Panhandling: constitutional right or nuisance?

Perhaps panhandling should be considered a form of "commercial speech" like advertising, protected, but less so than other more essential forms (such as political speech, artistic speech, religious speech, etc.).

I have a job that deals with the public and the pan handlers i deal with everyday . When the ordance in medford was in play they came up to the next county which was josphine county. They are now on every market place conner asking for money it is a job to these professional panhandlers. They actually pull in up to 600 dollars a day off of the public. I dont mind giving someone a hand up when needed but these people stand out with sings that say "vet need help till benfits come in". They arent even vets . I hate the deception ... or sings that say need gas and they ride the bus to the market place with a brand new gas can... if they would put a permit to panhandle for 3 days a month or something like that to cut down the professional panhanling and limit the danger with runing one over in the walmart parking lot.It would help

I got yelled at by a panhandler in Ashland last weekend for walking right past her. What am I supposed to do? They're everywhere here, and I'm broke and jobless too, but just because I have some dignity and I'm not out there with them, they hate me. Get this - I walked past the panhandler with a friend, and we're laughing about something. Panhandler sits there with her sign like a lump, not doing anthing. The second we're past her, she sreams "Oh, so you think that's funny?" and throws her sign into the middle of the street. Causes a scene in front of the Vasity theater. I'm already a block past her.

So it's not a free speech issue, as I see it. It's people needing some help, mentally and/or financially, and expecting the people on the street to help them out because so far they've got no help from anywhere else.

I had a friend who used to regularly offer to hire these supposedly out-of-work panhandlers to do yard work for her. They'd always agree to come do it; but then they'd never show up. LOL.

i rather give somebody money thats telling the true like why lie i need beer i used to work fast food and had somebody come in begging for food i gave in and gave him a burger when he left i had a co worker tell me i just been had he got into a nice ass car.

In the city i live in they can get a cup of coffee at a local shelter at 930 am a full lunch meal between 1100 to 1230 and a hot shower and a clean change of clothes monday threw friday . They can get a food box once a month and sanwiches at the mission daily at 1000am .Even lunch thier and evening meal and a clean bed to sleeep in . the state of oregon provides any person whithout a home full foodstamp benifits as well and if your a woman even more opertunitys than these are out thier for your benafit so why the street conner? to beg other than its easy way to make a living than working a job like the rest of us...

I know this all started over free speach issue but are we stopping them from talking or something else we realey need to look at it from a different view . Im not trying to stop them from speaking thier mind i am saying we need a little control on the ever growing problem that pegues our citys

Some time ago there was an article on the front page of the Ashland Daily Tidings about a couple with children who panhandled in Ashland. Our mayor at the time had even given them money. Turns out they were making around $3,000 a week (or more) panhandling, they lived in a local motel/inn, ate in nice restaurants, and sent their children to a private school! There was such an uproar about it that, I think, they moved to a different town. I also heard about a survey a few years ago where a local newspaper interviewed some panhandlers throughout the county and found that most of them average hundreds of dollars a day, and some even got a thousand dollars or more per day. Those that have dogs with them seem to get a little more, so they pick up strays from the pound and use them to get sympathy from the "marks" they are trying to con. It is not a matter of free speech, but of the right to con and cheat decent, hardworking citizens out of their hard-earned money. I have offered work (mowing the lawn, weeding, etc.) to those whose sign says "will work for food," and always get this litany of physical injuries that keep them from working. Then why don't they have SSI? I contribute to shelters and missions, but NEVER hand out money to strangers on the street! Don't be a sucker. In this case, charity begins with established shelters for the homeless. Handouts are just throwing your money away where it will do not good at all! Might as well put a match to that $5 or $10 you hand to the guy with a sign on the corner since you aren't helping an indigent at all.

I think she right stop giving money to them if you gave it to a church or mission u could write it off on taxes. and know it would not be for drugs .

fk that rob someone beg for money its dumb i was homeless starving i doin something watch the wallets lol i mean i would keep lookin for a job etc but for ppl that havent ate in days wat whould u do lol thought so

because you MUST be OUT OF WORK for ONE WHOLE YEAR to even APPLY for Social Security. someone or yourself has to support you in POVERTY for that one year before you can PROVE you can get SS, because soo many people have tried to scam it.
Its rough out there..social security/disability takes a LONG time, HARD to get!!
You also have to have maybe up to THREE Doctors diagnose you for sure. and PAY those Doctors. while NOT working.
its a crazy, unfair system..

GaiaGirl wrote:

Some time ago there was an article on the front page of the Ashland Daily Tidings about a couple with children who panhandled in Ashland. Our mayor at the time had even given them money. Turns out they were making around $3,000 a week (or more) panhandling, they lived in a local motel/inn, ate in nice restaurants, and sent their children to a private school! There was such an uproar about it that, I think, they moved to a different town. I also heard about a survey a few years ago where a local newspaper interviewed some panhandlers throughout the county and found that most of them average hundreds of dollars a day, and some even got a thousand dollars or more per day. Those that have dogs with them seem to get a little more, so they pick up strays from the pound and use them to get sympathy from the "marks" they are trying to con. It is not a matter of free speech, but of the right to con and cheat decent, hardworking citizens out of their hard-earned money. I have offered work (mowing the lawn, weeding, etc.) to those whose sign says "will work for food," and always get this litany of physical injuries that keep them from working. Then why don't they have SSI? I contribute to shelters and missions, but NEVER hand out money to strangers on the street! Don't be a sucker. In this case, charity begins with established shelters for the homeless. Handouts are just throwing your money away where it will do not good at all! Might as well put a match to that $5 or $10 you hand to the guy with a sign on the corner since you aren't helping an indigent at all.

emily wrote:

because you MUST be OUT OF WORK for ONE WHOLE YEAR to even APPLY for Social Security. someone or yourself has to support you in POVERTY for that one year before you can PROVE you can get SS, because soo many people have tried to scam it.
Its rough out there..social security/disability takes a LONG time, HARD to get!!
You also have to have maybe up to THREE Doctors diagnose you for sure. and PAY those Doctors. while NOT working.
its a crazy, unfair system..
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SSI is not the only way to go. For those who are honestly handicapped, there are many, many charitable organizations to help. Here in Oregon we have state-supported programs to help even handicapped people find gainful employment where they can support themselves. There is honest work out there but the majority of the bums out there with their cardboard signs are just lazy and wouldn't lift a finger to earn a dollar. Those are the cons looking for marks. There are shelters and charitable organizations that help those truly in need. I still say support those programs and don't throw your hard-earned money away at street corners. Those expensive backpacks they cart around on their backs just prove they lie when they say they can't work because of a bad back. Offer them any kind of work and they have a long litany of injuries and reasons why they can't do any kind of work, no matter how light it may be.