Real Change News | Director’s Corner - DSA’s pandandlers list

March 10, 2010
Vol: 17 No: 11

Director's Corner

Director’s Corner - DSA’s pandandlers list

by: Timothy Harris , Executive Director

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The Downtown Seattle Association’s “panhandlers list” landed in my inbox yesterday. It’s a rich document. Apparently, the DSA’s downtown ambassadors spent a week taking attendance of the regulars. The 26 panhandlers in question were at work for an average of three days in seven. Just four were indentified as “aggressive.” Only eight were identified as clearly having a substance abuse issue. Half were people of color. Most have panhandled downtown for a number of years.

But these are just statistics. This is about people. The following prose poem is drawn directly from the DSA spreadsheet.

Otis. African American Male. Uses 24 can size cardboard carton to panhandle. Kate Joncas has seen him on numerous occasions. Flirts with the girls as they walk by.

Frank: Black Male with blue coat and backpack. Doesn’t say much. William or Red: Holds small sign and shuffles his feet constantly.

Jonas, Native American. Carries “Smile” sign. If he gets a regular job he will lose his disabled benefits. Experiences seizures. Helen: African American female. Has housing. Aggressively asks for change. Nadine. African American female. Says she has kids in school. Panhandles for extra money to play bingo. Lives in Belltown.

Rob, Wht Male, Wheelchair, brwn hair. Courtney, Chubby Wht female, blk & wht stripped sox. Justin: Wht, Crutches, brwn hair. Wht female dirty blk hair, uses empty cup. Wht Male, Heavy set w/sign.

Wht guy: Chubby, short hair, Clean. Carries paper sign, “need money for Bus.” Doesn’t speak. Just shows the sign.

Native Male 5’8”, long hair, baseball jacket. Uses sober van, has a sign. Katrina: wht 5’ 3”, thin & frail looking. Blk male, 6’ Ball cap, shuffles when walks, soft spoken. Wht male, 55+, grey hair, uses cane. Carries sign that says “Help Me.”

Hispanic female, Wheel chair, missing leg. Pete: Asian or Native with beard. Dorothy. Blk Black hair, sunken cheeks, unusual walk, possible back problems.
Are these the “thugs” that Councilmember Tim Burgess says are undermining the viability of downtown as a place to live and work? Is our tolerance for the sight of open misery really this low?

Burgess’ proposed aggressive solicitation ordinance will not, as he says, target only aggressive panhandlers and leave the rest alone. The ordinance will create tools to target and banish these, the sad and pathetic beggars of Seattle, from our sight.

Can’t we do better than this?

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