What your legislators tell you its going to be

Payday loans remain an issue in Arizona. Consumers want them, politicians who represent themselves and their squeaky wheel interest groups ahead of average constituents want them out. This legislation wastes taxpayer time over how payday loan and other legislation can make the ballot.

Daniel Scarpinato of the Arizona Daily Star reports (See: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/279755) that Arizona voters could have the chance to vote next year on how ballot measures make it to the polls. This was prompted by a number of issues among 2008 ballot measures, including the Payday Loan Reform Act (which was on the ballot as Proposition 200). New legislation would make changes to how citizens gather signatures and put items on the ballot and how legislators would refer items to the ballot. If voters green-light the measures, they would go into effect in 2012.

What can it be now?

Here are just a few of the changes big brother seeks:

• Reduce the number of total signatures that need to be gathered for an initiative to reach the ballot
• Allow legislative staff to propose changes to a proposal. Petition organizers can reject the changes
• Legislative staff will establish the official name of a ballot measure

Buttering their own bread with kickbacks

Looking at the above points, it seems clear to Cash Advance Mojo that big brother is trying to worm their way into a position of complete control over how ballot measures (like Proposition 200) are presented to the public for vote. The person who has the power to name a thing controls that thing. It’s all about perception and psychology, and politicians know how to spin public perception in the desired direction as well as anyone on the planet. Furthermore, they even throw the bone of requiring fewer signatures in order to make themselves appear generous.
Banks, corporate-controlled media, politicians and other nefarious special interest groups like the Center For Responsible Lending simply can’t handle consumers having the choice for payday loans in their hands. Thus, in attempting to walk the legal line, they’re going to make it as difficult as possible for the short-term consumer loan industry to exist. Don’t say that they’re in this to protect consumers. Evidence exists that getting rid of payday loans actually hurts consumers (in part by driving them to inferior alternatives like checking overdraft protection).

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