Inland Empire Progressive

 Seven years after Congress banned payday-loan companies from charging exorbitant interest rates to service members, many of the nation’s military bases are surrounded by storefront lenders who charge high annual percentage rates, sometimes exceeding 400 percent. The Military Lending Act sought to protect service members and their families from predatory loans. But in practice, the law has defined the types of covered loans so narrowly that it’s been all too easy for lenders to circumvent it. Full Story here and more here.

Economic Development needs to be a priority. This budget doesn’t reflect that priority. This council pays lip service to economic develop ment  but if the money doesn’t back the words, then the words  are just wind  instilling false hope in our residents who need jobs .  Hiring just one person, even a great person will ensure slow growth at best.  We need a professional  economic development team. Right now Riverside has 25 planners, Rialto has 12, and Fontana has 15. We only have 2.   And those cities also have other economic development personnel which puts us in a distinct disadvantage.  San Bernardino and its residents will continue to suffer and not develop any competitive advantage if  this council doesn’t  make economic development a priority by the putting the money behind their words. In o rder to grow our way out of this  bankruptcy and develop the quality of life we deserve ,  we  need an econo...

  Lawmakers Push Payday Lender Bill House lawmakers are pushing new legislation that would allow nonbank lenders, including payday lenders, to choose to operate under a federal charter instead of following different state laws. Backers of the measure say it would help consumers who are unable to obtain affordable credit from traditional sources. Introduced by Reps. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) and Joe Baca (D-Calif.), the bill would allow the payday loan industry to circumvent rules enforced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Instead, nonbank lenders that received a federal charter would be under the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. However, the proposal would prohibit loan periods of less than one month; and firms could not make loans that they do not believe consumers can pay back. But consumer advocates say the law would not ban predatory lenders from charging excessive fees and other unscrupulous practices. The legislation would actually block regu...

Full Story Excerpts: Joe Baca weakens regulation of Payday Lending Industry   Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), chairman of the subcommittee with authority over consumer credit issues, had once advocated extending to all Americans an effective ban on payday lending for military personnel that Congress passed in 2006. By last year he had scaled back, urging an amendment that would have limited to six the number of loans a borrower could receive in a year. Gutierrez’ less-restrictive amendment died when Democrats including Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), threatened to vote against the entire consumer protection act if the payday provision was included. It also faced opposition from Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), who countered Gutierrez with an amendment the industry regarded as favorable because it had the potential to open payday lending to new markets. Baca said in a statement last year that while "fly by night lenders" should be banned, he wanted to “ensure that ...

The revolving door. It is a feature of American politics, whenever a Congressmemeber or a person from any administration retires, resigns, or quits they immediately go join a firm where they use their contacts to influence the very folks they used to be apart of or worked for. Why? Because these contacts are worth money, sometimes big money and here is case in point. After being summarily fired by the folks in the 35th Congressional District, Joe Baca co-founded a lobbying firm called the Financial Services Innovation Coalition . This coalition specializes in keeping regulation lax for predatory payday loans to low income families and veterans.  According to the California Department of Business Oversight, San Bernardino  has 51 active payday lending institutions the most in San Bernardino County. And if you think that payday lending is banned for veterans and military service-members, think again!  Oceanside has 29 active payday lending i...

By Todd S. Purdu   It’s the predominant paradox of contemporary American politics: If Republicans prevail in this year’s midterm congressional elections, it will be because of their party’s sharp-edged stances on topics like abortion and Benghazi, Obamacare and immigration, gay marriage and the minimum wage — issues that energize the GOP’s core base of support. But if Republicans lose the race for the White House in 2016, it will be because of their party’s polarizing, out-of-step stances on those very same issues, which alienate much of the broader electorate the GOP needs to win a national contest in a country whose demographics and political realities are shifting under its feet. Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/how-republicans-lose-by-winning-106961.html#ixzz32nYjPyds

Cal Voter for Honest Government Violation Baca is once again trying to pull the wool over the eyes of Inland Empire voters. Instead of voters having to find out after the fact that Baca took illegal donations, now he can hide behind the secrecy that surrounds SuperPACs to back his play. Baca accepted over $15,000 in 1999 so that he can win a special election seat...who knows how much Cal Voters for (dis)Honest Government spent to promote Baca as a Reagen Democrat. We probably won't find out until after the fact and quietly to boot! Do you want a congressman who is unaccountable to the voters and who only pays attention to monied interests?  I think not! As the reports below show, Baca is willing to play fast and loose with the rules in order to get what he wants, which is another seat in Congress. Don't be fooled voters! Baca's Campaign Snafus Revealed Too Late in by ieprogressive

Gun Issue Looms Large in a CA Election Greed, Disrespect, and natural political alignment with Conversatives on issue after issue is the hallmark of career politician Joe Baca. Above the infamous Baca vs Brown campaign, where an upstart and aging assemblyman Joe Baca challenged a regal and stately Marta Brown. Baca was the definite conservative in the race, especially on the Guns issue. The NRA spent heavily on him to win. Previously, on any gun issue Assm. Baca would back the NRA to the butt stock, so to speak. Now, former Congressman Joe Baca is painting himself as the Regan Democrat, willing to buck the establishment and cut the deficit, starve government, etc., etc., etc. Sorry Baca but this Back to the Future routine won't work. Joe Baca Reagan Mailer

Birthday Celebration for Joe Baca The Washington Elite are thick as thieves these days with Leslie Gooch and former Congressman Joe Baca in it to win it...or should I say in it to swindle it.  I ran across this flyer the other day and I was surprised to see that Leslie Gooch put on a B-day bash for Joe Baca. I don't know why I was surprised because Washingtonians run in the same circles... Trading favors and apparently $5000 a plate birthday cakes while the folks in the Inland Empire are barely scraping by. However, once in the Inland Empire they act like they don't know each other and are the sincerest of enemies.  These Washington Elites are only out for one thing, lining their pockets and that's with a cherry on top!

As a passage to the middle class, warehouse jobs are not for the city of San Bernardino. The range of wages for various warehouses is: Evolution fresh: $8  Fresh and Easy: $10  Amazon: $10.50  Khols: $11   While they do provide entry-level jobs for low skilled workers, the drain on social services is not ameliorated. In addition, warehouse jobs take up too much space that might be subject to creative destruction in the future which would leave the city with large blighted subclass properties. I don't know where the advocates of warehouse get the number $45,000 as a median income most wages are way below that as shown above.  San Bernardino needs to tread cautiously to ensure that this type of development is in the long term interest of its residents.