Posted: Sep 1, 2010 8:59 AM by Melanie Yuill
Updated: Sep 2, 2010 9:08 AM
More than a dozen people gathered in Butte Tuesday to "cap the rate.
They gathered because they want the interest rate on payday and car title loans lowered and capped at 36 percent.
The event kicked off with Dan Harrington introducing the I-164 initiative. Supporters spoke on why they back the measure. Then, two employees of local payday loan businesses also showed up to voice their objections. The term predatory was argued back and forth.
"It's a predatory practice, no matter which way we look at it as far as how much these people have come up with when they have to make these loans. Nobody here trying to put these people out of business just telling them how much interest they can change just like we do to banks, credit unions and other lending institutions," Harrington said.
The manager of Money Lenders on Harrison Avenue says they are not predators but that they help people who need it.
"The facts are people come in here to use our pay day loans to help them get through the winter to help buy medication. Can you go into a bank and say, ‘Hey, I need a $100 loan' and get it? Not many people can," Rochelle Schultz said.
At the end of the meeting, supporters said this is what it's all about - arguing both sides and letting the people vote in November to decide.
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