Va. Black Caucus is AWOL

IT IS A SAFE BET that the average American would view an interest rate of 36 percent on small loans as unfair, anti-social and downright usurious. Yet payday lenders in Virginia charge borrowers an interest rate of nearly 400 percent APR on small loans, and efforts by the General Assembly to impose a generous (generous to lenders, that is) annual interest rate of 36 percent over the past three years have failed.

There are several reasons for this annual failure, including the cozy relationship of some influential members and leaders of the General Assembly with payday lenders. Such relationships should be no surprise. What is surprising, however, is the annual lack of leadership, participation or support by all members of the Virginia Black Caucus, in that working-class African Americans are a favorite target of payday lenders, whose business plan is to entrap borrowers in a cycle of debt.

Predatory payday lending will be on the agenda in the next session of the General Assembly, with an effort to cap these loans at 36 percent. The real question is whether the Black Caucus will show up, be united and represent the interests of their constituents and of all working-class citizens of Virginia.

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More Oceanfront hazards

Re 'Pacific Avenue dangers' (letters, June 28): Like the writer, we recently returned to live at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. We also take our lives into our hands daily as we walk from our house to the Boardwalk. The amazing thing about it is that we have to dodge police cruisers almost as often as we have to dodge civilian vehicles.

I began to wonder whether pedestrians in Virginia even had the right of way in an intersection. So I went online and found Section 46.2-924 of the Virginia Code, which addresses drivers' responsibilities to stop for pedestrians. The applicable sections provide the following information: 'The driver of any vehicle on a highway shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian crossing such highway at any clearly marked crosswalk, whether at midblock or at the end of any block.' Also, 'The drivers of vehicles entering, crossing or turning at intersections shall change their course, slow down or stop if necessary to permit pedestrians to cross such intersections safely and expeditiously.'

I think all pedestrians would appreciate it if the Virginia Beach police both followed and enforced the Virginia Code in this life-and-death situation.

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Health rights and wrong

A letter writer claimed that everyone has a right to health care. Health care and free lunches are both the result of the labors of others. So, where does the right come from to take from another the fruits of his labor?Only where freedom and liberty are absent can one lay claim to the right to obtain something belonging to another.

Maybe the writer meant the right to government-provided health care. Welfare health care, if you would.

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Ponzi schemes

It is incorrect to state that Bernard Madoff ran the 'largest, longest and most widespread Ponzi scheme in history.' In fact, that distinction belongs to the U.S. government, which started a gigantic Ponzi scheme in 1913 with the ratification of the 16th Amendment and the passage of the Federal Reserve Act.

This scam robs the American people blind and steals the birthright of our children and grandchildren. The gradual replacement of real money with fiat currency and the theft of the Social Security Trust Fund were major milestones. The pyramid is getting shaky. When it collapses, we will see a hyperinflation catastrophe of unprecedented proportion.

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Charter school success

Re 'Charter schools face uphill climb in Virginia' (front page, June 29): Lauren Roth's report quotes a union spokeswoman claiming that most charters perform no better and are frequently worse than traditional public schools.This assertion is flatly contradicted by charters' performance in the nation's capital. Our public charter schools have given hope to some of D.C.'s most underserved children.

The nine in 10 D.C. charter students who are African American and the seven in 10 who are from low-income families are outperforming their traditional public school peers. Students in middle and high school are nearly twice as likely to be proficient in reading and math as their peers in the regular public schools. Public charter schools have half the rate of teen absenteeism as the city-run schools and high school graduation rates 24 percent higher than the regular public schools, and have 85 percent of their high-school-age students accepted to college.

No wonder President Obama, speaking in Norfolk, said: 'I called for a doubling of our investment in charter schools so that students and parents have choice within the public school system.'

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Regulatory revelation

I don't know how many saw it a month or so back, but a Cousteau special on PBS had the group give blood samples for a toxin test, apparently to see environmental impacts on the Cousteau team itself. The result was surprising.

Those who seemed healthiest were a young woman and her child, both of whom gave samples. She was the only person on the team from California and the only strict vegetarian, and she was raising her son in her health-conscious lifestyle.

Of the whole team, however, she tested with the highest amount of toxins in her blood; her son had more than twice her levels. She was in tears, and the toxicologist pointed out that it was a toxin found in fire-retardant chemicals that are mandated by California for carpet and fabric used in homes and businesses. The woman from an environmentally conscious, liberal state appeared confident she was the healthiest of the group, but it turns out that state government regulations are killing her and her son.

In other words, the state is seeking to protect some Californians from flammable materials by killing them all with chemicals. It is just like our current administration attempting to save some in financial turmoil by killing the financial welfare of the whole country. A typical government fix, and the politicians never figure it out.

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No reason to save natural gas

Re 'Columbia Gas: hearings on rates, conservation set' (Hampton Roads, June 27): I am astounded that Columbia Gas wants the State Corporation Commission to approve adding an extra charge for customers who use less gas and give a credit to customers who use more.

It sounds to me they have it backwards.

A credit should be given for conserving gas and for those that use more gas, well, we know they are going to pay more, so why give them a credit? The SCC Web site offers tips for conserving gas, so why should it even consider Columbia Gas' proposal? If you feel the same way, e-mail the SCC at EnergyReg@scc.virginia.gov and reference PUE-2009-00051.

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Forbes offers ingenuity

Re 'Forbes' GOP alternative shot down' (news, June 27): I'm very disappointed that The Pilot did not make as big a story of Rep. Randy Forbes' 'New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence' as was made of the Democrats' cap-and-trade energy plan.

Forbes' legislation, defeated Friday, would have relied on innovation, where Americans excel, rather than on increased taxation.

His plan pursued alternative energy development with common-sense, incentive-based solutions that encourage competition and ingenuity.

The project called on the U.S. to reach 50 percent energy independence in 10 years and 100 percent in 20, and would award prizes to the first individual or group who could double Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 70 mpg while keeping vehicles affordable, cut home and business energy usage in half, make solar power work at the same cost as coal, make the production of biofuels cost-competitive with gasoline, safely and cheaply store carbon emissions from coal-powered plants, safely store or neutralize nuclear waste, and produce usable electricity from a nuclear fusion reaction.

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Scott voted courageously

Rep. Bobby Scott is deserving of credit for his yes vote on the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act. Millions of Americans will be put to work while we simultaneously improve our energy infrastructure to be competitive in the 21st century. This measure will help us avert the catastrophic threats to runaway global warming that we, in Tidewater, should be most concerned about, living at sea level. This vote was not an easy one, but it was the right one. Scott showed vision and courage that we desperately need. We owe him our thanks.

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Uninformed vote on energy

The Democrats rushed the cap-and-trade energy bill so fast to a vote on Friday that the congressmen did not even read it before voting. It's July Fourth week and we're back to taxation without representation!

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