City silence on PHA scandal is hypocritical
Last week, the Peoria City Council voted to send a letter to the federal government pointing out that current federal law doesn't give municipalities the power to regulate cable Internet service as it does cable television service. Obviously, the council believes in getting involved when cable subscribers experience a hiccough in service.
But when the Peoria Housing Authority partners with a predatory lender, and then shrugs its shoulders and says mistakes were made when they get caught by the city's newspaper of record, there is no one on the Peoria City Council willing to stand up for the poor, working class victims of the predatory loans.
Why is no member of the council asking for a letter to the PHA demanding a resolution to the crisis that leaves the victims unharmed? Why are there no calls being made from Peoria City Hall to law enforcement agencies and prosecutors? Why is there no debate about this apparent crime on the floor of the city council?
It's not the council's business, as has been suggested to me? Bull. It's as much the council's business as is the Internet service that was the subject of Council Member Patrick Nichting's successful (8-2) resolution last week.
But then I doubt that many of the victims of the PHA loan scandal live in the affluent 5th District.
The silence is hypocritical.
Cross posted to Peoria Pundit.
4 comments:
What exactly is a predatory lender? How can I get one to give me a loan?
Are the same people who are being stalked by such predators also likely to be sort that need warning labels on their cigarettes?
Is anyone forcing them to take the loans?
Blunt facts: many who need loans for houses simply don't have the reading and analytical skills to understand the loans that they are taking out.
Sad, but true. Perhaps "buyer beware" is an appropriate standard for private transactions, but things like the PHA are supposed to be there to HELP the disadvantaged, not to seek out easy marks for loan sharks.
What on earth? You actually think government is out there to help poor people? Nonsense.
There is not a soul in Illinois who thinks payday loans are a good deal (or that smoking is good for you), yet, our government insists on adding more regulation, and less competition in banking to "protect" poor people from "predators".
this is now cross posted nationally at consumerist.com
http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/peoria/american-dream-faces-setbacks-in-peoria-176069.php
perhaps some larger exposure wouldn't hurt.
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