th in education. Now, it ranks 8th. Tennessee (which still remains near the bottom educationally) should take note.
4) On the military, he pledged not to commit troops without a clearly defined mission and the force necessary to do the job. This registered as somewhat of a slap at the management of the Iraq war, although Huckabee does not support the isolationist strategies of some other candidates.
All in all, it was pretty interesting.
