Panhandler Arrested Making $60,000: Legalize Begging?

Laws of this type do nothing for the public. They raise funds for politicians. Which makes the beggar and politician in the same exact business.

Agree'd, but find another way to regulate it, just making it legal will only make things in this dying country worst.

I guess you have never been to large Metro cities like New York wear bums are too often not only a public nuisance but at times outright dangerous. and yes I have been attacked by a homeless person who I told i didnt have any change. luckily an off duty officer saw what happened and arrested the dude. another time I got into an altercation in Atlanta where I gave a homeless man about 50 cents and he berated me for being cheap.
so yes, because of public safety, panhandling is "the government's phucking business"

This is America, where you're free to believe in whatever silly prejudice you wish. I do note, however, that you've had a statistically inordinate number of run-ins with the putative worst of the homeless. Do you normally go looking for trouble?

As for public safety being the government's business, I agree. No other/extra laws are required to make such assaults illegal, however.

if he was arrested for breaking the law then you statement does not make any sense. we in the united states have the right to walk down the street without being approached by anyone. I have no clue as to what prejudice you are referring to. perhaps you should state your percieved prejudice

It should be the people that promote or curb these behaviors. We dont need the government making money off of these professional panhandlers by asking for a permit either.

I have to also admit that voluntary charity is more appealing than government promoted "rob the middle class to feed everything between the unfortunate poor, lazy, and major corporations and banks that lobby for bailouts and other welfare". And at least those dependent on others have to get off their ass and collect, rather than sit and home and wait for a paycheck.

So if you dont like it, dont give a dime.

Bingo!

It'll be the same as gambling laws. It's illegal, so you need a license to pay taxes. IOW, the Gov. is cutting the game.

It already is legal in some places.

When I see people begging I never give them a single cent.

While you have every right to not give someone your money, you have no right telling me that I can't give it to someone who is begging. You also don't have a right to tell people who are down on their luck that they can't ask for the kindness of strangers. It is a voluntary transaction between two adults who are not you, so it is none of your business.

Maybe I'm tried of being accosted by people and their sob stories. I don't know why they assume that I have more money than they do. I have the right to walk down the sidewalk and not be accosted by people with signs and empty hands.

No you don't. You don't have the right to not be offended. You don't have the right to not have to see a sign or an empty hand. You use the term accosted, but the context suggests that they are doing you no actual harm and showing no aggression. How is holding a sign aggressive or threatening? You do have the right to not be assaulted, but there are already laws against assault. You don't have the right to tell someone they can't even ask you a question. If you don't like it, ignore them.

Are you really that naive? You must live in a pretty upper class area. Have no clue what its like to be harrassed by beggers everytime you go to the store, or the laundrymat.....take a trip to the ghetto for once in your life, and actually step out of your car!

This kind of comment is the last resort of someone who is wrong. I've been to the ghettos of Chicago and been approached by beggars. I've been stopped at a light and someone came up and started washing my windshield without my permission, which is, and should be illegal. I've been active in inner-city missions and have worked along-side homeless men who are just trying to get back on their feet. They are people and the vast majority of them are not druggies or winos, but a product of failed government policies and programs. And, to top it all off, I work with non-profit, Christian Church funded organizations who refused to take faith-based initiative government money. And, yes, we get the ones who are taking advantage and they are dealt with (legally).

If you have to resort to ad hominem because you have nothing of substance to say, then I'm done.

Haha actually it happens more in upperclass areas where I frequent. I've never seen someone begging near a working class neighborhood and I've never been to a ghetto. Panhandlers hide around the corner and then surprise you. Or they lurk in alleys and stare at you as you walk by. I watched a guy walk around for hours in a very $$$ area asking for money. They love to hang out in front of coffee shops and storefronts as not to get caught.

Well, when they sneak up on me or stare at me ominously I feel threatened. I have no problem with street performers or a guy sitting down with a sign because they are not aggressive. A person started leaning out of an alleyway and scared me to death, another was standing in the middle of the sidewalk stopping every single person who walked by. He became angry when people decided not to give him money and he cursed at a few women. It was 9pm once when someone asked me for money on a dark street. If people are going to beg- there should at least be a few rules.

How much of that is just your bigotry rearing its ugly head? As for the guy becoming angry, that is disturbing the peace and already against the law, so there already ARE rules to follow.

Then again, I thought it was legal anyway. They sure don't do anything to stop it where I live.

Unfortunately for those people who legitimatly need money I never give anyone money because of this. Plus if they aren't ripping people off the other majority of them are going to buy booze and cigarettes instead if food or a place to sleep.

You don't know that. What statistics do you have to back up that claim?

They sit outside my work and straight up tell me that's what they are going to do. I have had co workers offer to take them to the group homes and stuff and they refuse because they don't want help they want booze. So sorry if your offended but I don't need some number or some statistic to tell me what's going on.

Anecdotal evidence is not sufficient. That may be your experience and you'd have every right to not give your money even if 100% of all beggars were the nicest people around. I would never force you, at gunpoint if necessary, to give your money to any cause like the government does when it taxes you to fund welfare programs. HOWEVER, the issue is whether or not it should be illegal and I maintain that it is a violation of human rights to tell people they cannot enter into voluntary transactions with informed consent.

Well when they start chasing after my car before I can even park in the mornings, legal or not its not ok. I would rather not have it made legal that I can be chased down in a parking lot.

That's harassment and it is already illegal. We don't need more laws, no matter how good of an idea they might seem at the time. It is also initiation of force, which Libertarians are against. It's our core doctrine.

If the laws that are in place were enforced better maybe I would change my mind but I don't see it happening.

That's the problem with more laws. They are always enforced in a lopsided way and usually end up hurting innocent people. Or they destroy someone who is guilty of a lesser crime by charging him with a greater crime, even though it wasn't intentional like the poor guy who was downloading bootleg music, which is a misdemeanor and more of a civil matter, but was charged with possession of child porn and got his daughter taken away because he did the right thing by turning in someone else that was distributing the smut when he accidentally downloaded it thinking it was music. He put himself at risk for getting fined for the bootleg music to put a true pervert behind bars and was rewarded by getting his life destroyed. What really gets me is he was never charged with illegally downloading music. THIS is why I'm against any more laws than we already have.

In your case, you need to make a fuss and get the police to patrol and arrest anyone that is guilty of initiation of force. Write a letter to the editor, make an appointment to see the chief of police, go to a town hall meeting, dial 911 when threatened or harassed, etc. just make sure that they are doing something truly threatening or menacing.

Experience! Something you obviosly lack in this department, ive offered food, ive even offered to pay for meals to beggers only to be cursed or spit at!

...in select locations so people can avoid the beggars if they choose. Now, where's a city planner when you need one?

Sounds like someone is trying to make a political statement by pretending to be the stereotypical image that people despise so much: a professional panhandler.

I wonder how many people fake being something just to give what they are against a bad image.

Of course, I have no clue if this is really what he is doing, it's just what I believe is going on.

Take care,

But, don't impede traffic flow, vehicular or pedestrian. And, take no for an answer.

Agreed, but there are already laws that prohibit all of those things, so we don't need more.

Agreed. I am not suggesting new laws.

And those laws are enforced just so well

but I see so many doing it I thought it was...

That way folks that are needy can get the money directly from folks that CHOOSE to donate. As your system is now, you are forced to pay for abortions on women that refuse to keep their legs together and have babies to increase their monthly check.

Begging is an old and honorable profession. Like with everything else there are those that need the money along with the scam artists.

Just another way for people to be freeloaders.

legalize it with reasonable restrictions about blocking traffic and store entrances and the like.

Also, I don't believe him.

what? You don't believe a lazy beggar? I hope the IRS believes him and asks him to cough up $25,000 in taxes ;)

Jon Stossel did an expose on this over a year ago. Definitely do not legalize it.

No nanny state.