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Page 2 The Skanner November 18, 2015 Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now Bernie Foster Founder/Publisher Bobbie Dore Foster Executive Editor Jerry Foster Advertising Manager Christen McCurdy News Editor Patricia Irvin Graphic Designer Arashi Young Donovan M. Smith Reporters Monica J. Foster Seattle Office Coordinator Susan Fried Photographer 2015 MERIT AWARDS WINNER The Skanner has received 20 NNPA awards since 1998 The Skanner Newspaper, es- tablished in October 1975, is a weekly publication, published every Wednesday by IMM Publi- cations Inc. 415 N. Killingsworth St. P.O. Box 5455 Portland, OR 97228 Telephone (503) 285-5555 Fax: (503) 285-2900 info@theskanner.com www.TheSkanner.com The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Association and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. ©2015 The Skanner. All rights re served. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission prohibited. Local News Pacific NW News World News Opinions Jobs, Bids Entertainment Community Calendar RSS feeds SIGN UP FOR BREAKING NEWS Go to TheSkanner.com Opinion Dr. Ben Carson and Lessons from Clarence Thomas I will never forget the debate that engulfed Black Ameri- ca at the time of the nomina- tion of Clarence Thomas to the US Supreme Court. On the one side was the fact of his conservative re- cord and his not having any semblance of a history as a staunch advocate for African American rights. On the other hand, he was (and remains) genetically a “ Bill Fletcher Jr. The Global African How terribly wrong this analysis proved to be. Since the appointment of Justice Thomas, there has I am already hearing those who wish to make excuses for him or to refrain from criticisms person of African descent. There were those who argued, quite forcefully, that the mere fact of his being genetically a person of African descent should be the deciding factor in whether to support him because, as was argued at the time, the moment that he had the job security of a Supreme Court appointment, African Americans could count on him to do the right thing. been little, if any, indication that his genetic connection to Black America has trans- lated into decisions in favor of Black America. Justice Thomas has repeatedly sid- ed against the interests of the majority of Black Amer- ica, and actually, he has been quite unapologetic about it. Which bring us to Presiden- tial candidate Dr. Ben Carson. I am already hearing those who wish to make excuses for him or to refrain from criti- cisms. There are those who are so appropriately proud of what he has accomplished as a neu- rosurgeon that they are — in- appropriately — prepared to turn a blind eye to the policies that he advocates, not to men- tion some of the observations that he has offered. Yet one does not have to dig too deeply to see that his poli- tics are extremely right-wing and that he is prepared to reg- ularly take stands that deny the extent — if not the reali- ty — of the racist oppression under which Black America continues to exist. Carson has pleased Fox News and the Tea Party in his condemnation of #Black- LivesMatter and the move- ment for Black Lives, accus- ing #BlackLivesMatter of bullying. He has also participated in the demonization of the late Michael Brown, killed by the Ferguson Police. What is that about? He has com- pared the Affordable Health Act (“Obamacare”) to slav- ery. How can anyone in their right mind make a compari- son between chattel slavery and a piece of legislation that has increased healthcare for more than 17 million people? Carson actually goes be- yond Justice Thomas in his unusual behavior. It is not just that Carson sides against Black America, but that he also seems to feel that he can say whatever is on his mind. The recent exchange about the Egyptian Pyramids is an example. His conclusion that the Pyramids were built by Joseph for the storing of grain has no scientific basis, yet this Presidential candidate seems to feel unconstrained by sci- ence, research and, indeed, by the truth. As we get deeper into the election season it is import- ant to keep these points in mind. One can always hope Dr. Carson will rediscover the realities facing Black Ameri- ca, but the smart money actu- ally suggests the opposite. Ohioans Lose $500 Million to Payday and Car Title Loan Fees D espite a landslide voter decision in 2008 to cap payday lending rates at 28 percent, the state’s small-dollar, high-cost lend- ing has continued to grow and now doubles the amount of fees charged a decade ago. Each year Ohio consumers who only needed a small dol- lar loan wind up with more than $502 million in fees drained from their pockets. Although state regulators as well as the legislature have the authority to enforce the voter-approved 28 percent rate cap, neither has exer- cised that power for seven years. These key findings appear in a new report, Buckeye Bur- den: An Analysis of Payday and Car Title Lending in Ohio, from the Center for Responsi- ble Lending (CRL). “Our findings in this report, show that the majority of pay- day lenders now offer both payday and car title loans in Ohio. Predatory lenders are Charlene Crowell NNPA Columnist doubling down on their ef- forts to offer harmful prod- ucts,” said Delvin Davis, a CRL “ Court ruled the use of the Sec- ond Mortgage Loan Act by car title lenders was within the law; but did not address the CSO usage. In the meantime, high-cost lending in Ohio has grown to 836 storefront locations. Only five payday lenders con- trol 77.5 percent of the state’s market, operating 735 stores: Advance America, Cash Predatory lenders are doubling down on their efforts to offer harmful products senior researcher and report co-author. “Rather than operating un- der the intended regulatory structures, payday and car title lenders exploit Ohio’s Second Mortgage Loan Act and Ohio’s Credit Services Or- ganization (CSO) Act to con- tinue their debt trap lending,” states the report. In 2014, Ohio’s Supreme America, Community Choice Financial, Check Into Cash and Ace Cash Express. For an average $300 payday loan, these lenders charge triple-digit storefront loans ranging from 228 to 718 annu- al percentage rates (APRs). Car title loans, typically due in 30 days, vary in amounts ranging from $1,000 to as much as $5,000, and terms up to seven months. Depending upon terms offered, a $2,000 loan could wind up costing $4,407 to totally repay or $1,959 for a six-month loan of $1,000. CRL’s report notes how nei- ther car title nor payday loans take into account a borrow- er’s ability to repay. Loan fees, however, will be swiftly ac- cessed via checking accounts for payday borrowers and car repossessions for title loans. If payday borrowers fail to keep an adequate checking account balance, loan fees can lead to additional overdraft charges or involuntary ac- count closures. Similarly, if a title loan becomes delinquent, the lender can choose to take the car. Recently more than 100 Ohio groups wrote the Con- sumer Financial Protection Bureau CFPB) about the state’s disturbing growth of predatory lenders. In its rec- ommendations, CRL also urg- es CFPB to enact strong rules to end the debt traps generated by payday and car title loans. Requiring a borrower’s ability to repay a loan, limiting the amount of time lenders can keep bor- rowers in debt, and curbs on re-borrowing or refinanced loans were all among the spe- cific initiatives CRL advocates.
