November 29, 2007
Hearing on Panhandling Ban Tonight
A public hearing is scheduled for tonight to discuss a proposed city-wide ban on panhandling. The ban would outlaw panhandling on roadsides and within 1,000 feet of all schools. The current solicitation ordinance prohibits panhandling in three zones of downtown, including the area around the University of Texas, a section of North Austin near the 51st Street day-laborer site and the Second Street District down to Lady Bird Lake. APD reported in September that panhandling is a factor in some car accidents and injuries.
The public hearing, which was originally scheduled for October 18th, is set to be held at 6pm in the Austin City Council chambers . . . if it isn't postponed again.
Council To Discuss Citywide Ban On Panhandling [KXAN]
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If you don't want to give money out to people at intersections, then don't give money to people at intersections. For this we've got to have a law?
There are homeless and crackheads harrassing the public by "directing" folks into parking spots, and then intimidating through the suggestion that they'll "watch the car" for a few bucks. This occurs nightly, within 5 blocks of APD, all over Red River.
How about this city spend some energy dealing with that?
Yeah it's annoying, but are they really doing any harm? Usually they're pretty respectful folks, and on the occasion I do decide to dig out some change from my pocket they're very enthusiastic and thankful. If anything I feel bad for not doing it more often.
Also, it's a little ridiculous to say they have any part in traffic accidents around the UT area. I've seen more students (and professors) dive out in front speeding cars on Guad than panhandlers.
Yeah it's annoying, but are they really doing any harm? Usually they're pretty respectful folks, and on the occasion I do decide to dig out some change from my pocket they're very enthusiastic and thankful. If anything I feel bad for not doing it more often.
Also, it's a little ridiculous to say they have any part in traffic accidents around the UT area. I've seen more students (and professors) dive out in front speeding cars on Guad than panhandlers.
APD reported in September that panhandling is a factor in some car accidents and injuries.
I'll give APD a few more factors in car accidents and injuries at busy intersections:
* Drivers not using their turn signals;
* Drivers not looking both ways before turning right on red;
* Drivers not yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks;
* Drivers running red lights;
* Drivers too busy yakking on their cell phones to pay attention to the road;
APD might want to try enforcing some of those laws before they start singling out panhandlers for harassment.
It's simple pragmatism. Want people to live or work downtown? Make sure it's not a bum-ridden cesspool.
You want money for services for the homeless? Don't drive more offices and residents to Round Rock where they don't pay the taxes that pay for those services.
As always, mdahmus is right.
Take heed of the cautionary example of San Francisco.
The large population of homeless per capita has really destroyed property values in this city notorious for its appalling lack of social services.
Hell, just look at the people forced to flee SF and move to Austin. They aren't even getting enough money selling their California homes to afford one of those nice 3,000 Sq. Ft. houses with a yard in Round Rock. Instead, they are being forced into the middle of the cesspool downtown, stacked on top of one another in high rise buildings - living like bees, not like humans.
It's sad really, and it's all the fault of the homeless.