Quote:
Originally Posted by paulandjean
See no problem with these panhhandlers.They are not filling up our jails,we do not have to house,feed and guard them. They do not fill up our court dockets. I am sure the police,are glad they do not have to handle these complaints. Leave them alone.More power to them if they make that kind of money. Really do you think 50-60 thousand.? I do not.
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Years ago I had to fly to NOLA every month for the Marine Corps. I noticed the same guy under the same overpass near my hotel every time. I mentioned it to one of the permanent staff and he showed me an article from the paper concerning these people. Seems a new arrival in NOLA, down on his luck, decided to panhandle and chose the same spot as another. A fight started and the cops were called. Turns out the panhandlers essentially had a guild, with locations determined and protected. One guy they interviewed claimed he was making about $50K tax free. he had a family and a house. He considered it his occupation. He was self-employed and worked the hours he wanted. Since he had a prime location (under an overpass), he was sheltered from the hot sun and the rain. If it was too cold, he cut his day short. He claimed he earned more this way than if employed and had no taxes withheld. The thing that bothered me was that his wife and kids were on assistance.
Now, I don't mean to imply those on 441 are taking in that kind of money, or that they are anything more than what they appear. But there are "professional" panhandlers out there.