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Assault spurs call to outlaw beggars
By ZEN RURYK, CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
http://www.torontosun.ca/News/TorontoAndGTA/2006/04/28/1554952-sun.html
The assault on a Toronto councillor in Nathan Phillips Square highlights the need to outlaw panhandling, Councillor Jane Pitfield says.
At city council yesterday, Pitfield called for Toronto lawyers to report on the prospect of introducing a bylaw banning panhandling. Council will deal with her request at a later date.
Police charged a man with two counts of assault after Councillor Michael Thompson was accosted Tuesday night by a beggar who asked him for money.
Pitfield, who's running for mayor in November, said that aggressive panhandlers are hurting tourism and threatening residents.
"This is partially related to homelessness, but not really -- because we also know, and this really disturbs me, that there are people panhandling who are not homeless," she said.
"There are people panhandling who realize this is a good opportunity to make a lot of money because most people are generous -- and they give a loonie or a toonie and that really adds up."
I would like to think people in TO have been waiting for some legislation such as this in order to dissuade the "homeless" from moving to TO to panhandle and accost people on a regular basis. I wonder how TO's "homeless industry" will respond to this act of common sense. Isn't it ironic that it took a few politicians to get assaulted and badgered for them to actually take action on this matter, when countless people are hassled, assaulted, and guilt tripped almost every second downtown from the "homeless". Not to mention how the sight of "homeless" people lying around, vomit, drug paraphernalia, stinky piss patches, (need I continue) beautify the landscape at Nathon Phillips Square...I bet the tourists love it! I know I do.....there's nothing like sitting down for lunch next to a "homeless" man laid out in his own piss, while asking me for change for his addiction, yet turning down offers for food
By ZEN RURYK, CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
http://www.torontosun.ca/News/TorontoAndGTA/2006/04/28/1554952-sun.html
The assault on a Toronto councillor in Nathan Phillips Square highlights the need to outlaw panhandling, Councillor Jane Pitfield says.
At city council yesterday, Pitfield called for Toronto lawyers to report on the prospect of introducing a bylaw banning panhandling. Council will deal with her request at a later date.
Police charged a man with two counts of assault after Councillor Michael Thompson was accosted Tuesday night by a beggar who asked him for money.
Pitfield, who's running for mayor in November, said that aggressive panhandlers are hurting tourism and threatening residents.
"This is partially related to homelessness, but not really -- because we also know, and this really disturbs me, that there are people panhandling who are not homeless," she said.
"There are people panhandling who realize this is a good opportunity to make a lot of money because most people are generous -- and they give a loonie or a toonie and that really adds up."
I would like to think people in TO have been waiting for some legislation such as this in order to dissuade the "homeless" from moving to TO to panhandle and accost people on a regular basis. I wonder how TO's "homeless industry" will respond to this act of common sense. Isn't it ironic that it took a few politicians to get assaulted and badgered for them to actually take action on this matter, when countless people are hassled, assaulted, and guilt tripped almost every second downtown from the "homeless". Not to mention how the sight of "homeless" people lying around, vomit, drug paraphernalia, stinky piss patches, (need I continue) beautify the landscape at Nathon Phillips Square...I bet the tourists love it! I know I do.....there's nothing like sitting down for lunch next to a "homeless" man laid out in his own piss, while asking me for change for his addiction, yet turning down offers for food