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Are actions OK? One Central Illinois Organizing Project leader, new to direct action, recently wrote this article for a church newsletter reflecting on the need for action around predatory lending. It's reprinted here with permission.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS--One Friday morning, five members of our church--Elaine and Ralph Perillo, Jack Porter, John Crew, and Jack Hobbs--climbed into Perillo's van and headed toward Springfield. They were going to participate in an "action" sponsored by Central Illinois Organizing Project (CIOP) of which First Pres. is a member.

CIOP is an advocacy organization that is a sort of watchdog for the practices of unscrupulous financial institutions in Central Illinois. On this day, the five Presbyterians knew that CIOP was targeting a subprime lender, known for preying on minorities and elderly and other low-income people in Sangamon County. Beyond that, they didn't quite know what to expect.

Subprime lenders write loans for people who can't qualify for conventional loans. Dishonest subprime lenders, through fraud and other illegitimate means, cause their clients, the most vulnerable of society's people, to sink further into debt, often having to foreclose on their homes. That is why they are called predatory lenders. In Sangamon County the number of their foreclosures rose by 4,900 percent in just 6 years!

When the five arrived at Pasfield Southern Baptist Church in south Springfield they joined about 25 other people--young and old, members of different faiths, many pastors. A staff member of CIOP quickly briefed the gathering, explaining that he had made an appointment at noon with the manager of a lending office named Larry.

Larry, of course, did not know the staff member was bringing 25 others with him. The participants picked up signs and placards as they left the church and caravaned to Larry's office, located in one of Springfield's many strip malls.

They walked into the little lending office carrying signs and demanding to see Larry. But he wasn't there! Just a couple of secretaries and a loan officer--all a little upset--were in the office. And none of them knew where Larry was. Well, could the loan officer answer some questions? No, he claimed he was just an entry-level person; they would have to talk to Larry. Jack Porter pointed out to him a laundry list of unscrupulous practices that his organization was guilty of and asked him to sign a statement saying that these would be discontinued. A United Methodist from Danville asked him to promise a 180-day moratorium on foreclosures. The loan officer didn't seem to know anything, and of course he didn't sign. He begged the group to leave. No, the group said, they had lots of time and would wait for Larry. The loan officer called the police.

The participants finally left the office and stood on the sidewalk outside. By that time, curiosity seekers had gathered, ABC and NBC affiliates were interviewing Jack, and three squad cars of police showed up. So did Larry, who quickly slipped into the office and locked the door. The crowd chanted LAR-RY, LAR-RY, but to no avail.

Besides "actions" like the one described above, CIOP works cooperatively with banks and lending institutions and lobbies legislators. Several banks in Central Illinois claim to have stopped the practice of "redlining" minority neighborhoods. A bill aimed at regulating subprime lenders is expected to be presented in the Illinois legislature. And at least one predatory subprime lender in Springfield has already left town. It remains to be seen if Larry will do the same.