Posted on 07/21/2006 4:26:02 PM PDT by Cagey
LAS VEGAS -- A battle is brewing over a new Las Vegas ordinance that bans providing food or meals to the indigent at city parks.
The Las Vegas City Council unanimously passed a law, which went into effect Thursday, making it a crime to feed the homeless at city parks. It carries a maximum penalty of $1,000 and six months in jail. Video: Vegas: Don't Feed The Homeless
The law bans giving away or selling food to anyone who could get assistance from official sources under state law, and officials said city marshals will get specialized training to enforce it.
The city’s mayor, Oscar Goodman, dismissed questions about how marshals will identify the homeless so that they can enforce the ordinance.
"Certain truths are self-evident," Goodman said. "You know who's homeless."
Marshals recently began arresting the homeless in parks under a campaign to force people who are unable or unwilling to care for themselves to get mental help.
City officials call the measure an attempt to stop so-called "mobile soup kitchens" from attracting the homeless to parks.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada calls it unconstitutional, unenforceable and the latest attempt by the city to hide and harass the homeless instead of constructively addressing their plight.
"So, the only people who get to eat are those who have enough money? Those who get (government) assistance can't eat at your picnic?" asked ACLU attorney Allen Lichtenstein, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I've heard of some rather strange and extreme measures from other cities. I've never heard of something like this. It's mind-boggling."
One advocate for the homeless said she will continue to feed the homeless, despite being cited twice already.
"I'm going to do whatever I think is necessary to keep people alive," Gail Sacco told the paper.
(Excerpt) Read more at thewbalchannel.com ...
and coyotes. Same principle.
Unless the homeless person is wearing only a barrel?
Must be a lot of liberals taking the poll or else the homeless are voting on line.
Government banning charity?
JERRY: Your hands were in the dough?
KRAMER: No, I didn't make these bagels. (Jerry and George both take a bite) Yeah, they're day-olds. The homeless won't even touch them. (Jerry and George stop eating) Oh, we try to fool them by putting a few fresh ones on top, but they dig.. they, they test.
Cool! Homeless people SHOULD be half-starved skeletons. Makes it easier to spot the frauds when they're panhandling!
Rebecca DiMornay will NOT like this!!
>>The law bans giving away or selling food to anyone who could get assistance from official sources
Government banning charity?<<
Another excellent point - this would put every private and religious charity that helps with food out of business - churches wouldn't even be able to do food drives or help their members who are down on their luck - the Red cross wouldn't be able to feed able to feed people after a disaster. This may be the dumbest law ever.
"Marshals recently began arresting the homeless in parks under a campaign to force people who are unable or unwilling to care for themselves to get mental help."
Have read elsewhere that over 2/3 of homeless are drug addicts, alcoholics and/or mentally ill.
If mentally ill, they probably qualify for government checks, to be spent on drugs and booze.
If the police arrest them, take them to hospitals, the hospitals want to get rid of them.
Maybe what is needed is government "holding areas." Because I think what cities want is to get them out of sight. Bad for tourism and business.
LOL!
It's OK as long as they include the pidgeons, rats and Harry Reid.
This is perfect! And I'm not being sarcastic either! The quickest way to get rid of professional panhandlers is make it illegal to help them. And I do mean PROFESSIONAL!
This has nothing to do with the Samaritan Act. Shelters will still be able to get donated food from restaurants. This is about giving money and food to people who could be 'working' for aliving.
I don't see how they can ban the sale of food to a person based on whether they have a residence. For that matter, it is probably not legal to forbid giving charity to someone who is homeless. Panhandling has been legally banned in many jurisdictions, and I suppose you could forbid giving money to panhandlers (a conspiracy theory?), but just giving charity to a stranger on the street?
I've never seen midtown NYC so devoid of homeless as during the '04 Republican Convention. Not that many years ago the homeless were taken off the streets by force and admitted to hospitals or sent to shelters but that's all changed with new legislation that guarantees their freedom.
I've read those same statistics and I'd bet that the 2/3rd number is on the light side.
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