Tag Archives: payday lending

Steve Morrison and payday lending

By Adam Beam | Published: December 14, 2009
I’ve written a lot about payday lending lately because of the city’s proposed ordinance. In most stories I mention that the issue is complicated by politics because mayoral candidate Steve Benjamin is on the board of directors for Advance America, the country’s largest payday lender. Several of you have called/emailed/yelled at me that Steve Morrison, who [...]
Posted in Columbia city government | Also tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Agreeing to disagree on payday lending

By Adam Beam | Published: December 1, 2009
The above video shows Jamie Fulmer — spokesman for Advance America — speaking against a proposed Columbia city ordinance that would ban payday lenders from operating within a half mile of each other or in buildings of less than 30,000 square feet. Fulmer was speaking to the city’s Code Enforcement Task Force, but his arguments were [...]
Posted in Columbia city government | Also tagged , | 1 Comment

Your guide to tomorrow’s City Council meeting

By Adam Beam | Published: November 17, 2009
Columbia City Council meets at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Click here for the full agenda. Here’s my summary: 3. and 4. Resolution No.: R-2009-084 and Resolution No.: R-2009-088 The first resolution gives the city’s permission for the Jobs Economic Development Authority to sell a $5.5 million tax-exempt bond for the State Museum to build a planetarium, observatory and [...]
Posted in Columbia city government | Also tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Payday lobbying

By Adam Beam | Published: November 16, 2009
My story in today’s paper about Columbia’s proposed payday lending ordinance includes this sentence: “But a change in state law over the summer – and some lobbying by the payday lending industry – is causing some council members to hesitate about enacting the controversial zoning change, scheduled to be discussed in a public hearing Wednesday at [...]
Posted in Columbia city government | Also tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Payday lending and the mayor's race

By adam beam | Published: February 20, 2009
Thanks to Snead for pointing this out. If Steve Benjamin runs for Columbia mayor, it appears payday lending could be one of the campaign’s hot topics. Benjamin is on the board of directors for Advance America, the nation’s largest payday lender. Columbia isn’t happy with payday lenders. A city-sponsored code enforcement task force has recommended the city [...]
Posted in Columbia city government | Also tagged , , , | 3 Comments