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.

  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...

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!

The Baca Dynasty is now in ruins and I am glad. No more hubris or taking advantage of minority voters from the Baca Clan. I am hoping that this time in the political wilderness will teach them valuable lessons on power and the responsibility that it entails. I do think, Sen. Gloria McLeod owes a debt of gratitude for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's timely assist. Without his help I think the results of this race would have been very different. However, disconcerting money in politics is, it does produce results...sometimes. I still believe a popular, disciplined, and policy driven politician can overcome monetary challanges and win. Now we get to see what is more important for the voters of the 35th Congressional District and that is how Congresswoman Elect Gloria McLeod will govern. These are some challenging times in American politics and I wish her well.

  Rep. Joe Baca has tried to extend his empire by pushing his sons and corrupt allies to run for office. The voters have wisely and sometimes soundly rejected the nepotism that Joe Baca has tried to foist upon Inland Empire residents. His commitment to build a grassroots legacy is non existent. The only commitments  he attempts to make to Progressives is during election year. These hollow proclamations to sponsor policies that get Progressives excited have now fallen on deaf ears. Progressives have had enough! It is time to demand results. This Blue Dog has no principles on which to stand and deserves to be challenged in every election that he runs in. One day he will be defeated.  Mr. Baca has won election after election with more than 60% of the vote, why not try to build upon that and expand influence into more challenging areas of the Inland Empire. It is because his corazon is not with the grassroots, it is focus on the elite. All Mr. Baca is concerned about is...

Rep. Joe Baca’s love for golf is a legendary in Inland Empire. However, try as I might, I have never witnessed the Congressman in golf pants or seen a photograph of him in them and probably never will. However, I have seen photographs of him sporting Dodger Blue throwing fastballs across home plate. Also being a member of the Blue Dog Coalition whose stated aim is: Blue Dogs advocate for mainstream American values, a commitment to fiscal responsibility , and a strong national defense. Rep. Joe Baca’s “concern” for the deficit is also advocated in almost every press release that concerns the budget. What do the Golf and Deficits have in common and why do I mention them? Well as the post implies these are the concerns of the wealthy. Incomes above $250,000 are the majority of those who play golf. With a median income of $50,000, cities represented by Rep. Joe Baca simply do not have the leisure time or prosperity to play rounds of golf. Don’t let me get started on the wasted water ...

  From the City of San Bernardino: Please do not elect Blue Dog Rep. Joe Baca. He does not share your interests. We, the residents of San Bernardino know, because we once thought he did too. However, he has left our city in such poverty in both education and business that it will take generations to fully recover. He has done this while enriching his own kingdom of Rialto: “The home of Joe Baca.” as he calls it. All you have to do is travel the streets of Rialto to see where all the pork barrel money has been spent. Have you seen the projects behind Eisenhower High School? Have you seen the new bridge on Riverside Ave. or the Omnitrans bus stops that line the streets? He had an office in San Bernardino but that was pretty much it. He was never there, but always on the golf course or in Washington D.C. We in San Bernardino never saw him and it’s a guarantee Pomona that you will never see him too. He claims he represents over 65% of the your district, but he only cares about 5...

  In the Inland Empire, unemployment is one of the highest in the nation standing at approx. 13%. In the city of San Bernardino, scores of houses sit underwater or in the process of foreclosure. Some remain abandoned with squatters and other vagrants sometimes moving in and becoming “residents”. Personally, I won’t buy a house because Single Family Homes (SFH) do not create wealth, can be abused easily (used as ATMs), and are an antiquated form of property that is a waste of space. I might be in the minority on this one, but living through and seeing the consequences of the housing boom and now the bust has turned me off to SFHs. In addition, big banks, investors, and governmental entities sit on mortgage loans whose value are inflated, inaccurate, and speculative. Because of the way Mortgage Backed Securities, Derivatives, and other financial products were packaged and sold I have severe doubts as to the true value and ownership of any housing mortgages held by MERS or any of t...

Republicans have to attack Pres. Obama using attack ads linking him to the banks. I have no doubt that Dems and Reps are in bed with Wall St. Just look at Joe Baca and the Blue Dog Coalition. Even some of the Progressives been enticed by Wall Street money. When it comes to Wall Street and the Banksters, it’s Occupy White House and Occupy Congress.

11 Mechanics, 20 something Coach Operators, 11 Management Personnel  are about to get laid off at Omnitrans. These are working families whose income depends on transportation funding from local sales tax, state revenue and federal revenue. "Working" Joe Baca provides transporation funding, but for construction projects  throughout San Bernardino. Isn't this Blue Dog Democrat supposed to be looking out for the working families of Omnitrans. How about stop gapping us $7.8 million in order to help working families keep their jobs?