INC NEWS - Durham does need a change...

Sat Oct 6 10:47:52 EDT 2007

I was just wondering -- has anyone ever seen anyone give money to a panhandler.   For all the time I spend stopped along 15-501, I've never seen money change hands.  Which makes me think that the panhandlers are like spammers -- very low success rate but enough traffic that it pays off.  which makes it sort of a needle in a haystack to find people who giv emoney.  But every one you convince to stop doing so cuts significantly into the return on effort for the panhandler.

It would be interesting to see who gives money to panhandlers, how much they give each time, etc.

Regards, pat

From: TheOcean1 at aol.com
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 09:50:21 -0400
To: dchristie1 at nc.rr.com; randy at 27beverly.com; inc-list at durhaminc.org
Subject: Re: INC NEWS - Durham does need a change...

Look carefully, Randy and Deb! 
The intersections you are concerned about are virtually ALL inside the City 
limits. This proposed ban will NOT cover those.

The Durham Can You Spare A Change Campaign is entirely separate and 
independent of Lewis Cheek's new law proposal. It merely suggests we not give 
money to panhandlers in all areas of Durham.

Perhaps folks would stop standing at any intersection if we, the 
people of Durham, were to stop giving them money!
Make sense?

Feel free to support both ideas, but if the intersections are inside the 
City of Durham, the proposed ban will not effect them.

Bill Anderson

In a message dated 10/6/2007 3:07:27 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
dchristie1 at nc.rr.com writes:
I agree 
  with Randy.

Spare a change and ban panhandlers at intersections.  
  It is really 
dangerous.

Deb Christie

----- Original Message 
  ----- 
From: "RW Pickle" <randy at 27beverly.com>
To: 
  <inc-list at durhaminc.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 12:26 
  AM
Subject: INC NEWS - Durham does need a change...

> ban 
  right-of-way solicitation in both the City and County!
>
> Durham 
  can spare a change, get these folks off the right-of-way before
> 
  someone gets killed! Will it take that before we enact measures to 
  protect
> those, which others often say, have substance abuse problems 
  or mental
> capacity issues? Does it make any sense to leave these folks 
  standing in
> the middle of the road?
>
> The National 
  Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that approximately
> 6,500 
  pedestrians and 900 bicyclists are killed each year as a result of
> 
  collisions with motor vehicles. They don't split up the statistics, so 
  you
> can't see how many were panhandlers. It's not too hard to believe 
  that it
> was at least one (of the 6,500). So what if that next one 
  happened to be
> on 15-501 in Durham? Is it not our responsibility to 
  act in a manner that
> would create a safer environment for both 
  panhandlers and those in
> vehicles? How is keeping right-of-way 
  solicitation a daily norm going to
> make it any safer? It isn't. And 
  when they get hit, I guess they can sue
> the City for allowing them to 
  stand there when the City had an opportunity
> to stop them by passing 
  an ordinance. Maybe even get $10 million for being
> 
  hit...
>
> As I said before (and Bill Anderson suggested in his 
  last post), this is
> about changing the ideas of those in cars who 
  would roll down their
> windows and give these folks something. And I 
  don't care what you call it
> and how many fliers you give out, you're 
  not going to change human nature.
> We are all taught compassion from an 
  early age; to help those less
> fortunate when we can. So now we're 
  going to have this campaign to change
> the way we think? I think those 
  supporting this need to change their
> minds. You'll never change 
  kindness and generosity. It's human nature.
>
> Those who attended 
  the last INC meeting heard about a new program in
> Durham funded by the 
  County, City, and the Triangle United Way (3 deep
> pocketed groups). It 
  deals with all the issues these panhandlers face (or
> those who support 
  another option would want you to believe); homelessness,
> substance 
  abuse, mental illness, and jobs). It would seem to me that
> getting 
  behind this already existing (and just getting started) program
> would 
  be a much better idea. It addresses all the issues these panhandlers
> 
  face and has a staff working toward their agenda. So if the County 
  passes
> their right-of-way solicitation ordinance, they are already 
  working to
> address the problems that group faces. Then the City can do 
  the same
> (since they're funding the new program as well). And the 
  third party
> involved with this new program, Triangle United Way, 
  already funds most of
> the charitable-help organizations already. So 
  that's huge.
>
> Mike Shifflett said in a post earlier in the 
  week:
>
> "However, with this amazement also comes a small feeling 
  of disappointment
> in the fact that in many cases there already exists 
  or existed an
> organization, community group, non-profit or 
  neighborhood association that
> actual has worked on that same issue or 
  is currently working to improve
> it.
>
> Year after 
  year,  new and exciting groups form around the elections to
> fight 
  or advocate for more peace, less crime, more housing, increasing
> 
  police and law enforcement (read immigration) resources and/or
> 
  environmental issues.
>
> Thing is, in all of these instances, 
  there exists just such a group of
> concern citizens who would have 
  loved to have more public support
> themselves.
>
> But 
  wouldn't it be great if we could all join together and work as a team?
> 
  I'm sure it would be more efficient.  I'm more than sure that the 
  results
> might be longer lasting as in many instances as these new 
  groups then
> either disband or diminish in strength as their particular 
  issue plays out
> (win or lose)."
>
> This "Durham Can You 
  Spare A Change" idea is just that. It's a duplication
> of another 
  program that is actually trying to change things for those who
> need 
  it; not change us. The idea that you can change human nature is just
> 
  an up-hill battle. It just won't happen. And when one of the 
  panhandlers
> is hit and killed... their blood will be on your hands for 
  not doing
> something when you had the chance. Get them out of the road 
  and get them
> some help. Support the idea of banning right-of-way 
  solicitation and
> support the new County, City, and United Way 
  initiative. You could save a
> life...
>
> RWP
> 27 
  Beverly
>
> 
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> 
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