Payday loans businesses are predatory and scummy, they make any business they locate near look trashy just by the association of being in their proximity.

Prior to the "Great Society" in the 1960's, the YMCA, Salvation Army, and a host of philanthropic organizations cared for the needs of the poor and provided food and shelter, but not money, for obvious reasons. Since the poor desired more than meals and a bed, they were sufficiently motivated to find work and the charity was temporary. There was no homeless population. When the government began to hand out money instead, the poor could choose between needs and wants and a new demand was created. The poor sought the trappings of wealth,(new cars, 52" TV's, etc.), but lacked the economic wherewithal to acquire them. Rent-to-Own companies and payday loan business emerged to supply the new demand. Loaning to the economically illiterate carries with it great risk, hence, high rates of interest were charged. Soon the majority of the poor began to acquire luxury items while their children went hungry. Having lost the motivation to better themselves, the poor were unable to instill in their children that which was lost, and soon was born an entire generation of the poor who lived from cradle to grave off the sweat of others. The answer to the problem is to have the money flow back to the churches and private charities in lieu of giving it directly to the poor through the government.

not a fan of these businesses but feel like this editorial really said nothing, heck Otis said more.

Why should "Payday Loan" companies be exempt from lending laws (and interest restrictions) that apply to banks?

Something that turns me off about driving down 6th. Ave. is the privacy fences right next to the roads at the beer joints. Talk about tacky.

actually banks with astronomical fees for bounced checks should be looked at. Sally the 30 year old single mom can go and borrow money and pay a lower rate than what a bank will charge for a bounced check. Single moms can either feed Junior with payday money or they can feed Junior by other means.

OTIS your post is so foolish and ignorant. Your comments are filled with hate and misinformation. You want our tax money given to Churches and private charities??

Bubba says watch out Otis you sometimes get what you spew

When I was in school we had to pass a economic class however we were never taught that there were two kinds of debt 1. Constructive debt ie home mortgages

2. Destructive debt ie credit cards, car loans

But in the end debt is the enemy and you have got to have good money managing skills.

Love Dave Ramsey......!

These operate under pawn act don't hate the player hate the game. These places are businesses and as long as we are loosing jobs and the economy gets worse these places will be making a killing. The key is to create good jobs and people will not be using these services as much.The city, county, state and the Federal government needs to be focused on creating jobs not worrying about regulating bussiness people. Besides what would you rather have empty places with for rent signs or bussiness paying rent.

Yes, I'd rrather have empty store fronts than these payday lending businesses any day of the week. Decatur home prices are down more than 11 percent and the realtors already have complained about competing with area municipalities that don't have these tacky businesses "splitting Sxth Avenue right down the middle," according to the Daily and a Huntsville Times editorial on Decatur that is a little more indepth at http://blog.al.com/times-views/2012/11/jonathan_baggs_time_to_regulat.html .

I am no fan of Payday Lenders, but I'm sure they don't TWIST anyone's arm to come in an borrow. It's not just the POOR uneducated people that use these companies....IT'S THE SYSTEM that governs these operations that needs fixing....