A busker is a street performer entertaining for donations. An panhandler is a beggar asking for alms. Business owners do not want panhandlers begging in front of their shops because it deters customers from entering their premises. Interestingly the only ban to date that the committee supported is a eight metre ban around liquor stores.
According to a report in the SP (Mar. 29/11) the city is gearing up to spend $50,000.00 for yet another report on this issue. How much in-house time and money has already been spent by the city on whether or not to ban panhandling? Didn't the Partnership provide information on this issue at its expense?
It seems to me that everything that happens in this city needs an outside consulting report. Yet we spend over a half a millions dollars a year on councillor remuneration/benefits for their wisdom and millions of dollars on city hall salaries for professional people to provide advice in various fields of expertise. And still we need a consulting report. Hypothetically speaking, if the average home in Saskatoon paid $1,500.00 in municipal taxes, 33 homes in Saskatoon would see this year's tax going to pay for this report.
Personally, I think the discomfort the public has with panhandling is having the poverty of some folks pushed in their faces. They would rather not be reminded that some of their fellow citizenry are possibly sleeping on the street and going without food - especially when buying their booze.
Add you own 10 cents.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
The whack-a-doodles at City Hall have no common sense. The Mayor believes that hiring a summer student to "interview" the panhandlers is ridiculous at that least.
ReplyDelete1. PANDHANDLING is protected under our rights and freedoms. What I don't understand is how a bylaw can't be put in place to control where it happens. I have the right to strut around my home in my birthday suit, I can even keep the drapes open if I feel like it but if i go outside I will be arrested. So is this not the same thing.
2. On the other hand I don't believe controls will work. This is an annoyance not a danger.
So if the Mayor and Council want to know why Panhandlers panhandle have them go do their own survey. To think a $50,000 summer student (oops that's $50,000 for 3 months work??? I hope they can employ 25 students for that price) will get to the "root" of the problem is unconscionable.
This is what happens when bleeding hearts get on Council. Don't waste my money on this crap get real and work on filling those pot holes. I can deal with the beggars but I can't deal with wheel alignments every week.
Ironically, if the funds invested in studying the panhandler issue were just given to the panhandlers, the problem would be solved.
ReplyDeleteSo Heidt, Atch, and Neault are bleeding hearts? interesting.
ReplyDeleteThose were the only members of the committee present who voted on the reccomendation to Council next week....
Why not make giving to panhandlers illegal?
ReplyDeleteOn a somewhat related note, I didn't realize that bums got stat holidays.
When I had to work on Family day in Feb, I noticed that all the usual bums downtown were nowhere to be seen. Considering the number of people out shopping that day, one would think the bums would want to hit up their "customers", especially ones that are probably not in the downtown during the day on a regular basis.