[Update: Somewhat predictable, somewhat self-serving, somewhat inconsistent industry response to the WSJ is here. Not really worth writing much more about, but there's a link.]

Borrowing a tactic from the tobacco industry -- which, among its many influence-peddling efforts once pressured arts groups in New York City to oppose anti-smoking ordinances or lose grant money -- a big payday lender, the now-diversified predatory lending operation Rent-A-Center has asked food banks to "withdraw from the Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending. The coalition has been pressing the state legislature to cap high interest rates charged on payday loans." That's according to a story Payday Lender Presses Charity to End Support for Tighter Rules by Michael Phillips in today's Wall Street Journal (pd. subs. req'd. but here's a Reuters version. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer story Ohio House OKs 28% cap on payday loans the proposed legislation to limit payday loans to 28% has strong bi-partisan support.

Rent-A-Center has long been leader of the rent-to-own boys, which make the promise that you can own furniture or electronics if you make between 78 to 104 or more weekly payments at triple-digit interest rates. Oh, my bad, they are not selling it, they claim, so there is no interest. Probably not making that ridiculous "no-interest" claim for their payday products, which in some states are sold at rates of 1,000 percent APR or more (More at our colleague CFA's website www.paydayloaninfo.org.)