Military town limits payday lenders

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (AP) — City officials in this military community next to Camp Pendleton approved restrictions on money-lending shops after a top Marine complained his troops were getting into debt.

The City Council voted 5-0 Wednesday to require new payday lenders to get a special operating permit that must be approved by the council. Such stores will be classified as adult businesses, much like adult book stores, and will not be allowed within 1,000 feet of a similar business or 500 feet of a home, church, park or school.

Maj. Gen. Michael R. Lehnert, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West, told the council in January that troops were falling into serious financial trouble because of payday loans with annual interest rates of as much as 2,000 percent.

Oceanside, a city of 175,000 people, has 21 payday operations.

Several council members and some speakers said the Marine Corps should work harder to educate its troops about the dangers of such lending establishments.

Recruits get training on pocketbook management, but many are afraid to talk about their financial problems, Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Dixon said. Instead, they turn to payday loan shops because it's quick and easy, but also easy to quickly get into financial trouble. The state of Georgia banned payday lenders, and several communities have restricted them.