San Francisco and Las Vegas are somewhat the same, especially when it comes to tourism. Both San Fran and Las Vegas depends on tourism and both have a problem with panhandlers.
From SFGate.com: "You do not want to vilify the panhandler," says Chris Conner, a program director for Denver Road Home. "But you want to make the point that giving to panhandlers doesn't alleviate homelessness."
"These are people who out of the goodness of their hearts are giving these people money," says J. Timothy Falvey, a director with the Union Square Business Improvement Association. "We have to get across the point that you are not helping."
The reality is that those who know panhandlers say most are using the cash for alcohol or drugs. Hitchko and partner Derrick Joyner watch the downward spiral every day.
"Since the first of the year I would say we've personally known eight to 10 people who died," Joyner said. "Ninety percent of the time it is drugs."
We often see panhandlers holding signs that say: "Just plain hungry." Or, "Just trying to get home." There's also the popular, "Homeless, can you help?"
Realistically, virtually none of those statements are true. Certainly, with a robust meal program in the city, where thousands of free meals are served three times a day at places like Glide Memorial and St. Anthony's, it is unlikely that the panhandlers can't find food.
"It is impossible to be hungry here," Joyner says.
As far as trying to get home, the city has a free program, called Homeward Bound, that provides a bus ticket to anyone who asks. They only need to have a contact at the other end of the trip. The city's Homeless Outreach Team can have a person on a bus and on the way home in less than 24 hours.
And finally, police say 75 percent of panhandlers they contact are in housing.
But few of the kindhearted people who give handouts know that.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/30/BAUS1LBU4A.DTL#ixzz1ZVO5MPEQ
I see panhandlers everyday standing at intersections with their signs or in one case, by Craig and Nellis, just walk up and down the median holding his stomach while limping.
These guys get money and probably a lot of money each day. Like the article says, these panhandlers are not hungry or homeless. In Las Vegas, we have some of the cheapest food and lodging anywhere in the U.S. We also have the soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food banks and more services for the homeless. It's not perfect, but at least there are services.
Sadly, I see many motorists give money to the panhandlers, enabling the panhandlers to do more panhandling. Most panhandlers are harmless, other than darting into traffic. But on the Strip and Downtown, panhandlers are more aggressive because there are more panhandlers and they are confronting visitors face to face.
And like the article state, much of the money goes for booze and drugs but the givers, for some reason, honestly believe their money is going for good.
But, the truth is that most panhandlers are not homeless nor hungry but want the money for booze and drugs. Some probably receive some kind of welfare like cash, food stamps and housing money. The people who give the money are just enabling the panhandlers and really not helping them, if the panhandlers actually want help. The panhandlers probably make too much tax free money to want help.
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