[Mpls] Mayor Rybak and panhandling

[m1r3201 at aol.com]

At the Mayoral Forum at the Branch Drop In for persons experiencing 
homelessness, the Mayor was asked if he supported the licensing of panhandlers.

The Mayor firmly stated that he is firmly against such licensure.

But now I am hearing that Mayor Rybak has plans for an anti-panhandling 
public relations campaign. 

I pray daily that Peter McLaughlin is our next Mayor. I have had a few 
thorough discussions with Peter regarding the treatment of persons experiencing 
homelessness. He was quite clear with me that he thought licensing panhandling 
simply provides a way to target people who already suffer enough-- i.e. person's 
experiencing homelessness.

He also created the Mental Health/Criminal Justice Work Group chaired by 
Judge Hopper to bring together so many stakeholders (I hate that term but it beats 
listing everbody) to address ways to help, not criminalize persons in the 
Downtown area who are experiencing mental health issues and/or homelessness.

Neither Mayor Rybak nor any of his aides have come to those Hopper group 
meetings. Now I am hearing of this idea for a PR campaign against pan-handling. 
Cathy ten Broeke, his proposed housing Czar, was at one meeting, but she is not 
currently on his staff.

I am so frustrated with this antiquated response to poverty and homelessness. 

I am also frustrated because I truly like Mayor Rybak as a person....he seems 
kind and caring. But there are a lot of kind and caring people who are not up 
to speed on issues related to poverty and homelessness. 

There needs to be a Public Relations campaign to reach out to our residents 
in all of our neighborhoods about the value of helping, not hurting persons 
experiencing homelessness.

There needs to be money spent to educate public policy makers about the best 
practices that have been successfully put into place in other cities such as 
Philly that have dramatically decreased street homelessness by providing 
outreach, liason with our Police, housing and supports to help people keep their 
housing.

We don't need a PR campaign about telling people to not give to panhandlers, 
or that further stigmatizes or demonizes people. Not all panhandlers are 
homeless...but efforts such as this fuel the flames against homeless persons and 
re-enforces the stereotypes that provide no solutions.

There are solutions and we need leaders who have the will to put them into 
place.

Margaret Hastings
Kingfield