It is hard to believe that the “trust the market but do not trust elected government” crowd is now advocating an unregulated payday loan “industry.”

The payday loan companies should be able to charge unlimited interest. That is the opinion of Star Parker in a column under the headline “Consumers Need Protection From Government”in the Oct. 13 Kenosha News.

Star Parker not only defends usury. She defends unregulated usury. She writes, “You can’t help but conclude this is a service many people want.” Al Capone could not have said it better.

Parker complains “...700 of the 1,600 payday loan offices in Ohio closed...” after voters capped annual interest rates on payday loans at 28 percent. Imagine. The electorate of Ohio, through their government, limiting options. I thought that is what government is supposed to do.

John Maynard Keynes, the English economist wrote, “Capitalism is the astounding belief that the wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.”

We can and should, through our elected representative government, regulate the lending of money.

Ross Boone