Solution To Panhandling

Legalize panhandling and make panhandlers subject to the beauacracy and political shenanigans that abound at Toronto City Hall and we will drive panhandlers out of the city. Short of that Sue-Ann is right because our city is left......

T.O.'s begging for a ban
By SUE-ANN LEVY

I hate to rain on Coun. Case Ootes' parade but I can't help but think he's wasting his time with his latest efforts to ban the scourge of obnoxious panhandling in the city.

At yesterday's first meeting of the city's economic development committee, Ootes requested yet another report from officials on how the city can create and enforce a bylaw that would prohibit begging within "officially designated tourist areas" like Yonge St.

His request was sent off to city legal staff and the chief of police to come back to a future meeting of that committee (or perhaps the Twelfth of Never.)

As Ootes noted, tourists to the city constantly "complain" about the number of panhandlers and that's bound to have a "negative effect" on tourism numbers.

Even new economic development general manager Don Eastwood conceded the panhandling issue is having an impact on the "perception" of Toronto by visitors.

Ootes also contended, quite rightly, that many of those who choose to panhandle around the city are not homeless. Besides, if the homeless need to beg for money to buy food and other sundries, there's got to be something wrong with the way the $220-million-plus being spent yearly on the homeless file is being administered.

The time is certainly ripe to implement such a bylaw. Last week's Ontario Court of Appeal decision to dismiss an appeal by 11 homeless men convicted for squeegeeing under Ontario's Safe Streets Act helped pave the way, in my view.

Ootes said he met with Toronto police chief Bill Blair last Monday and the city's top cop indicated he's "really interested" in clamping down on panhandlers, if there was some semblance of political will to do so from City Hall.

"Council has to take a leadership position on this thing," Ootes said. "Council has to recognize that this issue is important to the city."

It should be a fait accompli. But bear in mind this is socialist City Hall we're talking about. These are the same politicians who believe beggars have a right to obstruct city sidewalks.

The bottom line is if Mayor David Miller and his minions truly wanted to ban panhandling in this city, they could have put the wheels in motion nearly six months ago.

In fact, another city report is a waste of time. Just dust off the old one and get on with it. The city's legal staff produced a report last September thanks to unrelenting efforts by former councillor and mayoralty candidate Jane Pitfield to champion an anti-panhandling bylaw.

Last fall's report was quite clear that the city has powers under the new City of Toronto Act to ban aggressive panhandling. It also noted every other major city in Canada -- Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Montreal -- have bylaws banning begging. Vancouver's has even been challenged and upheld in the courts.

Yet none of that moved Miller. When the report came to his executive committee, he made sure two of his loyal lapdogs -- Sandra Bussin and Howard Moscoe -- sent it off to the city manager's office for another report (which is as good as sending it down a big, black hole.)

Pitfield's efforts came at great personal cost. For months last summer, Toronto Disaster Relief Committee queen bee Cathy Crowe and her ragtag group of supporters tried to have Pitfield removed as chairman of the homeless advisory committee, even though no one else wanted the job.

Rest assured they aren't going away either. Yesterday Crowe's sidekick Beric German vowed to protest "everywhere" if such a bylaw is considered. "We will fight for people's democratic rights," he said, adding panhandlers will have to "beg more strenuously" to pay off any fines that ensue from the bylaw.

Do you think now that he's firmly ensconced in office King David would want to stick his neck out? Not a chance.

That's the sad part. This issue is begging for a solution and that solution is staring this council in the face.

Rest assured nothing will change.