More than 26,000 letters from payday lending customers and employees have been delivered to state legislators in Ohio.  The customers who’ve actually used the service should be a vital part of the payday lending debate.

From a resident of Columbus, OH:

Asthtabula County doesn’t have a lot of good jobs for people. You do run short paycheck to paycheck!  That’s just a fact of life.  The economy is terrible. Everything goes up–utilities, gas, food, etc.–but your paycheck!  Banks don’t give out loans like they used to (signature loans) or any other small amounts for that fact…I make my own financial decisions and tehse establishments are at least there for us to choose from. Taking these places away would really make things bad for myself and so many others in Ohio.

From a woman in Knox County, OH:

I have used a payday advance and am glad it was there to help me…It is quick, and I don’t have to use any co-signers, collateral, etc. In many cases, these advances help pay for my family’s medical needs….I would like to have the freedom to manage my own finances (including non-intrusive loans) that we, as Americans deserve.

Let’s hope legislators take to heart the opinions of their constituents.

Marc Kilmer, a policy analyst with the Columbus, OH-based Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions has written a piece critical of Ohio’s legislators.

Ohioans did not send legislators to Columbus to make their personal financial decisions for them. Considering the poor state of Ohio’s budget, it seems ironic that some in Columbus think their time is best spent focusing on the financial choices of others.

Kilmer previously authored the study Consumer Choice vs. Over-Regulation.