Two Approaches To Panhandling

In Lose Angeles police arrest panhandlers.......
Costumed panhandlers cause trouble in Tinseltown

......in Toronto we have studies and our favourite leftist Joe Mihevic wants to provide them housing while working poor struggle to survive. As usual Mihevic shoots off his mouth and doesn't realize that panhandling has become a cottage industry and many of "poor" are better off than a lot of us.

City hall votes to study panhandling
Updated Thu. Jun. 29 2006 11:35 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

Panhandling will come under the microscope once a plan - spearheaded by mayoral candidate Jane Pitfield -- to study the practice gets underway.

Toronto city council voted 25-11 in favour of the study. The vote took place during Wednesday's council meeting.

The findings of the study could be used to craft an outright ban on begging for change on city streets.

Pitfield has said in the past that panhandling is out of control. She tried to get the study approved in April after Coun. Michael Thompson had an experience with an aggressive panhandler.

Critics of the study say it is an unfair exercise.

Councillor Joe Mihevic called the study "shameful."

"There are ways to handle panhandling that have dignity," Mihevic told the Toronto Star. "It's called housing, it's called developing your shelter system."

Mihevic went on to tell the newspaper the study will look at "how to penalize the poor."

With files from The Canadian Press