Yes, Atlanta and its homeless can rejoice because more of these meters are coming to the streets! As you may recall from past posts, the Wizards of Genius in this city believe that placing yellow meters on the city streets where the money inserted will directly fund homeless programs will result in (1) a groundswell of people rushing to pump their money into the devices and (2) homeless people ceasing their criminal panhandling activities.
Of course, the idea hasn’t worked in other cities where it’s been tried. But don’t worry, Atlanta is famous for not learning from the mistakes of others!
The new donation meters will be placed near the Fox Theatre, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, the Westin Peachtree Plaza and in parts of Buckhead, the Luckie-Marietta Street district and Peachtree Center.
I wonder how the first batch of meters worked out?
A task force involved with the campaign said it will say how much money has been collected from the meters in March.
March?!?! How about telling us now! But then we’d know four months ahead of schedule how the program was a big waste of money, right?
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But Officer how can you be giving me a ticket, I put money in the meter?
How does this affect the lobbying business? Do these meters pay for meals at the Capital Grille?
Real conservatives for private charity would rather make the bureaucrats homeless and eliminate the middleman. And it’s too bad the neocons think it’s necessary for government to get it’s tentacles into private charities like the United Way. Typical. I can’t find the story but apparently the desire is for private charity to be “funneled” in this way with little or no accountability. The story was on Control Congress.
And it’s too bad the neocons think it’s necessary for government to get it’s tentacles into private charities like the United Way. Typical. I can’t find the story but apparently the desire is for private charity to be “funneled” in this way with little or no accountability.
Shirley Franklin and her cadre in City Hall are neocons? WOW!
Maybe the city can use these meters for a bail out instead of asking congress for it.
As a resident of the Old 4th Ward…I would like to say that the coordinated efforts that have been put forth to slow the progression of aggressive pan handling has worked. GREATLY!! My wife and I used to get accosted daily, now it is a random occurrence. I see the meters as just another way for the city to crack down on this problem while offering a solution so they might not get sued. Whether it works or not it could mitigate laws suits when an “urban outdoors” man dies. What am I missing?
Muffin15,
Do you think that the police being more agreesive with the pan handlers has worked or is ithe meters?
the police…but here is my movie….Police crack down…a few indigenous individual die under a bridge….Jesse comes down and raises hell…law suit. So I guess my thought is that if you can explain half of the cost of these meters as a potential feather in the cities cap when they go to court…I am for it.
Whether it works or not it could mitigate laws suits when an “urban outdoors” man dies.
Who would be sued and what basis would there be for the lawsuit? “Failure to provide adequate housing and a living wage,” Comrade?
So I guess my thought is that if you can explain half of the cost of these meters as a potential feather in the cities cap when they go to court…I am for it.
Wow. Just wow. I still trying to figure out how Atlanta could be legitimately sued.
Not a lawyer just a logical thinker
In a situation where a city actively takes away an income stream from an individual and that individual dies. If some one has a valid case that the city took away their income, but did not offer an offsetting avenue for them to seek help..I could see where some special interest could take up this case. Lets remember, the areas of contention are blocks away from where MLK lived and preached. If there was a sting of deaths for one reason or another I would not be surprised to see fingers pointed at the City of Atlanta. I think the goal should be to prevent a law suit, not take one on. Rogue, would you put it past any of the special interest groups to take this kind of action. I do think the city was prudent in taking step to ensure that this “crackdown” could continue. We are talking a lot of sales tax dollars at stake downtown.
In a situation where a city actively takes away an income stream from an individual and that individual dies. If some one has a valid case that the city took away their income, but did not offer an offsetting avenue for them to seek help..I could see where some special interest could take up this case.
I’m sure someone would take up the case. They would ultimately lose, however. When the method by which the “income stream” is derived from is illegal activity, then it’s laughable to suggest that the government is responsible. Indeed, can you imagine all the bank robbers that are now homeless because they couldn’t find easy banks to rob that sue the Feds for loss of income?
Lets remember, the areas of contention are blocks away from where MLK lived and preached.
Okay, let’s remember…and realize that it has absolutely nothing to do with this argument.
If there was a sting of deaths for one reason or another I would not be surprised to see fingers pointed at the City of Atlanta. I think the goal should be to prevent a law suit, not take one on.
No, the goal should be to enforce the law, stop the panhandling, and stop wasting public/private money in a moronic attempt that has already been proven in other cities to not work.
If some one has a valid case that the city took away their income, but did not offer an offsetting avenue for them to seek help..I could see where some special interest could take up this case.
One more comment about this…the City, State and Federal Government take away my income daily through taxes and don’t provide an offsetting avenue for me to recoup said monies. Can I sue, as well?
Rogue
I’m just saying a lot of these issues are connected at the national level. Otherwise you would have to buy into some type of “coincidence theory”.
Are the meters asking for “Change you can Believe in”?
Rogue….lets be serious aggressively attacking panhandling can be viewed as a racial issue..the geographic fact about MLK is completely valid…that is why some one would be more inclined to take this up if not approached carefully.
I am sure you could argue in court that panhandling is income!!
I completely agree with you that it sucks that this is the way things happen.
Surly you can agree that things are not so cut and dry.
lets be serious aggressively attacking panhandling can be viewed as a racial issue..the geographic fact about MLK is completely valid…that is why some one would be more inclined to take this up if not approached carefully.
No, enforcing panhandling laws is NOT a racial issue, except in your mind. The geographic fact about MLK preaching nearby is valid in that it did happen in Atlanta at one point in time, but not relevant to the issue at hand.
I am sure you could argue in court that panhandling is income!!
I could, but I wouldn’t because it would be a losing argument and completely inane that government is responsible for finding other methods of income generation for homeless persons. I guess you didn’t like my bank robber analogy.
Surly you can agree that things are not so cut and dry.
Nope, this is pretty cut and dry. Panhandling is illegal. Homeless people panhandle. Homeless people who panhandle are violating the law and must be stopped through arrest and prosecution.
See how easy it is, Mr. “Shades of grey”?
Okay, I’m moving on.
Recently I visited Wilmington, NC. They have a lovely downtown waterfront, really nice. Anyway the sign says, “No Panhandling”. I asked some merchants and residents how that was working.
Most replied the Police made it very, very clear in street language, that if you bother the nice folk spending the dough, arrest is the least of your worries. I think they road trip the beggars to Golly Knows Where, but there is no panhandling in Wilmington….
PS @muffin Atlanta derives huge revenue from folks that come here on conventions, tourists, and residents. I am saying unequivocally, “No Panhandling” is the law and must be enforced. Atlanta is already losing luster for traffic and water woes.
Many panhandlers in Atlanta are aggressive and scary, you sont see this in other major metro’s.
no kidding…rogue likes to break down someones argument into snippets b/c I don’t think he can attack it in full context…I apologize if he may have misconstrued my intention here..I am all for incremental solutions to this problem…all the way from meters, to tickets, arrest, etc. I have even broke a nose for the harassment my wife has taken. There is not one answer to this issue. It will take a little of everything.
no kidding…rogue likes to break down someones argument into snippets b/c I don’t think he can attack it in full context
I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were giving us the Magna Carta II. I thought you had a few points that could sustain themselves on their own. Clearly, that is not the case and is reflective of your weak arguments. Sorry.
There is not one answer to this issue. It will take a little of everything.
There is one answer: ENFORCE THE LAW. Shocking, I know, to your 4th Ward sensibilities. Wait, maybe I needed to read your entire post together to avoid reading “snippets”…nope, you still are on the wrong side of the argument.
BTW Demonbeck, love the icon. James Traficant is my all time favorite corrupt politician.
“Many panhandlers in Atlanta are aggressive and scary, you sont see this in other major metro’s.”
I think it was a panhandler who killed the beer delivery driver: http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/stories/2008/11/18/beershoot.html?cxntlid=inform_artr
It’s not hard to get rid of panhandling, the political leadership just needs the willpower to do it. Guliani did a great job with panhandling in NY, but of course he was villified for being hardcore about it.
Demonback – the “Change you can belive in” slogan for the Atlanta panhandling meters made me laugh out loud.
Incidentially, I know the gas station where he was shot and I hate using it because you get hit-up by so many panhandlers while filling your car up with gas.
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