Hey buddy, spare a dime?

I had an interesting discussion with Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker and Police Chief Chris Burbank the other day about panhandling on downtown streets.

I was struck by how things never really change. Seventeen years ago, I had the same conversation with then-Mayor Deedee Corradini. She, and the Downtown Alliance, started a campaign to encourage people to donate to shelters and other service providers instead of giving to panhandlers. And now the city and the Downtown Alliance have launched virtually the same program again.

This time, they have a Web site

The city also is considering an ordinance that would aim to restrict panhandling to certain places, and that would prohibit people from claiming to be something they aren’t (such as a disabled veteran).

This would be impossible to enforce — something Chief Burbank acknowledged. He also said restricting panhandling to certain areas could create a host of unintended consequences.

Other cities are dealing with the same issue right now. Here a story from Portland, Ore. Here’s one, complete with a video, from Rochester, Min. Here’s one from Atlanta.

The city naturally wants to keep its downtown vibrant, and it worries that panhandlers scare away tourists and local shoppers. But panhandlers are people, and people have constitutional rights. I don’t think you can make it a crime to ask a question. Somewhere, there is a line between asking and demanding, and that is where the law should focus.

But I don’t see how a city can outlaw the problem of “professional” pandlers without running afoul of all our rights.

What do you think?