Call to Action! United Against Usury
September 30, 2008
Dear No on 200 Supporters,
Are you an active member of your church or other faith community? Do you have friends who are? If so, we need your help right away.
We are kicking off a statewide campaign called United Against Usury this weekend, in which we’re asking church and other faith based-leaders to speak out against the legalized usury being propagated by payday lenders with Prop 200.
Early voting starts Thursday, and our kickoff is this Saturday October 4th and Sunday October 5th. We are also encouraging churches, synagogues and others to participate on any and all weekends between now and the election: Saturdays, Oct 11th, 18th, 25th and Nov. 1st, or Sundays, October 12th, 19th, 26th and November 2nd. See our latest email below to faith-based leaders across the state.
We need your help to get church leaders and other faith-based leaders across the state to participate. Please:
- Ask your minister or rabbi to distribute fliers and if possible speak against usury from the pulpit/bimah. Speaking against usury alone, however, is not enough, without the explicit “NO on 200″ message as well. People may be fooled by all the industry-funded “reform” propaganda and vote the wrong way accidentally, unless we make it perfectly clear to Vote NO; and
- Contact four friends that are active in a congregation and ask them to do the same.
We need to get a strong corps of congregations to participate on October 4th and 5th, which will then encourage others to take part in subsequent weekends as well. Too much is at stake to not do everything we can to defeat Prop 200. Let’s END usury in our state!
To date, we have received support from:
Bishop Minerva Carcaño, Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church
Bishop Kirk Smith, Episcopal Diocese of Arizona
Bishop Steve Talmage, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Grand Canyon Synod
Bishop Gerald Kicanas, Catholic Church, Bishop of Tucson
Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, Conference Minister, United Church of Christ Southwest Conference
Bishop Henry Barnwell, Pastor Emeritus, First New Life Baptist Church
Rev. Jan Olav Flaaten, Executive Director, Arizona Ecumenical Council
Rev. José Olagues, Presbytery of Grand Canyon, Phoenix
Rev. Robert Fugarino and Rev. Mindy Fugarino, First Christian Church, Scottsdale
Rev. Al Whaley, First United Methodist Church, Phoenix
Pastor Renee Geiger, Faith Lutheran Church, Phoenix
Pastor Dan Johnson, Eastside Covenant Church, Tucson
Pastor Glen Elliott, Pantano Christian Church, Tucson
Catalyst Randy Reynolds, Community Renewal, Tucson
Pastor Gus Bess, First Evangelical Free Church, Tucson
Rev. Trina Zelle, Interfaith Worker Justice, Phoenix
Rabbi Samuel Cohon, Temple Emanu-El, Tucson
Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church, Sun City West
Desert Palms United Church of Christ, Sun City West
Phoenix First United Church of Christ, Phoenix
Scottsdale United Church of Christ, Scottsdale
Scottsdale Presbyterian, Scottsdale
First Historic Presbyterian, Phoenix
Mesa First United Church of Christ, Mesa
Chandler Presbyterian, Chandler
Grace Lutheran, Phoenix
Dayspring United Methodist Church, Tempe
South Mountain Community Church, Phoenix
St. Stephens, Sun Lakes
Christ Church, Phoenix
Mission del Sol, Tempe
and others…
Please let us know right away which congregation(s) you will reach out to this week; and certainly call us with any questions you might have.
For more background information on United Against Usury, visit the Supporter Tools box on our website: www.200isNoReform.com
As always, we rely on you to be the leaders in our fight against 400% payday loans.
Thank you so much for all you do,
Sincerely,
Kelly Griffith Cynthia Zwick David Higuera
520-250-4416 602-604-0640 520-907-2080
Arizonans for Responsible Lending, No on 200
www.200isNoReform.com
Email to Faith-Based Leaders follows:
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September 30, 2008
Dear Faith-Based Leader,
“UNITED AGAINST USURY: VOTE NO on PROP 200″ kicks off this weekend and we’d like you to participate.
Kick-off Date: Sunday, October 5, 2008
Other Dates: Sundays, October 12th, 19th, 26th and November 2nd
We are writing to ask for your help with a critical and urgent problem in Arizona. While other states across the country are capping loans at 36% interest, we in Arizona are facing a payday industry-funded ballot initiative that takes us in the opposite direction. Payday lenders have spent more than $11 million trying to convince voters that Prop 200 would protect them from unscrupulous payday lenders. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Not only do they make usurious 400% loans, but they do not tell the truth. Prop 200 would allow the payday lenders to continue to make 400% loans in Arizona indefinitely. If we defeat it, they will have to cap their interest rates at 36% like other lenders, or leave the state.
In all their advertisements and mailers, that’s what they are NOT telling you.
Early voting starts in just two days. If we do not speak up forcefully and speak up now, as a united faith community against usury, we will lose our chance to express our Biblical values that ask us to prevent the exploitation of the weak and vulnerable in our communities.
The faith community is called on to speak out. Please join us in spreading the word: Vote No on Prop 200.
WHAT: Defeat Prop 200 by joining our United Against Usury campaign
WHEN: Kick-off date: This Sunday, October 5th
Continue on: Sundays October 12th, 19th, 26th and November 2nd.
HOW:
Insert this flier in your church bulletin. Repeat every Sunday.
Speak from the pulpit about usury and the need to Vote NO on Prop 200. For background information and research, visit the Supporter Tools box at the No on 200 website: www.200isNoReform.com
WHY: If Prop 200 passes, payday lending will get worse in Arizona, not better, and members of your congregation, whether they ask for help or keep it quiet, will be stuck in 400% loans they can never repay. If we defeat Prop 200, on the other hand, we will be upholding our shared values by protecting the most vulnerable in our communities.
Many of you will want to join United Against Usury on a different day of worship. For more information, as well as materials that reference broad faith-based principles, please visit the Supporter Tools box at the No on 200 website: www.200isNoReform.com
Please contact either Rev. Flaaten at 602-468-3818/jflaaten@aecunity.net or Cynthia Zwick at 602-604-0640/czwick@azcaa.org ASAP to let us know that you will participate in United Against Usury or if you have any questions.
Thank you for your help with this very important effort. Together we can end usury in our state.
Sincerely,
Reverend Jan Olav Flaaten
Executive Director, Arizona Ecumenical Council
Bishop Henry Barnwell
Pastor Emeritus, New Life Baptist Church
Cynthia Zwick
Executive Director, Arizona Community Action Association