Portland's panhandling problem

Since the Portland City Council rejected an ordinance to ban panhandlers from median strips a year ago, there's been an explosion of panhandlers looking for cash from motorists.

There are so many that it's become a public safety problem, says Portland police Chief Michael Sauschuck. The Portland City Council on Monday, July 15, will reconsider a median ban.

Read about the growing problem in tomorrow's Sun Journal.

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ERNEST LABBE's picture

Offer them a job

Offer them a job. See how fast they either move or come up with a thousand excuses why they can't work.


It's even worse in the

It's even worse in the warm-weather states. They approach you in parking lots and everyone has a long drawn out story of why they need just a couple of dollars, whatever you can spare, toward their goal of a bus ticket home to their sick child or 5 gallons of gas for their car. One guy patrols the parking lot at a Home Depot near Ocala, carrying an empty gas can. I tried to give him some gasoline but he wouldn't take it.

FRANK EARLEY's picture

I must be missing something..........

I am just a little confused about one aspect of pan handling. One person comes to mind, I see her quite frequently, and have seen her for at least a year or so in about the same spot every day.
I may be wrong on this, but I see two ways to get by. One is to get a job, I guess if that's not possible resort to asking for hand outs. Now comes the confusing part. Getting a job, in my opinion would be much more lucrative, not to mention less demeaning than standing out there asking for money. On the other hand, if person is physically unable to work, there are other options available to them.
If a person can stay on their feet for up to eight to ten hours, in any weather and run from car to car, they should be physically able to work. The fact that they are able to communicate their intent to passing motorists indicates a mental ability to hold a job. This to me is a little annoying.
I am unable to work, I can barely stay on my feet long enough to make it through the checkout at Walmart. As I'm exiting the parking lot, almost every time, I see this woman holding a sign asking me, a disabled person, on a fixed income, to contribute to her because she is homeless.
Now all of this is a little ironic. first of all, is she really homeless, how did she get to her location of choice to panhandle, and most of all, how is she still homeless after all this time, why???
I just feel that for an obviously able bodied person, without a job, for that long, to be asking a disabled person, on a fixed income, for a hand out is not quite right. I don't want to sound cruel, but does anyone else see the irony in this? If I did what they are doing, I would be in court charged with fraud or something, then again if I could do what they are doing, I'd be back at my old job..........................

Eric  LeBlanc's picture

The fact that they are able to communicate


Sorry, but I don't agree with that at all.


I am probably going to lose

I am probably going to lose some liberal creds for this, but this is really what I think.

1. It's much more lucrative than working. It's got to be three times better in bad weather.

2. You won't get fired if you're high, hung over or having a depressive crash day and can't get out to your intersection.

Andrew Jones's picture

That lady with the cardboard

That lady with the cardboard sign hanging out by the Mt. Auburn Ave entrance at Walmart? Yeah... I see her often too.

I guess it is lucrative; I can't imagine they would do it all day if they weren't getting any money. All they have to do is collect at least $7.50 an hour and they've gotten minimum wage just for the cost of their dignity... and they're already ahead of someone who is working for minimum wage because they didn't pay any taxes on that money.



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