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WICHITA, KS_ Sunflower Community Action is bringing the fight against predatory lending onto the airwaves. The Wichita-based community group has teamed up with the state's Deputy Bank Commissioner, Kevin Glendening, to develop a series of television and radio Public Service Announcements on the dangers of predatory lending. Over 150 leaders celebrated this victory when Glendening announced the partnership at a Sunflower community meeting in early July.

In addition to predatory lending, Sunflower members tackled issues of neighborhood safety and immigration. The meeting was geared toward developing next steps on current fights and celebrating new wins. Glendening asked community leaders to continue sending in complaints to the State Bank Commission's office. Once community complaints have been compiled, Glendening's offices will look into morgage lender Conseco Finance and its predatory lending practices. Sunflower has been battling Conseco Finance, formerly known as Green Tree, on it's predatory lending practices for over a year.

Glendening's office will also send a letter to Conseco's CEO Gary C. Wendt asking him to meet with Sunflower. Other wins included the announcement by State Rep. Thomas Klein of a set date for a state hearing on issuing Driver's Licenses to undocumented immigrants. Klein has also sponsored state legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to secure a driver's license with a tax identification number. Sunflower leaders are supporting this bill as thousands of undocumented driver's risk safety and legal problems, including lack of auto insurance, dangers of repeat offenders and the very simple problem of a lack of photo identification.

"We are building up support in anticipation to next year's session, we believe this bill has a good chance, especially after similar bills have already passed in Utah and Tennessee," Klein said. In addition, undocumented immigrants will now be able to open a local bank account without a social security number at Twin Lakes National Bank. The opening of a bank account rids immigrants of problems with high check cashing fees, sending money to family members outside of America and alleviates fear of being targeted for robbery.

The issue of neighborhood safety topped off the evening when community leaders blasted the theme song of "Bad Boys" to a cardboard cutout of the missing-in-action Wichita police chief. "Today we're here to let you know Chief Williams is a bad boy because he's not out in the community working with us," said Patricia Bender, a Sunflower leader. The new chief of police, Norman Williams, has been refusing to cooperate with Sunflower on the community's well-established and helpful hot-spots program since he took over his post.

Williams is now refusing to share information out of the hot-spots program claiming fear of putting the community group in danger. Sunflower plans to meet with Williams' assistant to emphasize the need for the Chief to be accountable to the community by putting out information on the police's activities and responses to the hot spot cards.