Campbell "must be confused"

State Sen. Lee Constantine (R-Altamonte Springs) said Thursday he, not Sen. Skip Campbell, shepherded the 2001 payday loan bill that has become a model for the country. Campbell, the Republican Party of Florida said Thursday, sponsored a much more anti-consumer version in 1999. Campbell was forced to defend his record earlier this week, after his Republican opponent and a 527-attacked Campbell for what they called an anti-consumer bill.

“Skip Campbell tried to dodge his record and in doing so, he intentionally misled voters,” said Carole Jean Jordan, Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.  “Though Campbell is trying to get credit for something he didn’t do in an effort to defend a major weakness and cover up his questionable record, voters will see right through it.” 

Campbell was a sponsor of the 2001 legislation with Constantine, after Campbell's bill was combined with the Republicans. His original 1999 legislation called for higher interest rates (15 percent) than what was ultimately adopted (10 percent). Both bills prohibited lenders from rolling over payments in exchange for higher interest rate charges, according to news reports. “Senator Campbell must be confused,” said Senator Constantine. “I negotiated and sponsored the 2001 bill that became the model for the rest of the country. A co-sponsor is much different than a co-author. The bill that he authored in 1999 and is currently being called into question, is another story.”

Comments

The only truth Skip knows is found at the bottom of a wine bottle.

1:28

If Skip was drunk, Constantine was right there with him. Can someone say 2 DUI's.

Confusion is a constant state of mind for Skipper!

The Tallahassee Republicans co-opt Democratic ideas all the time and bills often get combined. "Constant Talk" should acknowledge that fact.

1:32 - what do you mean "if" ?

sen. campbell gets trashed in ad for his payday loan bill. now GOP sez he had nothing to do with the bill, which they say is a "model."

plz pick one argument or the other -- it's a bad bill he sponsored, or a good bill he didn't sponsor.

2:34, can you not read? It is both - a bad bill he sponsored and a good bill that passed and didn't sponsor. It isn't his drinking that is the problem, it is his total arrogance and belief that everything in Tallahassee happens because of him. His pomposity is unequaled.

2:40.... Skip's pomposity (I think you mean pompousness) is unequalled? I would say it is second, only to "Constant Drunk". Or maybe Victor Crist, hmmm, there seems to be a lot of pompousness running around the Capitol and I just named two who make Campbell look like a shrinking violet. Lee and Victor have never met a camera they didn't mug for.... kinda like Foley.

Um 3:06, next time you try to correct ME on vocabulary you may want to consult a dictionary first -- I meant what I said, POMPOSITY, and in Skippy's case it should be in all caps. He's the king - others envy his throne, but he's the king for sure.
2:40

He's getting attacked for the 99 bill, not 01. Here is what PIRG had to say...
“‘These are interest rates that, if you charged them to a friend, you could be arrested for racketeering,’ said Mark Ferrulo of the Florida Public Interest Research Group, a consumer watchdog group, of the Campbell proposal. ‘This legislation would trap people into a treadmill of debt.’”

“As an example, Ferrulo said, a customer could borrow $200 for two weeks and repay $230, an interest rate that, when annualized over a year, equals 390 percent.” (“Bill Would Set Cash-Advance Companies’ Cut at 15 Percent,” Miami Herald, 04/06/99)

PIRG said that? Ouch...Come on Campbell, come clean

Attorney General McCollum, Nov. 8th

whatever you think of campbell, he sure is better than bill mccullum.

geez. what happened to those other Rs who were running for AG?

I though McCollum said payday loans are a wonderful thing and it was bad to pass a bill that regulated them...Sounds like Campbell's 1999 bill and the 2001 bill were not that different, both aimed at cracking down on payday loans, which McCollum wants to revive. Campbell sounds like the better bet.

5:51 You are on Crack!! site your source. Skip Campbell has a record of being horrible on consumer issues and pushing bills like this one for his lobbyist buddies.

Florida deserves better than Skip Campbell

5:51, Get your facts straight if you are going to comment--the two bills are very different; one was sponsored at the behest of an industry lobbyist (Campbell's 1999 bill) and Constantine's 2001 bill was negotiated with pro-consumer groups, maintains protections for the people who receive the loans, and even stipulates credit counseling in some instances! McCollum was obviously correct in his statements. REGARDLESS of this issue, can you imagine Campbell sitting in the AG's office at the Capitol, partying in the back and getting jack done? I can, and I don't like it.

Who is paying attention to this BS? You can do this kind of stuff to any member of the Legislature. I bet you can find two bills that Lee sponsored and run a similar ad. Klein, too. Doesn't matter the party.

Skip should just say "thanks" to these folks who are raising his name ID.

This shows desparation on the part of the GOPers who don't want McCollum to become a three-time loser.

6:01, cite your source and explain how supporting something that Republicans hailed is bad for consumers. While you're researching, tell me how Florida now compares to other states on payday loans.