Council favors sidewalk sleep ban (illegal to sleep, sit or lie down on public sidewalks)

[The Straight Story]

Council favors sidewalk sleep ban

Honolulu Advertiser-

The City Council yesterday voted 8-1 to advance a bill that would make it illegal to sleep, sit or lie down on public sidewalks on O'ahu.

Bill 69-09, which now goes to the council Public Safety and Services Committee, received mixed testimony from the public.

Councilman Charles Djou said he introduced the bill at the request of Waikiki Neighborhood Board members who complained that homeless people who are barred from sleeping at Kapi'olani Park and other city facilities at night are migrating to the fronts of hotels and other businesses during early morning hours.

"City parks and city sidewalks are meant for the benefit of everyone," Djou said. "No one individual or group of individuals should have the right to occupy a city park or city sidewalk and treat it like their private property."

The bill's sidewalk provisions include benches and bus stop seating.

Patty Teruya, chairwoman of the Nanakuli/Ma'ili Neighborhood Board, said it's throughout O'ahu, and not just Waikiki, that residents have to stand to wait for buses because there are people sleeping on benches and in bus shelters meant for passengers.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090917/NEWS...

[peace13]

1. And did they vote to find a place for the homeless to sleep?

Ya gotta love this country!

[Sabriel]

2. Does that include protesters?

I wonder.

[GodlessBiker]

3. I hope they make this applicable to rich people, too.

[Echo In Light]

4. Likely endorsed by the rich to remove unseemly, lazy, non-profe$$ionals

[Gman2]

5. This exact tactic, lead to the OP riots.

It will happen again. After a whole summer of the city officials trying to purge the Huntington Beach surf community, in preference to the anticipated wealth, to supplant them, led to the riots. As the July fourth weekend started, the police announced that they would confiscate any bicycle, that was ridden without a liscence on it. The watertruck was rolled out, to spray the deadbeats, that didnt vacate the downtown area, as they were threatened. REally stupid city officials.

[Gman2]

7. Oh, there was a ten five minute time limit on staying ANYWHERE public.

[SOS]

6. "City parks and city sidewalks are meant for the benefit of everyone"

Except the poor, who should go away so the rich won't have to look at them and feel uncomfortable.