Nice reporting Leigh. Next time try introducing Hatch with a first name and a title instead of just assuming everyone knows Hatch and why he's relevant to your story.

The government should not regulate this industry. Obviously people are using the service or they wouldn't be in business. Industry critics claim that payday lending �costs� American families $4.2 billion in fees. Let�s put it in perspective. In 2006, consumers spent $4.2 billion in ATM service charges to withdraw their own money. They paid an estimated $22 billion in NSF fees to banks and credit unions and banks collected an estimated $10.3 billion for overdraft protection services. Businesses charged an estimated $57 billion in late bill payment fees (more than 140 percent of the total estimated payday lending volume in the U.S.). And credit card interest cost consumers more than $87 billion. Politicians need to stop using the puny payday lending industry to make a name for themselves and the industry should remain the same so that those of us with no other options can use them. The people who are hurting themselves need to be educated. Education is the main issue here. Why don't we fix the education problem in this country and then we can educate people on how to properly manage their money. I would have benefited hugely from that class in school!