There are countless restrictions that prohibit such things as overnight camping in public parks. Neither you nor I sleep in the public parks. Neither you nor I are allowed such a privelage. I weon’t cite chapter and verse in the absence of your proof that the homeless have rights beyond those that you and I enjoy. These restrictions may not be specific to loitering or panhandling but it is sufficient for my purpose.

What makes a private entity above accountability? Public entities are often immunized against prosecution for certain violations where a private entity is not.

With citizenship comes responsibility. Do not confuse liberty with freedom. OTOH, he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.

*shrugs*

Yes, it absolutely matters if “laws are upheld by private or public entities.” For one thing, the government is accountable to citizens or “taxpayers” as you call them. Private entities are not, and private entities will always act in their best interest, not in the public’s best interest.

I seem to remember a Plaza panhandler sucessfully suing for the right to loiter and panhandle on public streets. They are certainly down there to this day. Can you point to a Kansas City statute that bars loitering or panhandling on public streets? You say there are “many”. Your proof?

What does it matter if the laws are upheld by private or public entities? My reading skills are quite fine. How are yours?

>Second, I think they do an incredible job and 99% of them are extremely professional and dedicated to their job.

BlogKc – the Downtown Council is private and not with the City? I doubt that.

>Kinda like when office workers hang out at the water cooler or in the break room or out on the sidewalk smoking, huh?

Scooter J – what is your point? There is a big difference between two people loitering around the water cooler in a PRIVATE building and the bees loitering around the front of the library or at 10th and Main, which are PUBLIC domains used by the PUBLIC.

Seriously folks – watch three bees next week for at least 5 minutes a piece. If you took off the uniform they would remind you of Jerry down at the plaza.

I don’t intend to be mean but I do intend to make a point. The idea is great – but they need to hire more qualified people.

As for the taxpayer comment, you must be dense. There are other taxes citizens pay besides the property taxes, which you suburbanites love so dearly to bitch about. In fact, the homeless, the poor and the other “riffraff” you deign to look down upon do contribute to the public coffers in the form of sales taxes. Proportionally, they contribute far more revenue to public entities than you do.

You can’t be serious. There are restrictions on where people can go and set up house. There are many laws and regulations that prohibit loitering and pan-handling. It is not so much a right to be someplace as it is the lack of any right or privelage covering the activities that the homeless participate in, such as sleeping in the park. I am not allowed that privelage and I am a tax-paying citizen. How stupid can YOU be?

They’re human beings and most likely citizens of the United States. As such they have every right to be on public streets, in public parks and in public buildings.

Being impoverished doesn’t strip you of basic civil rights, even if that makes your fellow well-heeled citizens uncomfortable. How stupid can you be?

I’m no Republican but I believe that the vast majority of the homeless got that way by their own fault and it’s not my responsibility to bail them out or force them to change their life choices.

It’s one thing if a corporate failure or a disaster causes a temporary homeless situation — things like that are what assistance is for. But most homeless people refuse any assistance except for what they can shake clueless bystanders down for and I say good riddance.