After several months of debate about panhandling on city streets, the Tampa City Council today voted 4-3 on a "partial ban" of panhandlng, on major Tampa roads like Dale Mabry, Gandy, Kennedy, Fowler & Fletcher Avenues.
Voting for the ordinance was Chairman Thomas Scott, Curtis Stokes, Gwen Miller and Mary Mulhern, who had been a steadfast opponent of such an ordinance.
Mulhern had said that until she saw hard evidence that there were safety issues at play, she wasn't prepared to shut the door on the less fortunate, but today Tampa police and transportation officials speaking before the council said that the issue had now became a danger to public safety.
Her vote came on the same day that both of her District 2 challengers for city council, Susan Long and Scott Strepina, spoke out critically about the council- and Mulhern's – lack of supporting such a ban (read more on that below).
Remaining opposed to such a measure was Charlie Miranda, who said such a partial ban was not in any way addressing the problem, but simply how to get rid of it.
Tampa Police Captain John Bennett said the TPD is handling nearly 3 calls of service a day to deal with solicitors on city streets, and said that having people walk out onto intersections untrained is an increased risk for the public.
Voting against the measure was Joseph Caetano, who said he was still holding out for a complete ban on panhandling everywhere, mentioning sites in his New Tampa district (such as on Cross Creek Boulevard and New Tampa Boulevard) that needed to be addressed.
Meanwhile, that vote came hours after Seminole Heights activist Susan Long, who qualified for running in the Tampa City Council in District 2 last Friday because she said of her frustration with the council's refusal to act, issued a press release this morning, elaborating on her disdain with the lack of action at City Hall, as did her other opponent in her bid for re-election on March 1, Scott Strepina.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2011.