Thomas Sowell, the free market economist, thinker, educator and columnist, has a new book out, “Intellectuals and Society.”  There’s a wonderful section that defends payday lending and other services that represent private sector solutions to the needs of working Americans.  You can get Sowell’s book here.

And here’s a column from last April that Sowell wrote in defense of payday lending.

Elizabeth Warren is keeping up the drumbeat.   Last night she took her fight to the Rachel Maddow Show. No anti-CFPA person was on, so no real debate.

Advice for giving yourself a $200 per month raise.

I’m simply answering Walletpop’s question, “Will customers have to say goodbye to free checking?”

PDLindustry.com has added a Skribit to give readers more input.

Focus was on bank limits.    Good, keep the focus on that.

This columnist at MarketWatch calls them “creative” in figuring out way to add new new fees.  Transparency for all issuers of consumer credit would go a long way.

Maybe they could use some competition from payday lenders.

He’s launching a new program:

“The City can’t manage anyone’s personal finances, but we can make it easier for New Yorkers to manage their own -and we will. We’ll start by helping more New Yorkers get out of debt with a new public-private loan pool that will offer them a fresh start if they commit to sound financial practices. And to help more families protect their earnings and build savings, our Department of Consumer Affairs has found five banks and five credits unions that have volunteered to launch bank accounts that will be the first of their kind in the nation.

“We’re calling them ‘NYC Safe Start’ because they won’t require minimum balances, and they won’t charge hidden fees. If you want overdraft protection or other services, you can opt for a traditional account, but with NYC Safe Start, you can’t withdraw more than you’ve got so you can’t be penalized for forgetting your balance.

Obama will make remarks today about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency.  Looks like he’s trying to put public pressure on Dodd to retain the agency.