'We hear it from visitors that (Seattle) has a problem'
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SEATTLE -- When she first moved to Seattle a year ago with her 8-year old son, Ilse Harley noticed one major thing: for a beautiful city, it sure had some ugly moments.
"I think Seattle is magnificent. It has so much to offer," she said, standing outside the Four Seasons Hotel downtown, where she is the general manager, "but I get stopped consistently and aggressively. It's a detraction, and it's disappointing."
It was a sentiment echoed by her guests, who are both tourists and locals alike. So much so that Harley forwarded a recent letter one from one of them to tourism officials. The note, from a former resident of Seattle, talked about aggressive panhandling, homelessness, and filth.
The note is now part of the "See it, Send it" campaign, launched last week by Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau. The initiative asks business owners and merchants - 20 tourism industry leaders on the CVB board of directors - to snap photos and send descriptions of unwanted activity to city officials.
"We hear it from visitors that we have an issue. We have a problem," said Tom Norwalk, president and CEO of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We've heard from a lot of our members that the conditions and the activity on the street - and it's a wide range of things - has gotten worse, not better."
Norwalk says aggressive panhandling, street crime, and cleanliness make up most of the problem, adding that deceptive panhandlers are also an issue. He says a businessman recently photographed two different panhandlers on the waterfront at different points in the day, both using the same exact wheelchair and the same exact sign.
But addressing the problem of the city's less fortunate requires a more proactive approach and a greater investment in social services, argue homeless advocates.
"My first reaction was, here we go again. I mean, this comes up cyclically. I've seen this kind of thing come and go for the last 20 years," said Tim Harris, founding director for "Real Change" newspaper. "We're like every other city, where there are far too many poor people and far too few resources for them."
"I have a lot more sympathy for the person who is spending the night on the street who doesn't have anywhere to go to the bathroom," he said, "than I do somebody who is staying in a $400-a-night hotel who doesn't want to run into a panhandler when they're out shopping."
After last week's launch of the campaign, Seattle's mayor sent a lengthy email to city and county leaders saying police will follow-up with any reports of criminal activity and arguing that tourism is up in the city. He also pointed to the Center City Initiative - launched this year - and programs proposed in next year's budget that will help at-risk residents and mental health patients.
Harley, who has lived in Boston, Atlanta, and New York City, hopes the campaign will help her new city - even if it's just in a small way. If not, she argues, tourism - which is a $6 billion dollar industry annually for Seattle - will suffer.
"(Our guests) do love Seattle. I think the shame and the surprise for me is that it doesn't live up to its potential. When they leave, they're surprised that it's not as clean as it should be," she said. "This should be a destination where people return over and over again."
"I think Seattle is magnificent. It has so much to offer," she said, standing outside the Four Seasons Hotel downtown, where she is the general manager, "but I get stopped consistently and aggressively. It's a detraction, and it's disappointing."
It was a sentiment echoed by her guests, who are both tourists and locals alike. So much so that Harley forwarded a recent letter one from one of them to tourism officials. The note, from a former resident of Seattle, talked about aggressive panhandling, homelessness, and filth.
The note is now part of the "See it, Send it" campaign, launched last week by Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau. The initiative asks business owners and merchants - 20 tourism industry leaders on the CVB board of directors - to snap photos and send descriptions of unwanted activity to city officials.
"We hear it from visitors that we have an issue. We have a problem," said Tom Norwalk, president and CEO of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We've heard from a lot of our members that the conditions and the activity on the street - and it's a wide range of things - has gotten worse, not better."
Norwalk says aggressive panhandling, street crime, and cleanliness make up most of the problem, adding that deceptive panhandlers are also an issue. He says a businessman recently photographed two different panhandlers on the waterfront at different points in the day, both using the same exact wheelchair and the same exact sign.
But addressing the problem of the city's less fortunate requires a more proactive approach and a greater investment in social services, argue homeless advocates.
"My first reaction was, here we go again. I mean, this comes up cyclically. I've seen this kind of thing come and go for the last 20 years," said Tim Harris, founding director for "Real Change" newspaper. "We're like every other city, where there are far too many poor people and far too few resources for them."
"I have a lot more sympathy for the person who is spending the night on the street who doesn't have anywhere to go to the bathroom," he said, "than I do somebody who is staying in a $400-a-night hotel who doesn't want to run into a panhandler when they're out shopping."
After last week's launch of the campaign, Seattle's mayor sent a lengthy email to city and county leaders saying police will follow-up with any reports of criminal activity and arguing that tourism is up in the city. He also pointed to the Center City Initiative - launched this year - and programs proposed in next year's budget that will help at-risk residents and mental health patients.
Harley, who has lived in Boston, Atlanta, and New York City, hopes the campaign will help her new city - even if it's just in a small way. If not, she argues, tourism - which is a $6 billion dollar industry annually for Seattle - will suffer.
"(Our guests) do love Seattle. I think the shame and the surprise for me is that it doesn't live up to its potential. When they leave, they're surprised that it's not as clean as it should be," she said. "This should be a destination where people return over and over again."
We took our teen to Seattle for the first time over this past summer to experience the sites. Spending the weekend in Seattle, we knew we would see all the beauty and diversity that the city had to offer. As adults, who have traveled extensively, we knew that this was a perfect time to discuss with our teen the differences of "the haves and the have notsâ who live in a larger metro. city. We did experience people sleeping on the street, people asking for food or money and other obvious behavior of those who are less fortunate due to financial circumstances and/or mental illness. Our teen responded to each situation with patience, kindness and understanding that even though we may not be able to help everyone...a kind word and a smile is almost never lost on those who are less fortunate. Our teen even felt compelled to offer a homeless man a burger from a meal we had purchased. This was something we've taught...never give money, for it may be used for drugs/alcohol but an offer of an extra meal you may have is ok. Our teen's willingness to show kindness, understanding, as well as a willingness and compassion not to judge those less fortunate filled our hearts.
HOWEVER,I CAN NOT SAME THE SAME WHEN as a parent my level of patience and understand fell short and turned first to protectiveness and then straight to anger mode when 2 difference occasions happened to my family that weekend:
1) At less than a block from the train station, as we were getting into a cab, a man grabbed my husband's arm as he was opening the back door for our teen. He was asking for money and when my husband said, sorry but no, he held onto my husband's arm...luckily my husband, a extensively trained military man, made his presence understood and stared the man down. Scary as it was for me as a wife, it was terrifying for our teen. Once we were on our way, the cab driver calmly said that this man's behavior is the norm not the exception in Seattle and the surrounding areas. We were then given a short, instructive conversation about places to stay clear of, even during the day. The second example may shock most parents as it did us.
2) We took our teen to the local Barnes and Noble store to shop for books our last night there before leaving the city. We noticed a police presence but thought nothing of the security in the store. When we made a stop into the bathroom, another person who was obviously on the down and out (due to the scabs on their face, clothing attire and unfortunate body odor) came in to use the facilities. Within a few moments I heard the sound of a lighter being used from behind the stall they had entered, then began to hear he sounds of someone sucking on a pipe or something and then began to smell the most disgusting smell. I quickly ordered our teen to hurry up and got us out of the bathroom. Once out of the facility and back into the safety of the bookstore, we saw the other person quickly exit out of the bathroom and they took off for the main exit of the store. I found the police officer and explained to him what happened. His response shocked me. He said that was the reason he was there. That the bookstores were one of the few places that the homeless could go to public bathrooms and hide to do drugs. Here I was trying to teach our child compassion and now we were being exposed to danger in something as wholesome as a bookstore. Not only did the officer not seem surprised, he seemed unable to do anything due to the fact that he had not witnessed the crime of drug use. Something has to be done. I am not saying that there should not be compassion but there has to be ways to protect our young people and visitors that come into the city from being accosted and put into dangerous situations. There has to be a way to promote a better way of life, protecting not only those who are less fortunate but others in the city without turning a blind eye to all the ugliness that is rising to the surface. Please reach out to those in charge of local and state governments and make them see what the rest of the State of Washington already knows...something has got to be done before the dark side is all anyone sees when visiting Seattle and the surrounding cities!
I live in the Smokey Point area of Marysville/Arlington. I am seeing so many more panhandlers here now and they are becoming very agressive. You see the typical young women and men using their cell phones, smoking cigarettes and "shift changes" you see in the city.If they can afford cell phones and cigarettes business must be pretty good.  I usually try to just ignore them but when they hold signs saying "disabled vet" that is when I get angry! I tell them to go to the Everett Vet Center if they are truly a veteran and homeless. They just look at you with a dumbfounded look on their face. I am willing to bet none of them holding a sign saying they are veterans have ever sworn the oath of enlistment!
It used to happen in Puyallup at the off ramp of 512 and Canyon. There were 3 or 4 people and you would see one person walk up take the sign and the other person would walk off. It would happen at the same time of day. They had a shift change just like people that actually work. Puyallup banned panhandlers. Seattle could do something if they wanted too. They should offer bus tickets to sunny southern California. Just promise them warmth and sun. I'm sure they could get a lot of the trash walking down town streets. We only go to downtown Seattle if absolutely necessary because of the crime and aggressive panhandlers.Â
@Luciferian So the way to fix the homeless population is to send them somewhere else? Nothing quite like passing the buck instead of a firm "I don't carry cash" while watching the fish throwers at Pike Place.
The problem as I see it is our social services are actually creating a dependence on their services with a certain sector of the population. Anyone taken into these programs should show a willingness to change if given a handup otherwise it's just a waste of taxpayer money. Those who choose to live this lifestyle should
not be using up precious resources that could help those who truly just need temporary help to get past their
circumstances.
 @Jatok I agree 100%!  where is the incentive to work when you get free food (Union Gospel Mission/Hot food under I-5 A Cherry St), free bus tickets (courtesy of people who pay car tabs in King county), etc.  Enough is enough!  I think war should be declared on homelessness!  Make it illegal. My solution to this problem is to round up these folks, put them in a controlled isolated environment to get the help they supposedly need, and go from there.
Wow KOMO you deleted my comment......   you must be part of the media that leans to the left
nothing is going to ever happen to clean up this city as long as Mayor Sierra Club and his Liberal tree hugging Cronies are sitting the Seattle City counsel... Its always going to smell like urine and feces... you will always have agressive deceptive panhandlers, shady drug dealers, strung out heroin addicts, tweekers,  pushy cab drivers, and crazies on leave from the local mental hospital who have forgotten to take there medication... When is enough enough.... lets put the hammer down and clean up our city!!!!
 @ufrigginkiddin Agree!  These urban outdoor campers feel entitled to free everything. Where is the incentive to work when someone else does the heavy lifting for you?
These stories about panhandlers are nothing new & happen ALL OVER the US - it's happened to me in Florida, Tulsa, pretty much everywhere I've lived, and it's been going on for YEARS. The old "gas money" trick has been around for ages. Adopting a street corner has been mentioned before. But these aren't honest people down on their luck. They just want YOUR money to support THEIR habit. Just try & point them in the direction of the nearest church or Salvation Army - their reaction will tell you if they really NEED help!!! The people I feel sorry for are the SUCKERS who are fooled into giving them money!!!
Good luck getting anything done about this, when this is the attitude:
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"I have a lot more sympathy for the person who is spending the night on the street who doesn't have anywhere to go to the bathroom," he said, "than I do somebody who is staying in a $400-a-night hotel who doesn't want to run into a panhandler when they're out shopping."
Is panhandling illegal in Seattle? Luckily where I live, we don't see much of panhandlers however I have been accosted a couple times by people wanting money. Both times were when I was pumping gas.
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Oh and once I had a guy show up in my neighborhood going around to every house asking for money. It was really hot that day so my kids and I were outside enjoying the nice weather and I couldn't really hide from him. He said that his car ran out of gas a few miles up the road and he had no way of getting home. Said his wife and infant daughter were waiting in car. After he told me his story I felt bad so I tried to give him a 2 gallon gas can half full of gas and he turned it down saying that he didn't think they would let him on the bus with the gas can. Hmmm, ok. Whatever. I even offered to drive him back to his car but he declined. Something didn't seem right but he went on his way.
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I've seen that POS multiple times since then a few blocks down the road at some suspected drug houses. They are always hanging outside. This is exactly why I NEVER give money to someone. I will buy you a cold Gatorade on a hot day, I will give you a gas can half full of gas for your supposed car that ran out up the road but I will NEVER give a stranger money. I've had to restain myself from stopping to give that guy a piece of my mind. The only thing that stops me is he might remember where I live.
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I agree with @1 Voice's comment below. I think he had an excellent idea. Have the homeless adopt a street or corner and have them keep it clean. I wouldn't have a problem donating to someone like that who is actually working for their donations.
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I was with my kids, walking up to Pike Market from the waterfront and there were 2 ppl huffing paint on the stairs. Homeless, with all their worldly goods, huffing paint. Paint all over their faces, hands, clothes. Explaining that to my young children was one of the most painful things that I have had to do to date. I HATE going downtown, and I HATE going downtown because of this perfect example.
Every week day I walk from the train station to Madison. Every day I get hit upon on every street and a few times in P Square. In the afternoons, it's doubled. I used to walk around with a few dollars in quarters so I would have something to give each person. After a few years I started to realized that I was handing out about twenty dollars a week. That's over a thousand a year in pocket change. A thousand dollars that could have been spent on myself, or my family, or a charity that might actually do some good. Between that, and the increasingly aggressive attitude I was getting from the houseless because I would only give them a quarter, I have stopped giving any change, no matter how creative the hard luck story. We have made it so a large group of people have no motivation to improve their situation. Why should a guy get cleaned up and look for a job? He can stand at a freeway entrance with a sign and make more than minimum wage, and never have to worry about drug tests, or dress codes, or customer service. We need to start making it a little harder for these guys to make a career out of it.
4Sâs Isle Harley and Seattleâs Convention and Visitors Bureau are right when what is happening on the street is a distraction. Those tourism officials might want to add prostitution to those problems that continue to plague our downtown community.
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On any given night in the ART Lounge you can encounter upscale ladies of the night. While these very attractive gals, attired in designer outfits and can easily be mistaken for a business professional sipping on a cocktail, after a long day at the office.
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In all fairness we have a community that seemingly tolerates the worldâs oldest profession to thrive in upscale lounges at hotels, Baka, Edgewater and many more. Everybody knows about it; simply ask a doorman, taxi driver or bartender and they will point the tourist in the right direction.
Having spent a lot of time commuting to and from Seattle via train or bus, then walking the rest of the way to my office, the aggressive pan handlers were a nightmare and walking through the pungent scent of human urine was nauseating.Â
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Not a day passed without a stranger accosting and/or attempting to stop me and some would even try the blitz attack - suddenly walking right next to me or grabbing my arm to stop me so they could ask for money.Â
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It was especially disturbing at night, trying to get home. There was no bus in front of my building so I was obliged to walk several blocks to either catch as bus or to the train station. I cannot count the number of times people stepped out of the darkness and stepped in front of me or approached me while I was waiting for the light to change, I got into the habit of moving as quickly as possible on the street and one night a large man who was walking toward me suddenly jumped in front of me and when I stepped to the side to continue on, he jumped in front of me again, forcing me to run for it.
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When people are obviously walking toward a destination like to work in the morning or heading home at the end of the day and at a brisk pace) and a stranger steps in front of them on the street trying to force them to stop, it's harrassment.Â
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One guy actually followed me into the Columbia tower lobby in the middle of the day, demanding that I give him some cash.  He was about 25 and appeared fit, so I pointed out that if he asked for an application from any of the businesses inside, there's a good chance that he could get hired. His response was cussing me out screaming at the top of his lungs, calling me every know expletive in English.
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While there are people who have fallen on hard times and are working hard through programs and channels to resolve their circumstances, there are those who've chosen to blame society for their choices, feeling entitled to accost and even rob people on the street.  Talk about profiling: the panhandlers focus on people they think might have cash so anyone dressed in a business suit is fair game.
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or how about homeless folks 'adopt' a corner or small area where they beg, keep it clean and free of litter and graffiti - THEN I'll gladly give you 20$!!!! Holsd up a sign - "this underpass kept clean by the beggars of 123st street! let's create some pride! - and a reason to try!
@1 Voice I like that idea. Getting the homeless involved in helping to maintain their city is a great idea and could lead to helping them find employment with the city.
I lived in a central Texas town where the panhandling became an aggressive nuicance to the working citizens. A law was passed making panhandling illegal within the city limits. It worked great! If you really need a place to stay and a me al - panhandle and get arrested and go to jail - 3 hots and a cot!
I live downtown and it doesn't seem as bad the last few months as it was in 2011, then again the regualrs know not to ask me for money. I didn't bust my butt for 40 hours all week to throw my earnings into your slurpee cup. I donate food to charities and shelters, there are good people that are homeless that are not mentally able to care for themselves and more often than not they're nice and leave you alone. But then there are the ones like the lady who fake cries and asks for money for menstrual pads and if someone tries to give her one she stops crying, throws it on the ground and starts the whole act up again as soon as someone else comes along. A good, strong "no thank you"  to anything they're saying to you and briskly walking past them usually does the trick if they're really hassling you. It shouldn't have to come to that, but it doesn't mean they should be all grouped in with people who do this. Ones that are aggressively trying to get something from you should be delt with, there's no single solution for all homeless people. It's easy to criticize when you're mentally stable, at least remember that you're talking about other living human beings whether them being out there is their own fault or not.
Here's the solution to panhandling and homelessness:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/jjj/
Everything else contributes the cycle of parasitism and self-defeating dependancy.
Why is it so easy to take cheap shots at those less fortunate, regardless if that misfortune(s) is deliberate or circumstantial? Here in Seattle we sort of enjoy applauding ourselves because of our niceness, all inclusive rhetoric, and cultural prowess. The reality is, behind closed doors we are a very bitter and spiteful population.
 @Harrison The reason it's easy to take cheap shots at these urban outdoor campers is because they deserve it.  It's ironic that these urban outdoor campers depend on us folks who you say applaud ourselves.  You work from the perception that all these campers are the type who through circumstances beyond their control, they are homeless.  I call BS.  I would say that 90% of these campers are people who are F-ups who made a lot of bad decisions, and now they want and expect our help.  How is it it in this day and age that we reward people who are screw ups, but we ignore the people who are not?
 @Harrison This phrase "less fortunate" is not an honest description of the vast majority of homeless. "Less fortunate" makes it sound like they had no part in creating their reality which isn't true. Those who are hard working and honest and have fallen on tough times make up a slight percentage of panhandlers.
@Harrison
Every week day I walk from the train station to Madison. Every day I get hit upon on every street and a few times in P Square. In the afternoons, it's doubled. I used to walk around with a few dollars in quarters so I would have something to give each person. After a few years I started to realized that I was handing out about twenty dollars a week. That's over a thousand a year in pocket change. A thousand dollars that could have been spent on myself, or my family, or a charity that might actually do some good. Between that, and the increasingly aggressive attitude I was getting from the houseless because I would only give them a quarter, I have stopped giving any change, no matter how creative the hard luck story. We have made it so a large group of people have no motivation to improve their situation. Why should a guy get cleaned up and look for a job? He can stand at a freeway entrance with a sign and make more than minimum wage, and never have to worry about drug tests, or dress codes, or customer service. We need to start making it a little harder for these guys to make a career out of it.
@BobDobbs
My suggestion is take that extra thousand dollars a year and spend it on you, your family your church. In none of my responses do I endorse giving money to anybody standing on a street corner.
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I am attempting to do is highlight the hypocrisy when we as a community have conversation on this topic.
@Harrison Because hard work is hard, and handing money earned through hard work to someone capable of work, but who refuses to work, frustrates people. Compound that by every street corner you walk past, and eventually that frustration becomes annoyance, annoyance leads to anger, and anger leads to hate (to borrow a phrase); the unending stream of parasites eventually leads to rejection and action.
@EastSideTony
Thanks Tony and I appreciate your perspective. Truth be told Iâve never had a problem or seldom approached by panhandlers.
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The guys and gals engaged that type activity donât tend to approach tall, dark and handsome Negro fellows like myself.
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Hereâs another chuckle for you, those voter petition folks outside of Trader Joeâs NEVER approach or ask me for a signature.
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LOL, no worries, itâs a Black thing.
@Harrison OMG...that's my laugh out loud for the day.
 @Smokin Bear  @Harrison  @EastSideTony OMG Too Funny! Have a great day
@Harrison @EastSideTony - I think it's that you're tall. Â
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I understand that in general, people are psychologically intimidated by tall people and less likely to harrass a bigger person, unless they have "short person syndrome"...so size does matter...HAHAHAHA
One of the reasons I returned to Seattle after going to school in San Diego was because of attitudes like this. I've lived here 30 years and haven't seemed to have many problems with "aggressive panhandlers." The attitude that these people are creepy or smelly is sad. There's a reason they don't smell good. They're living on the streets. Compassion is a dying art in today's world.
 @makeadifference Compassion?  I have compassion for the person who is working hard  to make their lives better, not for the urban outdoor camper who wants you or I to do the heavy lifting for them.  Compassion only goes so far; these campers have worn out their welcome as far as I am concerned.
 @makeadifference Compassion is not an art form, any more than a kid falling down a well is a hero. Wait until you've been harrassed and brow beaten for not giving enough a few times. Then talk to me about compassion.
Nothing has changed. When I first moved out here in 1980 I parked in the former Kingdom parking lot and walked through Pioneer Square M-F for a class on 2nd ave...I saw things that up until then I had only seen on the cover of magazines like Life. Seattle is a FREAK show. Nothing has changed. Â
Why is everyone upset?? The homeless like being homeless (not all but many) - they are living the Obama Liberal Democrat Progressive dream - it's just that their dream is not very big and they are happy with that . ALL they want is the FREE RIDE!! They are ENTITLED to live like they want and ENTITLED to do what they want... Isn't that what you Liberal Progressive Democrats taught them??
Washifornia.
I see the problem, but I don't have a clue what the solution is. I disagree with throwing money at the problem. Here in little Port Angeles we also have the problem. Twice a year here there is a group that puts on a program in a gym here that tells the homeless what services are available. Social services comes, several government agencies and the churches. There are enough churches giving meals on separate days that the homeless can eat four times a week. One of the churches gives out lunch bags with donated food. I have seen the homeless go thru these bags and separate out what they want, "I don't like tuna, I don't like cheese and crackers, is this the only kind of cookies you have?" Safeway and Albertsons donate food to our local food bank. Set outside a food bank and watch, it is a learning experience.
Downtown Seattle has turned into a disgusting place. Â No need to visit anymore. Â There are so many other clean places outside the city to vacation. Â
It's not just Seattle, and it's not a recent problem. 25 years ago in San Diego, it was this bad. The Mayor had a meeting with a homeless group and told them that she would help any of them find work, all they had to do was come to her office and ask. They boo'd her out of the building. They didn't want jobs. They wanted an old hotel turned into free housing. Sure changed my outlook on the whole situation.
 @glynesÂ
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I remember that! Â Mayor O'Connor I think.
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My beef with Seattle isn't the panhandlers, it's the charity beggars that step in front of you and want to shake your hand and be your friend.  I walk four blocks through Westlake every day.  I buy Real Change from the guy on the corner of 2nd and Pike whenever I can, because that man works hard. I tell the charity beggars to leave me alone.
It doesn't get handled because we approve new arena deals and waste money on other things.
@BVU07mazdaguy Yea, Safeco and Centry West didn't clean the area up at all... said no one ever.
The fact that downtown Seattle has turned into a cess pool was one of the top 5 reasons I took earlry retirement and left Seattle.
stop feeding them...Â
It's out in the suburbs too. Just about every freeway off ramp up and down 405 has someone sitting at the end holding a sign. Always the same people too. Obviously this is more lucrative for them than getting a regular job. This all started about the same time when the roving homeless camp started moving around King County. It attracts professional free loaders. If you stop giving they will go away.Â
 @ErichBritton Yep, there are 3 or 4 guys that take turns on corners in Totem Lake too. I felt sorry for them until I noticed that they all can afford cigarettes and Starbucks.
I use the Pioneer Square bus tunnel station. Up the stairs onto 3rd Ave by the Courthouse, it reeks of urine every morning, there is expectorate everywhere up and down 3rd Ave, litter, drug sales outside the courthouse. Someone had poo'd twice a couple weeks ago. Someone, not a dog. The aggressive panhandlers in every block, especially the ones that act all weird asking for money but completely change persona when they meet up with a friend.
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I go to other cities and hear complaints about aggressive panhandlers but I never actually see many of them. I don't see litter, there is no urine smell. Seattle has an unusually high level of tolerance for this, and that will, of course, attract even more.Â
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Seattle, aka 'Free-attle' is a magnet for this activity. The more you provide, the more you create dependency. I don't mind spending resources on the homeless, but have some rules, make some demands, and teach some of these people 'how to fish' so they can return to a more productive life. Others clearly need mental assistance and support. But I do think they are capable of handling some simple rules in exchange. Faith-based organizations are doing a pretty good job with food, shelter and yes, faith-based counseling which is what some of them need. Maybe the government should just get out of the way and stop trying to throw money at the problem.
To paraphrase that great and archetypal "compassionate conservative" - Herbert Hoover - "Many persons have left their jobs for the more profitable one of holding cardboard signs requesting 'help'."
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Yeah... sure... that works.
You can add Queen Anne to that list of places. I can't even count the times that one of those losers is hanging outside Dick's every time I go there. There has even been times where they've actually come in. One of them was even panhandling right there at the counter addressing customers till one of the employees had to throw the bum out!
 @Zoso That's the same in-your-face bum behavior I personally experienced many times on the East Coast. Same thing, waiting in line to buy coffee or whatever, with a filthy bum standing right there who is staring at the money exchange the whole time while you paid the guy behind the counter, who of course did nothing, and the cops did nothing either.