Tampa City Council did the right thing by turning down a request to put a referendum on a panhandling ban on the March ballot. Not unlike DADT and school integration, there are certain issues–ones with moral as well as emotional context–that you don’t want to consign to the mosh pit of a winner-take-all plebiscite. Taking on people who panhandle isn’t comparable to imposing a sales tax or voting on a county mayor. This is about recessionary empathy for the less fortunate–albeit in the context of public safety and common sense. But this is not a bumper sticker issue. Nor is it appropriate fodder for the usual strident partisans.
The council was right in keeping such a referendum off the upcoming ballot, but it was wrong in failing to do more than require cheesy “safety” vests for solicitors.