Is what some of these guys are called in New York. Aside from the incredibly filthy rags and personal saliva they use to "clean" your windshield, at least they are "trying" to provide a public service for a fee.

Pan-handling used to be a "Hippie" thing and was just what it is today, a way of getting money to pay for drugs and basic living expenses in lieu of gainful employment. A crafty "ploy" was to borrow someone's kid to get better results from panhandling. This is as old as mankind itself, and is evidenced by beggars and "begging bowls" dating back to the beginning oif recorded history.

As for the "homeless" problem, it has been with us since the dawn of time. There has always been "slackers" and people who refuse to accept their responsibility for their own lives, or to make an effort to support themselves through providing their abilities on a "for hire" basis.

The current homeless problem is a combination of those people and others who cannot function in today's complex world, combined with those who simply refuse to. As one person put it to me "Why work and pay rent, utilities, and taxes, when I can do it under the table, and avoid the paperwork and hassle?".

Another conversation with a homeless person yielded the fact that most other "homeless" people he had come in contact with could "pull-down" up to $200 a day begging, And that they used it to buy drugs...

The bottom line is that if you want to work and support yourself, there is plenty of work available to provide you with a reasonable income, if you are willing to do the work.

Otherwise, you are dooming yourself to living in the "now" in exchange for building a future...

__________________

Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."