Pay day loans are a real credit option for many Arizonan families and should be reformed, not eliminated, a campaigner has insisted.

Writing for the Arizona Daily Star, Stan Barnes said many of the assertions made by opponents of the pay day loan industry are "crazy".

He insisted that with reforms in place to address concerns there should be no reason why pay day loans cannot sit comfortably alongside other forms of credit.

His comments come before Arizona residents vote on Proposition 200 - the Pay Day Loan Reform Act, which among other things mandates lower fees on pay day loans and cracks down on unregulated lenders.

"What hard-working Arizonans need is a reformed pay day loan industry as another credit option during difficult economic times. Removing this option, or any other for that matter, is not going to help anyone," Mr Barnes stressed.

Meanwhile, Payday Loans Directly has claimed that pay day loans are a simple way to cope with unforeseen financial emergencies.

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