RLF

In what has to be one of the most telling stories about the new
heartlessness in America, an Orlando man stood trial on misdemeanor
charges for the crime of feeding the homeless in a public park. He
was found not guilty, but spent two days in court convincing a jury
of that.

22-year-old Eric Montanez is part of Orlando's Food Not Bombs, a
group that brings food out on the streets to the homeless. Last
year, the city enacted a law that makes it a crime to feed people in
a public place without a permit. To be precise, the legislation says
one can't give food to more than 25 persons at the same location.

To build their case against Montanez, undercover police not only
spied on him feeding the poor, but also counted the number of people
he fed (30.) Disguised as homeless persons, the undercover cops even
took pieces of the meal he served as evidence. How many real crimes
were being committed during the time they spent on that sting
operation?

In San Franscisco, efforts to expand permanent supportive housing
are worthy of praise, but that's only half the story. "We are
pursuing two policies simultaneously in opposite directions," said
Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan. "The City is trying to provide housing and
care, while simultaneously criminalizing homelessness." In the past
four years, the City has issued 46,684 "quality-of-life" tickets –
at a cost of $7.8 million to the City's taxpayers. This does not get
people off the streets and solves homelessness, said Galvin. It just
moves the problem to different neighborhoods.

"We are pursuing two policies simultaneously in opposite
directions," said Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan. "The City is trying to
provide housing and care, while simultaneously criminalizing
homelessness." In the past four years, the City has issued
46,684 "quality-of-life" tickets – at a cost of $7.8 million to the
City's taxpayers. This does not get people off the streets and
solves homelessness, said Galvin. It just moves the problem to
different neighborhoods.

Asking a person without money to pay a fine is beyond absurd. When
the citation is not paid, it goes to a warrant. The person is then
arrested the next time he/she is stopped by a cop. That record can
be used against a person trying to get off the streets and into
federally subsidized housing. In what universe does that make sense?


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Bear

I totally agree about America's heatlessness. Not only are we criminalizing our homeless. We also criminalize our youth.

This is not a helpful society anymore. We only believe in taking what we consider offensive and removing it from our sight.

The real help would be to clean them up, give them a place to sleep at night, and try giving them support services to help them train for a job or to find themselves jobs.

Give some of them *Im not insinuating that all homeless people are this way* but those that are on drugs or alcohol, we could be giving them treatment.

I realize all of this would cost the taxpayers money. But to really take care of the problem it will take money.

Why are we willing to spend billions per year keeping criminals behind bars, but not willing to help our youth and our homeless? Why are we willing to spend billions every month on an oil war and not take care of the problems right here in our country?

Stop criminalize our defenseless homeless and youth, and find a way of truly helping the part of our population that is in trouble.

shel90

Criminalizing homelessness is not going to solve the problem. I agree with Bear, we need to be proactive in taking the necessary steps to help people before they end up in the streets. We need to look at the most common reasons people become homeless and come up with a proposal to help individuals who are at risk of becoming homeless. Yes, it would be costly but worth it.

This man did not deserve to be penalized..he deserves a reward for showing some compassion that many havent.

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Kaitin

Unbelievable. I used Google because I thought the story must be wrong. But the story is correct unfortunately. I read several articles with thinking the Orlando police and politicians must have good reason or a important fact (Eric Montanez maybe a criminal or violent). But no - they arrested him for helping homeless.

Bear - again you write a great post. Homeless need help and police shouldn't arrest people helping homeless. Why arrest for helping? I can't understand the reason. If homeless need stranger's food the city of Orlando isn't helping enough for them. Orlando should be grateful for stranger's help and then find the official way to help. If Orlando doesn't want people feeding homeless in a park then feed the homeless in official shelter. Don't arrest a kind person for helping.

for important post, RLF

horselover61

I have seen lot of homeless down on Cape Cod as I grew up there. It is a sad situation indeed. Once my first exh brought home the homeless man and using our phone and he wore so many watches on both of his arm. That I didnt mine at all then as the time goes by and thing got little out of hand when my exh and I was talking and this man yelling at us for talking. I was shocked and told my exh I want to eat. So we went out to eat and I had left the outside light on so I can see when I come home. After our eating out and came home and found that the outside light was off. I was puzzled and asked my exh if he turn it off and he said no. Then as I was walking toward the door, I tripped over the homeless man's bike. That when I got pissed and yelled at my exh to tell him to go to shelter which I was sure there are shelter for a homeless ppl. As you see I almost fell down the brick step and at the bottom of the stairs there was a plywood cover up the big hole. If I had fallen down there and I would be injure and sent to hospital. Lucky I managed myself not to fall down there. So as I was yelling at my exh and he ran to tighten the light bulb and told the homeless man to leave in a calm manner.

After he left and I told my exh that he is not to come back due to unsafe situation of what happened to me. As I found out that he was a homeless man which my exh trying not to tell me after I questioned him at the resturant so unbeleivable. I told him that I was lucky that I didnt injure myself as it was dangerous down the steps.


I am not surprise that this is happeneing and I am sure there are lot of help out there to help them and I just wish there is more way to help them out.

GarnetTigerMom

I have to say I agree with Bear on that. American life have so much problems with so many judgement calls.

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dreama

This is TERRIBLE. How can people be so heartless. I was homeless for 4 months. I was lucky that my friend let me sleep on her sofa. Or will that be criminalized next. How can people treat other people like that. Nobody wants to be homeless. Many of them are fleeing domestic violence, or have had money problems due to losing their job and not being able to pay bills or suffer mental health issues. Anyone can become homeless. It's so depressing that people can actually be PUNISHED just for showing kindness to another human being. Unbelievable!!!

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Wokamuka

After the hurricanes swept through Southeastern Louisiana in 2005, there was a huge influx of relief/charity workers in the area. They gave out clothes, shelter, food, toiletries, and other resources.

There was a huge migration of homeless people from throughout the United States to disaster-stricken New Orleans.

It's been two years. The relief and charity efforts have been scaled back, considerably. The homeless, now outnumbering local residents living far below poverty level, still grab at what little resources are available. The homeless have also decided to sleep where they want and use anyone's property as a toilet. The problem became so widespread that local politicians dug up funding to transport the homeless (usually mentally ill) to another city with ample resources. All the candidate cities, basically, said, "It's your problem; you deal with it."

It's not politically correct to deal with the homeless in any way that favors those blessed with food, shelter, and love.

It's politically correct to talk about it and do nothing.

That's the greater shame.

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VamPyroX

I think the United States is going to hell.

Seriously, they're getting strict with everything.

They're getting too strict and focusing too much on smaller things that they overlook the big things.

For instance, one school gave a couple girls detention for hugging... while another school overlooked a boy running away from school and going on a shooting spree before getting caught after crashing a vehicle he stole.

Which is worse and desperately needs attention... a girl and a boy holding hands or a teacher taking a kid to Mexico?

Related to the homeless... we're spending more money making homeless criminals than helping them.

We can help a few and those few will help a few more... until everyone gets help instead of spending more money to go after all ourselves.

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Cheri

I too agree about America's heatlessness, I was in Florida for two weeks, while I heard that it's against the law to feed homeless people. I still cannot believe that they go beynond punishing homeless instead of trying to help them. It's like what the hell. How can someone stand there and watch those homeless go hungry? I just cannot image doing that to any homeless, I just can't.

If they are so worried about homeless doing drugs then don't give those homeless money, just food. How can food be as bad as drugs?

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Liebling:-)))

Oh my dear... This is unbelievable....

I rather to give the foods and drink to homeless people over money because they would spend alochol and drugs with money... No Way... Foods and drink is important to keep them survive, not money for alochol and drugs.

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Angel

Roadrunner page me about this article, and it does sadness me to hear it's a crime to feed people in a public place without a permit, my god, I would rather to feed them and if they want to arrest me for doing so then go right ahead, cause I'm not going to walk passed and ignore someone who is starving to death, what if there that was a homeless child? they expect us to not to do anything?...This is BS, these are thousands of homeless people all over, the only reason they're in this condition cause no shelter is offering them anything, most shelters gets full up faster, so where will the rest go? out in the cold with nothing to eat....These people are homeless for a reason, now they're treating them like they actually criminals and arresting us for feeding them, donating tents, blankets, clothing and etc....Why aren't they doing anything more to help these homeless people when they have nowhere to go or seek help?..



BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » Criminalizing Homelessness in Orlando and SF you can see a pix of a homeless man laying there, starving and no shelter to keep him warm..what if this was one of your daughter or son being in that situation?... *sigh sadly*...

pek1

A couple thoughts come to mind. The first is regarding the police on this. I hope all of us know and realize that there was a reason that they were called "pigs" in the 1960s. They've gotten worse.

The second thing, as a Christian, I have seen big, mamoth "Christian" churches when I drove truck and I'm sure everyone here is aware of them. Money is no object, but they only help their own or spend very little of their resources for people who either need a place to stay/live or something to eat. There's a false televangelist named Frederick Price who owns two Bentleys and lives in a mansion, which another false televagelist has a Rolls Royce (supposedly for "special occasions). How sick is this when people are starving, especially here in the United States! Let's not forget about the other churches whose leaders live very high off the hog, as well as corporate CEOs that live lavishly, too. These people don't have to have all this junk and can be more generous and not have to claim it on their income taxes like they do.

I wonder, though, if things would change if all churches and non-profits lost their 501.C.3 tax-exempt status? For those who don't know, these organizations are exempt from paying taxes on their land, property, holdings and other items. Many organizations could afford to pay taxes and rightly should. Unfortunately, those who don't have anything, much less a little food to eat, are the ones that suffer the most. God have mercy!

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Pete

America: Love it or leave it. Send Obama to the unemployment office on November 4, 2008.

jillio

American's seem to have lost all capacity for empathy. Perhaps we should all keep the phrase, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." The majority of American families live payucheck to paycheck, and are but one crisis away from becoming homeless themselves.

Tousi

Pek, you're outta line with the "pig" talk! Cops only enforce the laws as part of their duties. U wanna go after the real "pigs", go after your legislators!

pek1

Tousi,

Obviously, you must not know many police officers. I have a cousin that's a cop and he, at one time, told me that when I come through his town with my truck, that he'd pull me over. I then, without missing a beat, asked him how much a police cruiser was worth. Mind you, he said it and I replied in front of one of my brother's and most of our other male cousins. I am the smallest of the bunch and no one said a word.

There are some cops that do work to get rid of that stereotype and actually do good work, but, the bad ones have really made all of them look like idiots. In the past, cops always went around on patrol, looking for trouble so they can make themselves look useful, never mind the fact that they created more problems than they solved.

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Pete

America: Love it or leave it. Send Obama to the unemployment office on November 4, 2008.

Wokamuka

Does the issue of homelessness boil down to crowd control?

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Schermy

I do not agree with you. I come from a family of cops and I can tell you it's common to find more good than bad cops. Sorry your not happy that your cousin would pull you over but I think that if I was speeding or driving reckless I would expect my own borhter to pull me over!! That is his job.

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jillio

For some, it would appear that this is the idea.

Schermy

May be if the politicians in this country focused on the people in our country and took care of our people we wouldn't have come to this problem!! That's my two cents.

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Bebonang

It is very hard for the homeless people who are down in their luck, lost their jobs or having mental illness which the hospital dump them out on the streets for no reason. My hearing sister who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, U. S. A. is a director for the homeless shelter and try her best to help the homeless people in shelter. It can be a handle trying to make peace with them and working out the solution for them to find a place to live and go looking for a job, plus children trying to stay with parents instead of foster care. There are a lot of homeless people all over the world and it is a shame that the government are not helping them with the cost of living soooo high. It is not fair for a 22 year old man to be arrest for helping out feeding the homeless people even if there were thirty of them. I don't like that at all.

Tousi

Or maybe we should concentrate/put pressure on our legislators. By way of a funny, I hear there's not going to be a Nativity scene in DC this year because the Supreme Court has declared there's no three wise men and a virgin to be found in DC.
However, there's been no problem finding enough asses to fill the stable

jillio

PowerON

For your information, there are about half amount I have meet homeless or people who I knew have told me, these homeless refuse to take from us nor need help. They have their own reason why to not accept.

However, I find some source with people's words.

• Feed homeless in public on certain area cause the habit to be appear in location make look bad
• It encourage homeless not use public shelter, instead look for free food from strange
• With permit that allow city know the volunteer carry the free-disease meal to homeless.
• With homeless around, it make unattract toward tourist.
• Neighbor may not felt safe or comfortable nearly or in their properly area.

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Bebonang

PowerON, You got a point there. Notes taken and I have to agree with you about that. I understand the situation of why it is against the law or rule to feed the homeless. That make sense to me.