Another Person Charged With Feeding The Poor In Florida

[Des-Bal]

I'm willing to bet most people feel the same despite what they are going to actually admit. Few people actually like homeless people or feel comfortable around them.

I feel very comfortable around some of them. I know a guy who makes roses out of palm fronds and sells them on the beach who has a million great stories, I know a guy who cleans himself up during tourist season and finds a place to sleep by meeting tourists in bars and spending the night in their hotel rooms, and I know a guy whose schizophrenic, carries several knives, and talks about all the drug dealers he killed as a CIA hitman. Florida is dependent on it's tourist industry and homeless people frighten tourists. Sometimes because they're ignorant, sometimes because they're fucking scary. Either way it's very reasonable to discourage people from encouraging them to congregate in public spaces.

[New Rogernomics]

Whats wrong with feeding the homeless?

It encourages those no-good moochers who should just go get a job already to hang around and bring their icky homeless germs into the public space where the hardworking elite have to see them, and heaven forbid, maybe feel uncomfortable seeing those welfare queens actually getting to eat real food!

Really, it sounds to me like the law is an attempt at making the area so inhospitable that the homeless population migrates elsewhere. Instead of, oh, say, taking steps to help get the homeless off the streets? Y'know, housing, job development, that sort of thing?

Sort of like inter-state pinball. The states push the homeless out and make it 'another state's problem', then that state makes it 'another state's problem', and it continues on until you have a large number of states refusing to combat the poverty within their own borders.

Though there are some states and cities making positive changes, through a program called 'Housing First': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_First
A Huffington Post article on it from 2011: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/3 ... 87695.html
A more recent article on Salt City, Utah: http://www.thenation.com/article/184017 ... s-housing#

Salt Lake City crunched the numbers. And the prescription was clear. The city was spending $20,000 per homeless resident per year—funding for policing, arrests, jail time, shelter and emergency services. Homelessness was not going down. Instead, for $7,800 a year through a new program called Housing First, the city could provide a person with an apartment and case management services.

[Dracoria]

Whats wrong with feeding the homeless?

From what I understand it's because the homeless could be taken advantage off by people handing out poisonous food to kill them with. Otherwise I don't really know and on the surface it seems like a very stupid law.

Is that a real problem anywhere in the western world?

Though there are some states and cities making positive changes, through a program called 'Housing First': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_First
A Huffington Post article on it from 2011: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/3 ... 87695.html
A more recent article on Salt City, Utah: http://www.thenation.com/article/184017 ... s-housing#

Salt Lake City crunched the numbers. And the prescription was clear. The city was spending $20,000 per homeless resident per year—funding for policing, arrests, jail time, shelter and emergency services. Homelessness was not going down. Instead, for $7,800 a year through a new program called Housing First, the city could provide a person with an apartment and case management services.

Leave it to the Mormons to make the rest of the country look bad.

[Boomhaueristan]

The mans a decade short of a century, let him hand out for robot police mans sake.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

There are a lot of homeless people in my area. A lot of them are perfectly fine people who are having a hard time. Some of them are violent criminals. Some of them are severely mentally ill. Some are a lovely combination of the two. There's a real push to look more kindly upon the homeless and I think that's great but basic realities remain the same. I don't want homeless people congregating in parks because even though I frequently interact with a couple of good ones I also know that they tend to make people uncomfortable and tend to commit crimes.

Your fears and concerns are both understandable and grounded in reality. However, if a large population of homeless people already exists in an area, it simply seems cruel to not allow those willing to take the risk to bring food to them. If anything, it makes more sense than doing handouts at churches, which are frequently in or adjacent to residential neighborhoods.

[GRO II]

If those shelters are insufficient in number?

Yep, it is very difficult to get shelters approved. Cities won't give them planning permission because in the US, cities determine their own planning laws and zoning regulations. City Council members are elected politicians. City's planning departments must report to them. It is in their interest not to have homeless shelters built because there will be political backlash from voters, most whom are property owners that embrace NIMBYism.

[Nazi Flower Power]

If you could walk to the shelter for the night, then you could have walked for the food right

Shelter? Hah. What makes you think that there were shelter beds available? There are an estimated 36,000 to 54,000 homeless people in the city of Los Angeles. There are approximately 2,000 shelter beds. Even then, you have to be prepared to expose yourself to the untold dangers of Skid Row if you're "lucky" enough to find a bed in one.

Well, that explains the pictures I've seen of big crowds of people camped on the sidewalk... LA really ought to do something about that. I mean I know governments aren't perfect and it's hard to make everything work smoothly, but that's just irresponsible allowing the problem to grow to those proportions.

[Manisdog]

I like this law, it would make the poor work instead of begging for money, beggary laws all over should have this

[Keyboard Warriors]

I like this law, it would make the poor work instead of begging for money, beggary laws all over should have this

They can just pluck one of those jobs off the job tree and get straight to it!

[Avaerilon]

This kind of thing just erodes my faith in humanity; here were three people, one of them a ninety year old man. going out of their way to ensure the most vulnerable and needy were getting something to eat, and they get arrested and charged for doing something decent. If you want to reduce the numbers of homeless people, help them out so they don't have to be homeless; don't treat them like pond scum and don't prosecute decent people doing the right thing.

[Soranato]

Where else but Florida?

[Nazi Flower Power]

There are a lot of homeless people in my area. A lot of them are perfectly fine people who are having a hard time. Some of them are violent criminals. Some of them are severely mentally ill. Some are a lovely combination of the two. There's a real push to look more kindly upon the homeless and I think that's great but basic realities remain the same. I don't want homeless people congregating in parks because even though I frequently interact with a couple of good ones I also know that they tend to make people uncomfortable and tend to commit crimes.

I'm willing to bet most people feel the same despite what they are going to actually admit. Few people actually like homeless people or feel comfortable around them.

Some of them are decent people, but others are not, it's not always immediately obvious which are which, and the nasty ones can be REALLY nasty.

If you're a woman, talking to homeless guys is a good way to find yourself a stalker.

When I was selling art on the sidewalk in Boston, there were a couple of the local homeless people that I did like and was happy to see them when they came by to chat. But I was still wary of homeless people I didn't know because a lot of them really are trouble.

[Manisdog]

I like this law, it would make the poor work instead of begging for money, beggary laws all over should have this

They can just pluck one of those jobs off the job tree and get straight to it!

I agree

[Cascadeland]

Reading things like this absolutely make me sick. I've tried examining the other side of the argument, although cannot find any valid arguments for arresting somebody for committing an act of basic human decency.

Not only is choosing not to deal with homelessness not solving any problems, but wasting essential law enforcement resources on victimless "crime" such as this is infuriating.

Every single person in that city who just stands by and watches while this happens should be ashamed

My sentiment exactly. That was a rather angry comment and I share your sentiment, and in cases like this, it is completely justified. The ball is in your court, citizens; its time to step the fuck up and do your job.

[Nazi Flower Power]

They can just pluck one of those jobs off the job tree and get straight to it!

I agree

Adjust your sarcasm detector. It might be malfunctioning.

[Manisdog]

I agree

Adjust your sarcasm detector. It might be malfunctioning.

I choose not to see sarcasm , as it is worthless

Beggars are criminals, and should be treated as such, they suck on the sympathy of others and do not contribute to society.

[Boomhaueristan]

Adjust your sarcasm detector. It might be malfunctioning.

I choose not to see sarcasm , as it is worthless

Beggars are criminals, and should be treated as such, they suck on the sympathy of others and do not contribute to society.

Yeah, stick those war vets and other such downtrodden people in jail.

That'll teach them to have it harder then you.

[Cascadeland]

Beggars are criminals, and should be treated as such

Hows the view from your high horse?

[Manisdog]

I choose not to see sarcasm , as it is worthless

Beggars are criminals, and should be treated as such, they suck on the sympathy of others and do not contribute to society.

Yeah, stick those war vets and other such downtrodden people in jail.

That'll teach them to have it harder then you.

No I think what this mayor is doing is perfect, jailing them would be a waste of taxpayers money as they would get 2 square meals at our expense there, what this city is doing is the best, that way they just disapper


I guess a war veteran gets a pension in your country

[The Grim Reaper]

Yeah, stick those war vets and other such downtrodden people in jail.

That'll teach them to have it harder then you.

No I think what this mayor is doing is perfect, jailing them would be a waste of taxpayers money as they would get 2 square meals at our expense there, what this city is doing is the best, that way they just disapper

Every homeless person in the country murders a businessman, then what?

Waive the jail sentence because better not feed them?

[Nazi Flower Power]

Adjust your sarcasm detector. It might be malfunctioning.

I choose not to see sarcasm , as it is worthless

Beggars are criminals, and should be treated as such, they suck on the sympathy of others and do not contribute to society.

Panhandling is obnoxious, but that's not a reason to punish people for giving out food.

[Boomhaueristan]

Yeah, stick those war vets and other such downtrodden people in jail.

That'll teach them to have it harder then you.

No I think what this mayor is doing is perfect, jailing them would be a waste of taxpayers money as they would get 2 square meals at our expense there, what this city is doing is the best, that way they just disapper


I guess a war veteran gets a pension in your country

We get benefits, but I have the displeasure of knowing some of those homeless vets. There's a variety of reasons why they're on the streets, none are good.

If its Christian charity what's the harm? If they paid and made the food they were handing out, how's it hurt you?

[Manisdog]

No I think what this mayor is doing is perfect, jailing them would be a waste of taxpayers money as they would get 2 square meals at our expense there, what this city is doing is the best, that way they just disapper

Every homeless person in the country murders a businessman, then what?

Waive the jail sentence because better not feed them?

You see they are already prone to crime, it would not suprise, they could be put in for some kind of forced labour but that is the best i can think for them right now

[The Grim Reaper]

Every homeless person in the country murders a businessman, then what?

Waive the jail sentence because better not feed them?

You see they are already prone to crime, it would not suprise, they could be put in for some kind of forced labour but that is the best i can think for them right now

So, if someone is rich and murders someone, pay for their meals, and if someone is poor and murders someone, enslave them.

Good to know you consider yourself rich.

[Manisdog]

I choose not to see sarcasm , as it is worthless

Beggars are criminals, and should be treated as such, they suck on the sympathy of others and do not contribute to society.

Panhandling is obnoxious, but that's not a reason to punish people for giving out food.

It would is discourage such behavior