Squeegee this
A proposal from the Nova Scotia provincial government would see squeegee kids hammered with a $250 fine. But, any form of begging should also receive societal censure.
It was NDP Leader Jack Layton who said to me, regarding his extensive work on the homelessness issue, that street poverty is a choice. He meant it is a political choice for us. It has to do with national housing programs, youth crisis support, employment opportunities, drug programs and other money.
Fine. Good for Jack. Even if everyone gets a pony, there are people who fall through the cracks — that’s how our system works; that’s how life works. And it is up to government to address the health and well-being of the country. However, as much as homelessness and the issue of street people are a political issue and an economic issue, it is also a social issue.
What do you do if someone willingly wants to opt out of society for whatever reason: rebelliousness, rage, despair, incompetence, insanity? These people are, for the most part, the unconsoled: disparate and desperate, wandering in their own private boulevards of broken dreams — if they ever had them. Some wallow in their dropping out; others freeze to death — no more miles to go before they sleep.
But it is not my problem. I am not responsible. Like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, I believe in my own cause and cannot save the world (although the Casablanca protagonist was a closeted romantic who ended up with broad, altruistic tendencies when he gave up his girl and helped the cause). Perhaps “Rick” from Casablanca was a bad example of stoic indifference to the sad, cold realities of life’s ways.
Whatever; I still believe that giving money to beggars is at least more reasonable than the annoying squeegee kids. Who got the ridiculous idea to do this in the first place? It is unsolicited, unwanted, unnecessary labour. But the illusion of doing something for somebody creates, in their punk-pierced mind, the air of entitlement. Sometimes they just start up with the squeegee and motorists drive away shaking their fists!
When I did the squeegee kids topic today on the radio, one caller suggested fining those who gave money to the beggars, in effect, creating the status of a “John” to the enablers.
Let us fine everyone and then pay fewer taxes. The money isn’t obviously getting to anybody.
December 4th, 2007 at 2:45 am
When I lived in Victoria there was an advertising campaign there warning people not to give money to street beggar as they were using it to buy drugs and alcohol to feed addictions. Folk out there were encouraged to contribute to shelters and soup kitchens if they wanted to help the homeless. This logic works every bit as well in Halifax.
December 5th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Every person caught begging or asking for welfare should have to take a medical, especily the men. If they pass the medical with no aparant disibility they should be given a job in the community cleaning the streets, working on garbage trucks, shoveling snow/ mowing lawns in the city parks, in order to receive any form of assistance. If they will not do these jobs give them nothing. You will not need a calculator to count the ones that starve to death.