Panhandling bans hurt some fundraisers

Panhandling bans hurt some fundraisers

“So ran a headline in the online edition of USAToday (today, September 17, 2009.

Continuing, the lead said, “Communities seeking to prevent panhandlers from venturing into streets are stirring controversy with bans that also prevent people from approaching vehicles to ask for charitable donations.”

The problem is fraught with bias. As if “panhandlers” aren't “people”, too. Wouldn’t it have been more responsible journalism to say, “... other people”? Likewise, “... other fundraisers”!

The Holy Beggar is not sure which side she is on, sides being one of the most important indications in American pop culture today ... it’s the accessory of the entree (“You want a side of fries with that?” Your meal comes with two sides.”), the call of the Unions (“Which Side Are You on, Boy?”) and popular in team sports. Being left-handed, The Holy Beggar is always also sensitive to this.

The article coves a variety of municipalities’ reasons for seeking legislative means to manage the affront of a beggar. The MDA folks who get firemen to pass around a boot to collect funds at traffic intersections (in L.A., too! I had to make a legal U turn to come back to do my slam dunk) said they were losing money when one such ordinance went into affect.

I don’t believe I’m saying this, but “Bully!” to the ACLU ... “David Fidanque, executive director of the ACLU of Oregon, says ordinances that target panhandlers but allow others to solicit in streets are vulnerable to lawsuits. "Expression cannot be prohibited just because it makes people uncomfortable."

The Holy Beggar hopes that all of us will find nice folks who sit behind desks to beg for money on our behalf and that she will soon be hired to do just that.

Meanwhile, no matter what,

Don’t Forget to Ask for the Money!

Si Se Puede!

Si Se Puede!

A little soapbox "voguing" here ... (as if a blog isn't anything but that!)

I've been vigilantly commenting online about organizations that provide technical assistance to nonprofits (e.g. L.A.’s Center for Nonprofit Management) to spend an equal amount of resources (time, concern, etc.) on the plight of those of us whose professional careers have been whacked by the economy, making us victims of large scale layoffs in attempts to "streamline" operations.

It makes us appear to be the problem, not the solution to our growing social needs for sustainable change in this economy.

In fact "sustainability" is not necessarily what is called for in any case. And certainly, what seems to be coming out of the Obama Administration are new paradigms for examining the systemic nature of problems. At lest I hear people dealing with the realities that there are no easy answers, only better questions.

I'm thinking about calling the local office of my former union, AFSCME, and have a discussion with someone about the realities of sustainability and change, of a huge cache of untapped human resources. Even unions can reconsider their mission and potential in the 21st Century.

We are a force not only to be reckoned with, but who have enough experience and talent to change the world.

Si Se Puede!

'Nuf said.

No matter what ...
Don't forget to ask for the money!