We have lost the battle (I refuse to concede the war)

In this post you can see my analysis of the changes in the ordinance. As you look at the pictures you can see how this ordinance makes no sense what so ever. I spent the evening on the Plaza and in Westport with a measuring tape checking on the real usability of the areas. The results were not good, but nobody in city hall cared. They didn't care that 2 new areas were added to the ordinance and that nobody from those areas had a chance to testify. It's all about the panhandlers is the official line. Except that it's NOT. It eliminates only those people willing to follow the law. These mythical gangs of panhandlers who harass people are probably kids up to mischief. The people afraid of panhandlers are for the most part rich white people who can't handle anyone poor or not white. The aggressive panhandlers will NOT go away. They will still be there, and if the cops have time they will take care of the situation. People who don't follow the law won't follow it when you make it more far reaching. All the city council had done is eliminate the people who do obey the law and play by the rules.

On other blogs people have stated that it only affects the panhandlers, and one guy even said that they don't pay taxes or contribute to society, so why do they count. The same standard could be applied to several groups of people from the very young to the profoundly disabled to the very old. Not every panhandler started out life on the street. Something happened to put them there, and you don't know their story. Hopefully nothing will every happen to put you out on the street where people will discount your life because you have nothing.

Think beyond your distaste of panhandlers and your ambivalence to street entertainers. Today someone in Kansas City was told what words they were and were not allowed to say. A small piece of someone basic rights was chipped away. Tomorrow another piece may be gone - it may be something near and dear to your heart. By condoning this ordinance, either directly or passively, you aid the next government attempt to remove yet another right.

For myself, I'm not done fighting. We have lost this battle, but until a court tells me so we have not lost the war. I'm also going to be at City Hall next Wed., 2pm 26th floor. My ordinance may be out of committee, but the corruption goes on.

Yesterday a lady got up and testified about a different ordinance. She asked the council to not take her house. A home that has been in her family for 50 years, her American dream. They plan to use eminent domain to remove her home so that they can build a grocery store. I don't know this woman, have never seen her house or her family. I do know one thing. Her house, her family, the woman herself are more important than a discount grocery store. Especially a store that could be located where any one of a number of abandoned commercial properties now exist in midtown.