Assuming that people can make more panhandling than working a minimum wage job, perhaps one should consider whether the problem is that the minimum wage is too low... Probably 25% of the homeless are mentally ill. More have addictions. throw in the fact that no one really wants to hire a disheveled dude who has no place to shower, no fixed address, no car to get anywhere, etc. wetc. I am not saying these guys are saints, I am not saying that some of them aren't scam artists, but there are a lot of them that deserve sympathy more than disdain.
When my dad was a Buick dealer, people would often drop by and say they were broken down on route to some place and could he fix their car for them? I remember a very important lesson from those encounters. Dad would send them across the street to talk to the Catholic priest. If they did and the priest called Dad to tell them their need was genuine, Dad would help them out. I think he did one service for someone in the 20 years he ran the business that I was aware of. Occasionally, someone would ask for money to buy gas. Being a dealership, we had our own pumps. Most didn't want actual gas but the money. He never gave them money. He did give a few people a couple of gallons of gas without too many questions. He said they had to live with what they were doing if they were scamming for $1.00 worth of gas in the early 70s. That taught me one thing: I NEVER give cash. Let me say that again, I NEVER GIVE CASH! If they refuse genuine, non-cash aid, they do not need my help. They need something else I can't provide. I'm not a cold-hearted person but I am honest about what is really going on when presented with misleading information.
We have job services here that will get them clean clothes, a place to shower, and a ride to work. Every day, a free ride. Our minimum wage, as shown in my first pic, is essentially $15/hr. now from not being able to get any employees/workers to show up. We are offering $15/hr. here at the shop for grunt wash bay kids. Don't tell me there's something wrong with minimum wage, because the effective minimum wage is what I was making 10 years ago as a service manager. And it's plenty for one or two to roommate up and get a place. These people choose not to take advantage of the resources and opportunities available to them. They choose a life of laziness and thievery and filth, and want a handout on top of it.
A major shift is happening to the labor market right now as the base hourly wage is going way up, and up fast.. hopefully if the wages stay high, there will be less pan handlers as begging becomes less effective. Of course the truly needy will remain.
If the min wage keeps going up like it does.. The price of the 1/4 pounder does also..... When Clown in the window tells you that will be $157.23 for your whopper, fries, and a cold drink I think the days of the panhandler will be coming to a end....
Minimum wage to low????,.... it wouldn't matter if it was $30,....for one they still wouldn't work,..that is being proven RITE NOW,...,...it's twice what is was and they aren't working,.. signs are everywhere begging people to work,..offering SIGN ON BONUSES!!! To work a F'n Wendy's!! Poor argument there dude,...teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime,..give him a fish he eats for the day,....
Panhandler I met: used to be a trucker, got in a wreck, destroyed his back and messed up one leg, no money for surgery, couldn't drive anymore, slow spiral, living in a homeless shelter and hoping to get surgery one day. had issues, could possibly get hired, but where? The liability of hiring him would be enormous. Another panhandler I know: Rick, drinking problems, no legs, probably a ton of other issues. Nice enough guy, but who would ever hire him? Another panhandler my wife knew: older lady, lived in a tent with her cat, trouble walking, obviously not quite right mentally. Nice lady, but who would ever hire her? Calling them all lazy filthy thieves aint quite fair. A lot of them are just down on their luck, had some bad breaks, and are really really hard to help.
Yep, a lot of them are deserving the care that is given to them, many of them do truly have issues, and as I said, I won't brag about what I do to help. By your own admission, probably 25% of them are in true need. It's the other 75% that are lazy, filthy, thieves. And just outside of my work at this very moment, there's 100% of 15 of them that are LAZY, FILTHY, THIEVES. 15 living 100% wastes of space. Period. Fire away, Steve. Tell me how I should be compassionate to the meth dealing, panhandling scumbags that stole a hardworking 20 year old kid's truck and parted it out.
one of many homeless camps here not a isolated incident, 40 stolen cars at this one https://komonews.com/news/local/rise-in-crime-linked-to-sprawling-homeless-encampment-in-fife
Hey, anybody need some Taurus parts? How about an Audi? Taurus stuff will be available this weekend, Audi you might have to wait a little after that.
I had a book keeper in one of my offices who had no legs. She was one of the best employees I had. She was smart and resourceful. A very hard worker. She worked at, a place called first step. First step is a place that tries to help the homeless and those less fortunate, imagine that! When she wasn’t working there, she was working for me. Paid for everything herself.
I have no issue helping the truly needy but out of the ones who are playing the part ( and collecting aid) really are? My wife and daughter have part time jobs at a local grocery store. As a 14 year old my daughter had a customer get in her face and threatening to call the cops because out of a $108.00 grocery bill the customer owed $5 and some odd cents for a deli item that wasn’t covered under food stamps. The customer let my daughter know that SHE DOESN’T PAY FOR FOOD!!! Lady had some pretty nice clothes/shoes/purse to be so destitute to need food stamps. My wife who works in the customer service department told me how customers would return canned goods with no receipt, saying they bought the wrong style/flavor asking for cash back as the didn’t need it anymore. An investigation found the cans were coming from the local food pantry.
I worked in a grocery store while I was in high school and college. I quickly learned who really needed the food stamps and who was scamming the system. The scammers made me sick...
Face it guys there are scammers in every profession out there . I know of some that are scamming Social Security so they don't have to work . There are some that scam the Military . case in point I know of a youngster that had an existing spine problem and joined the military . spent 2 weeks in basic training and now has 100% disability . And not to mention those so called preachers that scam money from those that can least afford it while flying around in private jets and not paying any taxes . They are no better than the able bodied guys begging for money . They are ALL scammers !
