It’s the issue thatwon’t go away: panhandling. It’s part of life, and it’s part of the law. It’s about “tough love” and it’s about restricting “speech.”
But it’s also about public safety. That should be the foremost priority for Tampa City Council. It’s worth going to court over, if necessary, rather than waiting for the inevitable, even tragic, incentive.
The convergence of vehicles, narrow medians and those intent on soliciting or interacting with distracted drivers at high-traffic venues should be seen as inherently problematic. That’s not to be indifferent to solicitors down on their luck or unconcerned about the exercise of individuals’ constitutional rights. It’s to be common sensical about what you permit and where you permit it.
It shouldn’t have to be underscored, but concern for public safety is not “criminalizing poverty.”