South County legislators support justice agenda

Payday Loans, Poverty on Tap at State House on the first day of the new General Assembly session

At the State House Interfaith vigil, left to right: new State Senator
Cathie Cool Rumsey, Rep. Donna Walsh and Rep. Teresa Tanzi.
Not pictured but close by: Rep. Larry Valencia

By Bob Plain in RIFuture.org

Payday loan reform legislation has one of the  most interesting coalitions at the State House; it includes the progressive community, the faith community and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo. This is because payday loans are bad for the state in general, poor people in particular and a net drain on our economy.

Legislators heard from the faith community on why predatory payday loans should be controlled as well as why legislators should do more to protect the most vulnerable residents of Rhode Island.

ProJo columnist Ed Fitzpatrick made a great point about this event in Saturday’s ProJo. He noted that Gov. Chafee and Bishop Tobin both had ample time over the busy holiday season to debate what monicker we give to an ornament at the State House and wonders if either will have time to show up for this interfaith vigil meant to focus lawmakers attention on poverty.

“Surely, if they feel so strongly about a symbol of the season, they can appreciate the symbolic power of uniting against poverty in a state with the nation’s second-highest unemployment rate (10.4 percent),” he wrote. “I mean, if they’re determined to take a principled stand, how about taking a stand against poverty on the very spot where that controversial tree stood?”

Neither of them made it.

Bob Plain is the editor/publisher of Rhode Island's Future. Previously, he's worked as a reporter for several different news organizations both in Rhode Island and across the country.