People who accost other people in the street deserve a sharp elbow no matter how hungry they are. I understand the ire of brown-bagging yuppies who are put out because homeless people always take the sidewalk benches closest to the heating grates.

        I am thrilled that members of Cincinnati City Council have united behind the cause of moving the downtrodden out of sight. Once started down the road of bipartisanship, there is no telling how far they may go.

        The ordinance, drafted by Councilman Pat DeWine and passed unanimously Wednesday, is designed to rid downtown of all the beggars who scare potential shoppers out to the air-conditioned, security-guarded, well-stocked suburban shopping malls.

        Down-and-outers may now ply their trade only between dawn and dusk. That shouldn't be much of a problem; who could they find to solicit in downtown Cincinnati after dark anyway? The law also warns the beggars to stay away from ATM machines, private property, bus stops, lines of people waiting to get into fancy restaurants, crosswalks, parked cars and moving cars.

        The new ordinance also proscribes certain begging behavior: No cussing, no touching, no threatening, no blocking the sidewalk. Actually, this law is a lot like the restrictions against school prayer — it's OK to beg as long as you sit still and your lips don't move.

        Most of these rules repeat what has been in previous ordinances — ordinances which have done little to reduce the number of panhandlers on the street. But one new wrinkle pushes the edge of the legislative envelope and opens a whole new vista of regulatory possibilities. In Cincinnati, people who ask you for money must now tell the truth.

        If you say you need money for a meal, you better not take my change and put it toward the price of a pint. If you hit me up for “gas money” so you can just make it home, you better have a car parked nearby. If you are standing there with your hand out, you better fall down if somebody kicks out your crutches.

        One problem with previous panhandling ordinances is that they didn't get enforced much. During the 18 months ending last December, the police only issued half a dozen citations. Members of council think that will change because this new measure can be paired up nicely with the police foot patrols instituted in downtown this week. It will be easier for the cops to spot the cons working the sidewalks, said Mr. DeWine.

        Actually, the police already know that the guy on the corner asking for change doesn't really want it for a cup of coffee. Panhandling arrests are low priorities because Cincinnati beat cops understand that poverty and homelessness are not simply law enforcement issues.

        The police, well-known for their bleeding hearts, understand that if you pick up a panhandler and put him in jail for the night you have only solved the problem until you unlock the cell the next morning. Once released, most panhandlers will likely go right back to the street. Poverty, addiction, mental illness — often all three — are the reasons people stand on the sidewalks and ask us for money. You can't solve those problems with a law that tells them to stand clear of ATM machines.

        But this ordinance may be useful against money-grabbing schemes that don't take place out on the sidewalk. How about the folks in nice clothes who ask for contributions? Can we have the police sniff out what's in their coffee cups?

        For instance, the city just handed over $6 million to Saks with the understanding the store will use the money to prop up its downtown business. A similar contribution went out to Lazarus a few years ago to keep it in town. If those promises aren't kept can the stores be prosecuted? How about the city council candidates who took contributions and promised a cleaner, safer, more prosperous city?

        Just think about the benefit of being able to call the cops the next time some politician sticks out his hand and says, “Hey buddy, can you spare a dime?”
       

        Contact David Wells at 768-8310; fax: 768-8610; e-mail: dwells@enquirer.com. Cincinnati.Com keyword: Wells.

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