Newton added that the number of prosecutions for unpaid loans is not a burden on taxpayers. “It is a lot of cases, but anyone who files a small claim has to pay a filing fee.”…The filing fees, Newton said, were set by the Legislature to start at $65 across the state. “When you look at $65 per case, that’s a real cash cow,” Hilton said.

Wendy Gibson, community relations director for Check City, echoed Newton’s claims.

“Not only are these court cases not burdensome on city government or taxpayers, but the courts are generating revenue for cities and counties, thus benefiting local tax payers,” Gibson said.

The ordinance caps the number of businesses allowed in the industry, while eventually lowering the number to 13, and prevents them from existing within 1,500 feet of each other.

Hypothetically speaking, what do you think the reaction would be if the same rules were placed on fast food businesses? No golden arches can be located near a Burger King? Food for thought …

The House Business and Labor Committee voted 9-4 to kill the bill, after several committee members said government should not need to protect consumers from themselves.

“You’re asking me to safeguard someone from poor choices?” asked Rep Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton.

Financial regulatory reform is another area ripe for a bevy of new controversial rules. The bill itself was 2,300 pages long. It’s doubtful many lawmakers who voted for it had read it or understood its impact. Among other things, it established an entirely new level of bureaucracy, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, whose job will be — you guessed it — to write reams of regulations governing how banks interact with consumers. The new agency covers virtually everyone but auto dealers, who somehow managed to warrant an exemption.

“The reality is that even our employees occasionally seek payday loans, and we want them to have the best alternative in the marketplace,” said Scott Simpson, president of the Utah League of Credit Unions.

But the Coalition of Religious Communities wants credit unions to pull these types of loans.

“Credit unions that are supposed to be looking out for the people are offering payday loan products to their customers that are between 254 and 318 percent interest,” said Linda Hilton, with the Coalition of Religious Communities.

The consumer group Coalition of Religious Communities charged today that eight Utah-based credit unions are offering predatory payday loan-type products to members, and it wants them to stop.

In response, Scott Simpson of the Utah League of Credit Unions said the interest rates offered on the short-term loans are about half the 521 percent average annual rate charged by payday lenders.

“For years, consumer advocates have asked credit unions to come up with an alternative to payday loans, and now we are being attacked for doing just that,” he said.

Well cry me a river.

Although the loans are advertised under a different name, those who are opposed to the offerings are calling them payday loans.

“I’m just highly offended and outraged that they would offer this kind of a loan,” said Nancy Groshart, of Ogden. “I think it’s worse than going to a payday loan place because at least they advertise that it’s a payday loan.”

Er, uh, maybe the loans can’t be made any cheaper.