PAUL SCHRAG: PANHANDLING BANS MISS THE MARK >>>
French poet, journalist, and novelist Anatole France once said, “It is only the poor who are forbidden to beg.â€
Those words might be worth considering in Puyallup, where city officials have voted to take a stand against aggressive panhandling. This week, council members passed into law a measure that makes it more difficult for poor people to ask people of more significant means for money. The law mirrors those passed in other regions, which jacks up fines for people who ask for help at particular locations, including cash machines, car washes, vehicles stopped at traffic lights and others. The ban comes in response to increasing citizen complaints about panhandlers, who seem to be migrating to Puyallup in increasing numbers.
Read my full report on the Weekly Volcano Web site.