The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently ran an article about how panhandling in Atlanta is getting worse. It quoted a beggar who has “grown weary of being solicited by other beggars” as saying that “The City Too Busy to Hate” should adopt “Brother, can you spare a dime?” as its next slogan.
The same article noted that begging is probably more common in New York City than Atlanta and that it is a fact of life in virtually every major city in America.
Attempts to address the issue by outlawing begging, or even just “aggressive” begging, run into a variety of problems including the hollow nature of a threat to enforce anti-begging ordinances. After all, if a person is genuinely homeless, how much of a threat is a few days in jail? It may be looked upon as no worse than life on the streets or even as a treat with its “two hots and a cot.”
Not that jail is inevitably an improvement or even equal to the status quo for every beggar since at least some of them are not in fact homeless. There are hustlers who pretend to be homeless and even simulate disabilities so they can con people out of their cash.
It is virtually impossible for those who are solicited to tell the genuinely homeless from the fakers and having a large number of homeless inevitably encourages criminals to take advantage of the situation.
Begging is inevitably an annoyance for the majority of any population but solutions to it will not be easy. As noted, outlawing the practice is difficult and may even be counterproductive if the supposed punishment is no worse than the beggar’s usual circumstances.
Perhaps begging can only be addressed by addressing the basis of homelessness. That basis is a gap between what the labor of some individuals is worth and the amount it takes to support them. As our society has become more technologically advanced, the value of the labor of the least skilled and least intelligent has inevitably shrunk. Moreover, the cost of support has, in real terms, increased beyond the reach of the least advantaged among us as low-cost housing such as the old time flophouses has largely disappeared due to urban renewal and the enforcement of building safety codes. Shutting down flophouses may have eliminated fire hazards while also throwing people out on the streets.
How can we address the difference between what some people’s labor is worth and the amount that it takes for them to support themselves? There are several possibilities. One is to educate or train people so their labor will become more valuable. Another is to reduce the cost of the least expensive housing through measures such as subsidies or special tax beaks for low-cost housing.
It might also be possible to address this problem by putting a floor on income. This may smack of socialism to some readers but Nobel Prize winning free-market economist Milton Friedman supported a guaranteed annual income.
One obstacle that might beset such an attempt to alleviate homelessness is that, just as there is a continuum in the value of individual labor, so there is a continuum in individual responsibility. Some people reach adulthood with no ability to manage their money. Give such a person money and the first stop is the bar, the second is the crackhouse, the third may be the nearest brothel. The money is gone and the irresponsible person is still sleeping on the street and holding a hand out to passersby. A guaranteed annual income might have to be given “in kind” – housing, clothes, and food – for such persons.
I should admit that I have a special concern about this issue. My labor is not worth what it takes for self-support because I am severely disabled. I have a personal guaranteed annual income in the form of the alimony that my ex-husband arranged for our divorce settlement (I had no legal representation). As a result, I’m neither homeless nor begging — and I’m likely to give to beggars.
Rate this post:
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Stumble It!
panic said,
Cops do nothing.
Legislators do nothing.
Useless dead-beats importune you on the street in a manner just short of robbery (obtaining money through threat of violence).
What to do?
I carry a small bottle that appears to be breath spray, but isn’t.
“Give me some money” is met with complete silence - I pay no attention and continue walking.
Any attempt to touch me or block my path results in a spray of ammonia to the face.
Why ammonia?
Because it smells like the urine their clothing is already soaked with.
So far, the reaction has been all positive:
1. fall down and vomit
2. run away
3. cough, sneeze, gasp - but stop bothering me
If it proves less effective in future, a more noxious substance will be employed.
April 22, 2008 at 7:47 am
redrajesh said,
Muslim countries have practically eliminated begging in their cities….though most of the people of the country are actually poor. Of course, that is also because most of those countries are not civilized and their jails are probably worse than guanatamo bay. Why dont you see what Kuala Lumpur and Dubai have done to eliminate begging from those cities?
April 22, 2008 at 9:54 am
JohnG said,
I see panhandlers in their 20s and 30s - thank God they don’t still have the signs saying “vietnam vet” who likely can work just fine. The biggest problem is that people don’t want to work hard, or think they need to live somewhere where the cost of living is insane. The morons in San Francisco wring their hands constantly because bums can’t afford to buy a house there - where I can’ t afford to buy a house!
Americans are so stupid. Everything wrong with all this socialist crapola is apparent and historically documented - but apparently nothing exists outside of our borders or beyond the latest Oprah episode.
April 22, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Ouderkirk said,
There are panhandlers for the simple reason that begging works. There is always that sap who will fork over their hard earned money to these lowlifes. If these folks spent as much time actually doing something to improve their lot in life as they spend begging then they would not be in their circumstances.
I see these panhandlers whith the sign ” Homeless and Hungry, will work for food.” When they are offered work, they refuse. Therein lies the problem, working for a living is just that….work. Something they are not interested in doing.
Standing on a street corner panhandling is easy, and does not involve any real physical exertion.
Used to be, that the police would drive these panhandlers to the city limits and give them a kick in the ass. But the “rights” groups have a problem with this. They have a right to panhandle, say these groups. What about my rights? I have a right not to be accosted by these bums, and some can be pretty aggressive. I have had a couple of them corner me, where I had to beat the crap out of him just to get him to back off. Then he complains to the police that I assaulted him and tries to have me arrested.
The police to their credit knew what the deal was and let me walk away.
April 23, 2008 at 8:26 am