Sacramento wants to stem the proliferation of quick-cash operations like payday lenders and check-cashing stores that officials say prey on lower-income neighborhoods, encourage blight and trap consumers in devastating spirals of debt. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of a 45-day moratorium on new stores, action prompted by a national focus on the industry and one official’s survey of its growth in her district. City records show there are at least 61 payday lenders in Sacramento, many of them lining streets of lower-income neighborhoods, such as Del Paso Heights and south Sacramento. Along Del Paso Boulevard on Tuesday, several consumers said these stores effectively serve as their bank – cashing checks, making loans, providing tax services. The city of Oceanside voted last month to regulate payday lenders in the same manner as the city’s strip clubs and adult book stores – requiring them to get a special operating permit, and keeping them a certain distance from churches, parks, schools or other lenders. Congress took action, too, passing legislation last year that prevents payday lenders from charging military families more than 36 percent in fees and interest. read more