Tampa - Feed the homeless and get arrested

[Florida_Geek]

This is done in the normal Dan Ruth style

Apr 7, 2004

Don't You Even Think About Helping Others
DANIEL RUTH


Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio may well have the law on her side, but when you start arresting people for committing the Beatitudes in the first degree, you have a public relations disaster on your hands of ``Gigli''-like proportions.
There's no question when you have a vision for the city that might be best described as Bubba goes to Paris, having a bunch of homeless folks meandering hither and yon around your downtown area sorta throws a Joad family- like kink into the chichi, frou-frou big picture.

Then again, you could argue, with a downtown core that has all the insouciant joie de vivre of Stalingrad circa 1942, Iorio ought to be grateful that at least the homeless are actually taking advantage of the public spaces.

But apparently not.


Drop That Hoagie!!

A few days ago, Tampa police started arresting members of a group called Food Not Bombs for having the audacity to provide vittles to the less fortunate who had gathered at Massey Park.

How insane in this?

You could almost imagine some Tampa cop, weapon drawn, ordering a miscreant do-gooder to: ``Freeze, Sucker! Drop that hoagie, now, or I'll blow your brains out!!!!!''
..more http://www.tampatrib.com/MGAO71NSQSD.html

That is Pam Iorio, former Supervisor of Elections who pick Touchscreens over Optical Scanners and gee got elected mayor on the first use of the new Touchscreens

[htuttle]

1. That's certainly a twist on the Archbishop Camara treatment

Perhaps they are thinking, "Why wait until they start asking questions?"

"When I fed the poor, they called me a saint. When I asked, `Why are they poor?' they called me a communist."
-- Archbishop Dom Helder Camara

[Catfight]

2. I disagree...

what Tampa needs (I live and vote here) is a place for the homeless to go. Feeding and providing homeless people only hurts Tampa. In Ybor, you get harassed by homeless people if you want to go into a restaurant, that's not fair to the owners either. So the only way is to fine the people who have the money and food to give away, you can't fine the homeless. If the homeless know they cannot get handouts at certain locations, they'll stop going there. It's not hard hearted, I'm all for providing free shelter, food and welfare for the homeless, I just think many are dangerous and should not be in the streets. The homeless need to be addressed, not ignored. But I watched a homeless guy pound on a car because the guy refused to give him money by rolling down his window. I was pretty upset because I was waiting at a red light right behind the car, I thought I was next.

[Florida_Geek]

3. this was in a Park...

Sounds like a good place as any to feed the homeless.

[MissMillie]

4. certainly wrong for anyone to assault anyone else/anyone else's property

But I don't think it's fair to expect the homeless population to be invisible either.

My guess is that funding and charity will plummet if the homeless are made less visible to the general population--kind of an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing will happen.

[el_gato]

5. I don't call "spare change?" harrassment

but some people don't want to be reminded that homeless people even exist and call the very sight of them harrassment

And then these same people will trot out some "horror" story to
justify incarcerating the homeless.

Dangerous? gimme a break, dangerous to your world view maybe

[Catfight]

7. what do you propose then?

I see the problem growing everyday in Tampa, and don't even talk about St. Pete. I always hear the opposition to this issue, we can't offer them shelter, we can't offer them a place to eat because then people will 'think' that the problem has gone away? I'm not talking about incarcerating the homeless, I'm talking about converting many of those huge historic buildings that remain empty because this county won't do anything with them and restore them into free apartment and housing for the homeless to come and go as they please. They'll have an address if they choose, food, a bed, a shower, and when I see someone on the street asking for money, I at least will have the hope they will be fed and sheltered if they wish. Everyone finds it so easy to point out the problems, but no one ever has any answers.

And these mysterious "some people" wouldn't donate or give a crap one way or the other, meanwhile, the homeless people remain in a constant state of more of the same while we argue over perceptions. And yes, I do think many homeless people are mentally broken, SOME, and I would like them to have access to medication instead of living in some hell everyday.

My world view is everyday, driving past Platt street bridge and looking at the empty eyes of the homeless, and yes, I do look at their faces, and I do see them, and I don't want to make them go away, I value every life, but I don't see how doing nothing is the answer. In fact, I would LOVE to purchase one of those buildings in Tampa (cypress and Kennedy would be a great start) and open it to the homeless, but you know what, it would be a nightmare of red tape and bureaucracy that would drive me to be on medication. Let alone, how would I, a meer middle class women renting in south tampa, ever afford such a venture?

[MissMillie]

8. "doing nothing" isn't the answer

Somebody was doing something. They were handing out food. And they got arrested.

That's terrible.

Which part of town is going to be willing to accept this community for the homeless that you propose? Proximate neighborhoods will fight it tooth and nail for fear of lowering property values.

Hey, I'm all for providing food and shelter, but relegating these people to one section of town, so that the rest of the public won't have to "deal" with them or even see them, is wrong.

[strategery blunder]

6. In an ideal world, the homeless wouldn't have these problems

because they would be provided for through welfare.

Unfortunately, the reality is very different.

If the homeless know they cannot get handouts at certain locations, they'll stop going there.

If the homeless know they cannot get handouts anywhere, then what will they do? Starve? They are people too.

[bpilgrim]

10. you ain't gotta clue

obviously you have NEVER been homeless and i hope you never are in such dire circumstances but if you think the solution to this paticular problem is to outlaw feeding the homeless you come off sounding like some charecter right out of les miserables, which may not be good for first impressions.

fyi

peace

[Catfight]

13. Obviously you assume incorrectly...

I've had to get a bag of groceries from the St. Pete Food Pantry before, (I think it's no longer there), I've had friends at work hand me food..at work, making money, but not making ends meet.

You're correct, I've never been on the streets and thank you for not wishing me to experience actual homelessness, I wouldn't wish it on anyone either. But I do have the capacity to rationalize a life in the street. I actually have gone through my apartment for spare blankets and cloths to hand out to the homeless in downtown St. Pete when I had that opportunity because it was cold outside and I actually think about the homeless when it rains, when it's cold, when a hurricane is coming, on those 100 degree days. Not that I'm a saint, FAR from it and to me it's too little. If I come off as in-compassionate is is only because this issue never gets addressed and I don't know if you've notice, there are more and more homeless than ever. I think that the fact someone even addresses this community issue is far better than ignoring it.

On the flip side, I know you find it hard to have compassion for the small business owners who frequently get complaints and lose business because of the homeless. I bet you they'd be happy to pay alittle more in taxes to find a solution for everyone.

Again, I challenge anyone here, other than just handing a homeless person a freakin' sandwich you half ate, to seek a solution.

I believe property values would be unaffected if an old building that belongs to the historic district was restored instead of just left to fall down. Besides, south tampa property taxes are way too high to begin with, even the Pam Iorio said that.

[bpilgrim]

14. actually...

it appears i assumed correctly, but thats neither here nor there though i can not say the same for your asumption...

as a small business owner i have a great deal of understanding from their perspective but also as a former punk philly kid i also have a great deal of perspective from the other side of the tracks as well and just wanted to pass it on.

as far as a solution i would concentrate my efforts on making sure there were the appropriate # of outreach programs operational as the need dictated with their aim to be the reduction of the problem via healing.



peace

[Catfight]

15. touche, I get the point, I haven't been actually homeless...yet

I wish this was more talked about than it usually is these days. And your solution is good. Want to help me start one? Cheers.

[bpilgrim]

16. hi Catfight

and if you ever need help in passing the word via the internet don't hesitate to du me.

i remember hearing about newspapers that the homeless sell to earn money and i have always been interested in thoes types of ideas and i have a lot of interest in newspapers and could provide the software for free if it strikes anyones fancy i would be happy to discuss further but the jist is that all folks would need is a computer to publish the stories from anywhere and multible places with internet access then they could be printed out from central locations for the homeless to pick up and try to sell on the streets.

it would be doing two good deeds in one... helping to pass the word AND helping someone help themselves.



peace

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. I just nominated the Police Chief for the Top 10. (nt)

[mmonk]

11. It seems that survival of the fittest

is what some think should be a societal model instead of part of science and nature.

[yella_dawg]

12. 10+ years ago, my freeper brother was a member of a church group

that fed the homeless in Fort Worth. The city told them they had to meet health code, and banned their meals program. So they got sneaky and started feeding folks on the sly. Until they put a bunch of homeless folks in the emergency room with food poisoning. The debacle ended in the group moving away from Fort Worth.

I got no problem with folks feeding the homeless. Hell, I'm homeless right now. But there's a time and place for everything. These "do-gooders" may be more "miscreant" than they seem.

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. People in Florida call them Hoagies too?

I thought that it was just a Pennsylvania thing.

[struggle4progress]

18. A Compassionate Malthusian!

Should be a great opportunity for CD!

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