Op-Ed

Congress Urges Stronger Actions Against Payday Loan Vendors

Published

10 years ago

July 13, 2015

By Charlene Crowell
NNPA Columnist

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will provide $32 million in relief to consumers who were caught in a maze of charges and fees designed to trap them in payday loans they never authorized. The enforcement action announced July 7, affects two lenders based in Kansas City, Mo. who operated as many as 16 different businesses involved in online lending. The FTC also imposed an additional $22 million fine against the lenders and banned them from all consumer lending.

Members of Congress are urging the FTC to take similar action against similar violators.

Every day online and storefront payday lenders trap borrowers in long-term cycles of debt. Their triple-digit interest rates and access to borrowers’ bank accounts or car-titles place these borrowers in financial jeopardy. FTC’s actions and others undertaken by federal and state regulators reveal rampant abuses in the short-term, small-dollar lending market.

More than 100 Members of Congress representing 35 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, recently urged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to enact a strong rule to curb abusive practices by payday lenders and other high-cost predatory loans like car-title and certain installment loans.

In separate letters, 33 U.S. Senators and 68 House Members urged the same action: strong regulation and enforcement of abusive and predatory consumer lending.

Their calls for CFPB rulemaking comes as the Bureau finalizes its proposed rule, first announced in late March. At that time, a letter signed by 500 consumer advocates from all 50 states waged an unprecedented push for reining in abusive small-dollar and high-cost loans engaged the White House and Capitol Hill.

Now, after listening to an onslaught of diverse and strong voices, federal lawmakers are adding their voices and influence to the continuing fight for fairness.

“Predatory lenders should not be able to continue unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts or practices that are designed to trap borrowers in a cycle of debt,” wrote 33 Senators. “This is a business model rooted in preying on individuals and families that have no ability to repay, and the CFPB has a critical opportunity to protect consumers by issuing strong rules.”

Members of Congress with constituencies as varied as their broad geographic expanses similarly called for CFPB to adopt strong regulation.

“While there is a need for affordable credit, unfair, deceptive and abusive payday and car title lending practices often pull consumers into a cycle of debt,” wrote the members. “We support the Bureau’s efforts to close the door to unaffordable loans by addressing failure to underwrite for affordable payments, repeatedly rolling over or refinancing loans, accessing the consumer’s account for repayment, and performing costly withdrawals.”

As consumer advocates stress the importance of the ability to repay a loan as a cornerstone of both responsible lending and effective regulation, a new poll jointly commissioned by Americans for Financial Reform and the Center for Responsible Lending, asked 2016 likely voters their opinions on consumer lending and regulation, Wall Street influences and actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Respondents showed strong and bipartisan support for regulation of financial services and products. By more than a 10-to-one margin, they favored a rule requiring small-dollar lenders to verify a customer’s ability to repay before a loan can be issued.

Other poll results showed:

Nearly three-quarters – 73 percent – said they favor the central provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act;

Respondents continue to view the financial industry as under-regulated; and

They also believed that regulations and enforcement will ensure financial institutions act fairly and responsibly.

“We are thankful for lawmakers and regulators standing up against these predatory loan practices which drain billions of dollars a year from low-income families,” said Diane Standaert, director of state policy with the Center for Responsible Lending. “As CFPB moves towards issuing its proposed rules, we urge it to use its full authority to stop the dangerous debt trap of these loans, and eliminating loopholes.”

According to policy experts, CFPB could act on the pending regulation sometime this fall.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

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Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors

Seth looked comfortable in his new uniform, seamlessly fitting into the Warriors’ offensive and defensive system. He finished the night with an impressive 14 points, becoming one of the team’s top scorers for the game. Seth’s points came in a variety of ways – floaters, spot-up three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, and a handful of aggressive drives that kept the Oklahoma City Thunder defense on its heels.

Published

1 week ago

December 4, 2025

Oakland Post

Seth Curry is a point guard on the GSW team.Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

Tuesday night was anything but ordinary for fans in San Francisco as Seth Curry made his highly anticipated debut as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. Seth didn’t disappoint, delivering a performance that not only showcased his scoring ability but also demonstrated his added value to the team.

At 35, the 12-year NBA veteran on Monday signed a contract to play with the Warriors for the rest of the season.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came before Seth even scored his first points. As he checked into the game, the Chase Center erupted into applause, with fans rising to their feet to give the newest Warrior a standing ovation.

The crowd’s reaction was a testament not only to Seth’s reputation as a sharpshooter but also to the excitement he brings to the Warriors. It was clear that fans quickly embraced Seth as one of their own, eager to see what he could bring to the team’s championship aspirations.

Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry – Seth’s brother – did not play due to an injury. One could only imagine what it would be like if the Curry brothers were on the court together. Magic in the making.

Seth’s debut proved to be a turning point for the Warriors. Not only did he contribute on the scoreboard, but he also brought a sense of confidence and composure to the floor.

While their loss last night, OKC 124 – GSW 112, Seth’s impact was a game-changer and there’s more yet to come. Beyond statistics, it was clear that Seth’s presence elevated the team’s performance, giving the Warriors a new force as they look to make a deep playoff run.

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Activism

Essay: Intentional Self Care and Community Connections Can Improve Our Wellbeing

At the deepest and also most expansive level of reality, we are all part of the same being, our bodies made from the minerals of the earth, our spirits infused by the spiritual breath that animates the universe. Willingness to move more deeply into fear and pain is the first step toward moving into a larger consciousness. Willingness to move beyond the delusion of our separateness can show us new ways of working and living together.

Published

1 month ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

By Dr. Lorraine Bonner, Special to California Black Media Partners

I went to a medical school that was steeped in the principles of classical Western medicine. However, I also learned mindfulness meditation during that time, which opened me to the multifaceted relationship between illnesses and the interconnecting environmental, mental and emotional realities that can impact an individual’s health.

Therefore, when I began to practice medicine, I also pursued training in hypnosis, relaxation techniques, meditation, and guided imagery, to bring a mind-body focus to my work in medical care and prevention.

The people I saw in my practice had a mix of problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and a variety of pain issues. I taught almost everyone relaxation breathing and made some general relaxation tapes. To anyone willing, I offered guided imagery.

“My work embraced an approach to wellness I call “Liberatory Health” — one that not only addresses the treatment and management of disease symptoms but also seeks to dismantle the conditions that make people sick in the first place.”

From my perspective, illness is only the outermost manifestation of our efforts to cope, often fueled by addictions such as sugar, tobacco, or alcohol, shackled by an individualistic cult belief that we have only ourselves to blame for our suffering.

To put these ideas into practical form, I would quote the immortal Mr. Rogers: “Find the helpers.” There are already people in every community working for liberation. Some of them are running for office, others are giving food to those who need it. Some are volunteering in schools, libraries or hospitals. Some are studying liberation movements, or are working in urban or community gardens, or learning to practice restorative and transformative justice, or creating liberation art, music, dance, theater or writing. Some are mentoring high schoolers or apprenticing young people in a trade. There are many places where compassionate humans are finding other humans and working together for a better world.

A more compassionate world is possible, one in which we will all enjoy better health. Creating it will make us healthier, too.

In community, we are strong. Recognizing denial and overcoming the fragmenting effects of spiritual disorder offer us a path to liberation and true health.

Good health and well-being are the collective rights of all people!

About the Author

Dr. Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

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Activism

Opinion: Can Donald Trump Pole Dance?

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

Published

3 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

The news cycle has been buzzing the last few weeks. Xi, with Putin and Kim, the sweethearts of Trump carousing alone without him? The victims of the pedophile Epstein speaking out publicly in DC.

Then, there’s the release of that salacious letter Donald Trump allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said the letter didn’t exist. But it does.

Timing is everything.

Additionally, there are further concerns, such as the Supreme Court removing restrictions on ICE interactions. ICE Agents can stop anyone now. For any reason. And there’s the threat of the U.S. sending the military to fight crime in Chicago. Trump even posted a meme of himself as a character in “Apocalypse Now.”

All that with bad polls and bad economic numbers, and these topics are dominating the news cycle — Trump era chaos.

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

The reality is the opposite. He keeps going strong like nothing’s happened. Inexplicably, Trump always seems to defy gravity.

That’s why to reassure myself with reality, I just think of Trump on a pole. Dancing. He was born on Flag Day, after all.

I’ve got pole dancing on my mind because I’m in Canada at the Vancouver Fringe Festival doing my show, “Emil Amok 69, Everything’s Flipped,” about how the current political situation gets very personal.

Get tickets here if you’re near:

I’ve performed at 16 fringe festivals, and I always look for unique performers. This year, in my same venue (the Revue Stage) I found her in a show, “The Pole Shebang.”

Andrea James Lui may look like a typical Asian American at first.

But she’s Asian Canadian, married to an Australian, who now lives down under.

At the Vancouver Fringe, she highlights her special identity.

Pole Dancer

Yes, pole dancing has come to the fringe. Leave your dollar bills at home, this is not that kind of pole dancing.

This is more Cirque Du Soleil-ish- acrobatic stuff, yet it’s hard to deny the sexiness when a woman flawlessly swings from a pole with her legs apart.

The show is more intriguing than it is titillating.

Lui has created a behind-the-scenes look at the “polar” experience.

“She could have been a physicist,” says her big sister Christina, who despite saying that, supports her sister 100 percent.

Lui touches on some of the emotional depth in the poled subculture. But there’s plenty more to mine in the future. “Polar Bare,” the Musical? I’d see it.

Trump on a Pole

So that’s how I’ve come to the polar metaphor.

As Trump flails in the news, I picture him on a pole.

The letter to Epstein is further proof of the character of the man.

Will he stay afloat?

Not if the presidency were more like pole dancing.

You can’t lie on the pole.

That’s one way all of us in the Trump era can get to the truth.

About the Author

Emil Amok is a veteran journalist, commentator, and stage monologist. He has written a weekly column on Asian Americans for more than 30 years.

Contact: www.amok.com