Florida ordinance targets people who give to beggars and peddlers (essentially outlawing the poor)

[onehandle]

Source: LA Times

Dare to buy red roses or a newspaper from a street vendor, and soon you could be breaking the law. At least in Oakland Park, Fla.

Citing traffic safety concerns, officials in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of 42,000 tentatively approved an ordinance targeting not only panhandlers and peddlers, but the people who give to them or buy something from them. Under the ordinance initially passed last month, anyone who responds to a beggar with money or any "article of value" or buys flowers or a newspaper from someone on the street would face a fine of $50 to $100 and as many as 90 days in jail.

"You're going to put someone in jail for giving someone a coat when it's cold or a hamburger if they're hungry?" City Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue said Wednesday. "For me, it's so wrong." She cast the only "no" vote at the March meeting.

Other critics say the measure violates free-speech rights and unfairly targets the homeless. "I assume you have the right to beg," resident D. Michael Iradi said. "And anyone should have the right to give money. "My civil right to contribute is being violated," he said.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-florida-panhandling12-2010apr12,0,3730999.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fnation+%28L.A.+Times+-+National+News%29

[iamtechus]

1. If I lived there I would test it immediately n/t

[HereSince1628]

2. It makes sense, considering that a lot of people in S. Florida are . . .

Blue haired whiners from NEW JERSEY!!!!!!! Badda Bing! :rofl:

[Better Today]

3. After reading the entire article, I don't find it to be an offensive law.

It isn't against vending, panhandling, or begging except as it relates to cars stopping to do so. If a person wants to park their car and go help, buy, or donate they are still able to. I can see where cars stopping or remaining stopped to address a person in the street or immediately accessible by a non-parked car, would be a problem not everyone should have to deal with while driving.

[TheEuclideanOne]

9. ah, so that is how people justify it to themselves

[ixion]

10. You haven't spent much time in that area, I see

There is really not an ample supply of places to just stop and/or pull over, unless you want to take your life in your own hands.

I-95 is a deathrace, of sorts. You've got a few seconds in a queue to hand someone a dollar for a newspaper, etc, lest you find yourself to suddenly be a target.

[Better Today]

12. IF it's that big of a mess, I can understand the desire to remove the additional

traffic issue of persons on the street, or stopping or remaining stopped in conflict with the intended flow of traffic. First the article, now you, inform me that area has traffic issues. I believe we have that rule around here for all intersections because once a year the Fire Dept is given an waiver so their guys can wangle fire boots at your windows hoping to get contributions to their widows and childrens fudn or something. I just couldn't imagine, nor do I want to, the amount of hassle it would cause if our busiest intersections or freeway related ramps were further congested and delayed due to this sort of thing. As it is, some intersections take over 15 minutes to get through, and their may be four or five of these intersections in a row.

Granted the information I'm provided also shows a real problem with our infrastructure, but since that doesn't seem to be on anyone's agenda from DC to the locals, this is my perspective. Any congestion or traffic issues that can be corrected, should be.

If people really want to give, and that intersection doesn't allow for pulling over, then they will find some alternative way to give to someone, just maybe not THAT someone, I have no doubt.

[here_is_to_hope]

14. I would move, quickly.

"As it is, some intersections take over 15 minutes to get through, and their may be four or five of these intersections in a row."

Don't know where you live but that description sounds like a waste of life.

[Better Today]

16. I avoid those intersections, but it's worth noting that no matter where

these aforementioned folks are allowed to get into streets and vend from the sidewalks, they would likely pick the busiest intersections, wouldn't they.

I don't know to many thriving (okay perhaps in today's economy, they aren't thriving, but generally considered thriving) metropolitan areas, and I've lived from Texas to Washington state, that don't have intersections with 15 minute waits at intersections or to get on a freeway during rush hour. It seems quite normal to me. I remember waiting longer than that in Dallas and surrounding even though they had 9 lane roads (4 each way and a turn lane) back in the early 80s. Somehow I doubt it has improved, though I couldn't say for sure.

[AtheistCrusader]

25. Stopping in the middle of the road when the light is green is taking your life

and someone elses life in your hands as well.

Pull off, pull over.

The net result of this is, they won't panhandle there anymore. They'll go someplace else, like a grocery store parking lot exit. Much safer for all concerned.

[ixion]

26. a couple points:

In this area you NEVER:
- Stop if the light is green.
- Engage a panhandler to meet you somewhere.

Really. Those are two things I would highly advise against if you don't want to have a bad time in South Florida.

[Tailormyst]

4. How civilized are we when you can be jailed for helping others and rewarded for victimizing others.

[Uncle Joe]

5. WWPD; What would Pharisees do?

Thanks for the thread, onehandle.

[Joanne98]

6. People like this are evil.

[KansDem]

7. "Citing traffic safety concerns,.."

This would never work here in KC. On the KC Royals "opening day," volunteers get out at all the intersections and peddle the KC Star to raise money.

Apr. 3--About 1,500 volunteers are hawking special editions of today's newspaper at street corners throughout the area this morning.

The volunteers, from 30 area Rotary clubs, are selling the special editions to benefit the Rotary Youth Camp Foundation and other local children's programs.

The volunteers planned to be in place by 6:30 a.m. in time for rush hour traffic at more than 100 of Kansas City's busiest intersections for commuters.

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-144002747/hawkers-benefit-greater-kansas.html

Let's see each of these 1,500 volunteers plus the motorists who give them money get a fine of between $50 to $100 and 90 days in jail...

[Webster Green]

8. How very Christian of them.

Unbelievable!

[cstanleytech]

11. If the law is only used to prohibit them from begging on the street itself thereby interfering with

the flow of traffic and the same for people who stop their cars in the middle of the street to buy the stuff from them then I see nothing wrong with it because such a thing does create a hazard and its a nuisance as well.

[HillbillyBob]

13. I used to live there. Im glad we are out now

We actually lived in Middle River Terrace about 7 blocks from the Oakland park area.

New from Floridiots more bullshit laws.
There is only so much land in the Bermuda Triangle and that corner is just chock full of nuts.

[PopYoColla]

15. Typical of the Conservative matra

It's cool for us but not for you.

AIG and the rest of the banks can get away with billions. But let a young kid try to sell CD's on a street corner and it's defcon 3.

[Jkid]

17. Yes, while it does exempt non-profits from helping the poor...

...the Oakland Park Government will try to find any excuse to stop them from doing so.

[rudy23]

18. Well, the poor can't die off when people keep feeding them.

That's the last stage for American capitalism's losers. We can't wipe them off the face of the map when people keep giving them enough to sustain themselves.

[liberal N proud]

19. It's the traffic problems related to people stopping to give to them

Florida is full of homeless standing on corners waiting for a handout. You can't help them all, but you see many slowing down or stopping to give them cash while holding up all the traffic behind them.

What has happened is people didn't get through the traffic light because someone stopped to give a homeless person a hand out.

I noticed last couple of trips to Clearwater, the police are not very tolerant of homeless people, saw them harassing them different times. Guess they didn't want the tourist to see how bad the economy really is for these people.

[IndianaGreen]

20. Jesus would be a criminal under that ordinance

Fundamentalist Christianity at work!

[uberblonde]

21. There go the Girl Scout cookies!

Oh well. It's more important that we keep Christians from actually acting like Christ.

[cstanleytech]

27. Again it depends on the law, most girl scouts in my area go either door to door or setup outside

grocery stores near the entrance they don't flag cars down near a busy road or cause interference with traffic on the road so they probably wouldnt have any issues depending again on what the law says exactly.

[ManiacJoe]

22. It shouldn't, but it still amazes me how may folks will comment

about an article without actually reading the article.
:rant:

[krabigirl]

23. What the hell..that is a huge violation of civil liberties. I'd go to jail for that TBH

[AtheistCrusader]

24. There's a right and a wrong way to do it.

If you want to give them something, fine, do so. Don't block traffic to do it. It's not just an inconvienience (it is), but it can be a safety issue as well. Pull off. Pull into a parking lot, give them something, that's fine.

Stopping in the street like that can not ony jam up traffic for hours, it can cause wrecks when someone stops for no apparent reason at a green light.