H. Theron Few: Scheming the needy

Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the N.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church speaks for me and I hope for all United Methodists in her conclusion in the April 30 Point of View “The dangers of death-trap lending.” She wrote, “It is imperative that we urge our legislators for continued protection against usury so that predatory lenders do not have the opportunity to trap our neighbors in crushing debt.”

Sen. Rick Gunn’s SB 681 bill is a disgrace to him, to Alamance County (in which we both live and serve) and to all residents of North Carolina. I call upon fellow Methodists and Christians of all persuasions to express to our senators and legislators our feelings about robbing the poor to benefit the rich.

I personally witnessed usury in an adjoining state as a public auditor in past years. A $48 small loan was “flipped” (renewed) over and over many times. The scheme works on those in need, only if our laws allow such criminal usury.

I say to Gunn: Give up this scheme, now. Or plan to retire from service as Alamance County’s representative next election.

This story was originally published May 1, 2015 at 5:30 PM with the headline "H. Theron Few: Scheming the needy."