(San Francisco) Plazas and parklets the latest battleground in homeless war

[The Straight Story]

Plazas and parklets the latest battleground in homeless war

All those new plazas and “parklets” across the city may seem downright adorable, but they’re the unlikely new hotspot in the never-ending battle over the city’s homeless policy.

...

Highlights of Wiener’s legislation include banning sleeping at any time in the plazas; prohibiting camping, cooking or creating any kind of shelter; banning the selling or bartering of any merchandise without a permit; and prohibiting four-wheeled shopping carts. Also, plaza goers couldn’t smoke.

Violations would be an infraction with a maximum fine for repeat offenders of $500.

“It’s very clearly anti-homeless legislation,” said Jennifer Friedenbach, director of the Coalition on Homelessness, who is organizing a big turnout to decry the proposal at Monday’s land use committee meeting.

...

Police Chief Greg Suhr sent a letter to Wiener asking him to beef up the legislation to include a ban on sitting on the pavement in the plazas between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Voters in 2010 approved a sit/lie ban on sidewalks citywide, but the measure specifically excluded pieces of land in the city’s “Pavement to Parks” program.

http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2012/01/22/plazas-and-parklets-the-latest-battleground-in-homeless-war/?tsp=1

[Guy Montag]

1. Some people are so unmerciful and mean spirited

that they won't be happy until all homeless are bundled off to exile in camps, or exterminated.

We need to get at the root cause of homelessness, and learn to live with the fact that some people just will never give up this status of living and find better, more appropriate ways of dealing with that fact.

[AtomicKitten]

2. A plan to fine the homeless $500?

[Javaman]

5. Then put them in prison for failure to pay the fine. aka

debtors prison.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Seems odd that San Francisco would go that far

Current leadership clearly does not remember its roots.

[LeftinOH]

4. There is substantial 'fatigue' over the homeless problem in San Francisco..

From one of the commenters on sfgate:

"...that the vast majority of us suffer from "compassion fatigue." We simply have had enough. We can only do so much for so many for so long."

Yes, the $500 fines are absurd. That said, San Francisco is a great place to visit, but any visit there includes compulsory in-your-face encounters with aggressive panhandling --some of which are downright frightening. Living there 24/7 must take serious fortitude. FWIW, I live in Cleveland -so it's not like I'm insulated from the problem.

[Javaman]

6. So what happens when a massive earthquake hits

and everyone is homeless?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. In a declared state of emergency all things are possible

Just ask the people in New Orleans