The Same Component Is Missing At Silly Hall.......

.....where unionized workers have jobs for life and politicians aren't subjected to recall when they screw up and they make end runs around the rules like in the Bussin legal fees.

The homeless: All carrot and no stick

Any sensible policy for dealing with the homeless/beggars/squeegee kids/street people in Toronto would have two equal components.

First, it would tell people they can't live and/or beg on the street.

Second, it would provide them with a safe and humane place to stay and, ideally, initiate a process to get them off the streets, permanently.

Mayor David Miller and the majority of Toronto's city councillors have always been enthusiastic about the second part of this policy, cool about the first.

But the problem won't be solved until both parts are equally applied.

This despite all the back-patting Miller and his allies gave themselves this week as they threw a few million dollars more at the second part of the policy, while crowing that even the business community is now on side.

Of course it's on side. Business people can count votes as well as anyone.

Thus it's hardly surprising they consider half a loaf -- more social programs -- better than none, since that's part of the solution. But it's only a part.

To argue, as Miller and his allies do, that ticketing and fining the homeless hasn't worked, is laughable.

Of course it hasn't worked.

Why would people pay a fine if not paying the fine carries no real consequences?

The consequence should be that if someone insists on living/begging on the street, despite repeated and genuine offers of accommodation and help, he or she should be removed and detained in a humane but firm fashion.

All carrot and no stick doesn't work. Never has, never will.

Further, it will not help those most in need -- those too sick, confused, addicted or mentally ill to know they need to get off the street for their own good.

Meanwhile, we continue to send out exactly the opposite message from the one we should be sending.

We should be telling people that in Toronto, you cannot live or beg on the street.

Instead, when all is said and done, we tell them they can.

Which is why they do.