The measure was seen as anti-homeless because of the restrictions on "aggressive panhandling" and sitting on sidewalks. Aggressive panhandling is open to interpretation. I might consider it aggressive if someone follows me for an entire city block, screaming at me because I didn't give him or her a dollar. Someone else might consider any panhandling aggressive. I thought Berkeley police were particularly, shall we say "proactive?", regarding the homeless. If you're homeless, and you can't sit on the sidewalk, where can you sit? You have to stay out of downtown and pretty much all the business districts. The ordinanance was condemned, rightly, I think, for placing undue restrictions on homeless people.
Frances
On Mon, 24 Aug 1998, Brad De Long wrote:
> >This was before I lived in berk., but I know that there was some
> >proposition passed that was regarded by many leftists there as being
> >anti-homeless. ..
>
> >There
> >was also alot of money involved for social programs--can't remember what,
> >exactly. Alot of merchants were strong supporters of the proposition, and
> >gave money to the campaign to pass it. The owner of Cody's was one.
>
> Lots of money for social programs is "regarded by many leftists... as being
> anti-homeless"?
>
> I'm clearly missing something...
>
>
> Brad DeLong
>
>
>