Sometimes we can walk into a room everyday for years, until one day we finally notice the walls are red. Often, the obvious is the hardest to notice, and for Madison those overlooked walls are panhandling.
In the recent mayoral race, both candidates somehow failed to address an issue that affects many students and residents daily, rightfully upsets business owners and debatably discourages tourism. Panhandling, a continuously pressing issue that has been given?? \always been there"" status, should no longer be a part of Madison's backdrop, but should be brought into Madison's limelight.
Our local government needs to take an active interest in panhandlers. We call for this action not because panhandlers cloud State Street's ambiance, but because panhandling serves as a red flag for Madison's ongoing poverty issues.
In September 2002, former Madison Mayor Sue Bauman initiated the Panhandling Work Group. Although she waited until the last eight months of her term, and the group's conclusions resulted in little more than a promise for future investigation into panhandling, Bauman at least brought some attention to the issue.
Now we ask Madison's new mayor, Dave Cieslewicz, to aggressively pursue panhandling solutions in the beginning of his term. We??urge Cieslewicz to look at panhandling as a political problem that has resulted from the systematic trimming of programs critical to serving Madison's poor and homeless.
We oppose legislation that simply prohibits panhandling. Instead, we want strategies that strive for long-term solutions by looking for why individuals are forced to the streets and deal with causes rather than symptoms. We want our city to recognize the underlying implications of panhandling; for example: poverty, poor education, mental illness, addiction and unemployment.
Now is the time for action. Summer is just weeks away, and with summer will come herds of transients that noticeably increase Madison's aggressive panhandling. Because of Madison's reputation as a liberal community that tolerates panhandling, Madison in turn attracts disrespectful transients during the summer months. A recognition of the differences that exist within the panhandling population is another necessary step to addressing the problem properly.
All of Madison would greatly benefit from our local government focusing on panhandling by creating and implementing long-term solutions focused on the individuals.
The Daily Cardinal eagerly awaits Mayor Cieslewicz and the Common Council's battle against Madison's poverty and specifically against Madison's panhandling. We strongly encourage our local government to share in our belief that panhandling is a complex political problem which deserves compassionate and immediate action.
