Jackassalope

Handle Your Pan Somewhere Else

A recent article in the Oregonian stated that the Beaverton police are becoming increasingly strict on panhandlers despite the fact that Beaverton has no law that prohibits the act. Instead, cops are issuing citations for littering, disorderly conduct, and other nuisance violations.

My problem with the homeless community I’ve come into contact with in Portland is that most of them are young, able-bodied individuals. The ones that try to use my restroom at work have to history of mental illness and no physical disadvantages. They simply don’t want to work. Newsflash! Nobody actually wants to work. We do it because we have to.

It angers me even more to find out that these people can’t seem to find the means to get a job, but they are organized enough to get a public defender on their side in order to sue the city. Lawsuits have been filed by panhandlers and settled in 2003 and 2004 for thousands of dollars. I’m glad they have the fortitude to be proactive when it’s convenient for them, rather than when it’s just part of life.

My wife’s grandfather worked as a social worker in Louisville, KY for many years. He recounts when they did a study of their local panhandlers. Instead of simply handing them money for being intrusive, they offered them a wage and a day’s worth of work. Every single one turned it down saying that they would make more money begging for it.

The problem with panhandling is that people continue to donate their change, thus perpetuating the lack of actual change in someone’s life. If those concerned about the wellbeing of the homeless donated to sanctioned charities instead of giving their dollars to beggars, the problem would resolve itself. A stray cat won’t show up on your doorstep every night if you don’t offer it food.

I don’t want to dissuade people from giving. I’m all about charities and helping people in need. But I think that donated dollars can go a lot further to solving the problem when they’re given through the right channels. As cheesy as it sounds, if you give a man a fish, you fee him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed for his life. If the man refuses to fish and doesn’t want to learn, then screw him. Fishing is a part of life.