# Giving money to panhandlers/beggars/homeless on the street **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 29, 2011, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001 "2011-09-29T11:44:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/141 "2011-10-02T01:15:52Z")
Yes it is a great new age. One in which those with money can justify keeping it all to themselves . The Republican Party has spent a lot of effort convincing people that the rich are special and deserving. The poor are lesser people who deserve to suffer. It was a tough mantra to maintain without the obvious criticism that it would receive. So they dreamed up a new term’ compassionate conservative’. It is a ridiculous concept, like calling someone "tall short’. The terms do not belong together, but it was necessary to pretend they were not all about selfish money grubbing. I want to kill Social Security to help you. You should have saved enough to last 40 years. I want to end welfare so the poor will learn to help themselves and become special like me. I want to end unions because they make work appear too important. The workers deserve no rights . They are doing silly little jobs and should be paid whatever I want to give them. It won’t be much. Medical care? Why do poor deserve medical care?. it will encourage them to live and use up resources that belong to me. Street people, homeless people. Just annoyances. They are weak people who obviously are getting what they deserve, which is nothing. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/142 "2011-10-02T01:26:55Z")
[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/01/fox-host-occupy-wall-street-protestors-are-dirty-and-useless/](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/01/fox-host-occupy-wall-street-protestors-are-dirty-and-useless/) here is one of your TV people doing the same right wing crap. Thousands of people marching are declared dirty and useless by a conservative on TV. That’s the spirit. They are not even homeless. think how dirty and useless they must be? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/143 "2011-10-02T01:29:41Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I don’t understand your hypothetical at all. It’s really not that hard to understand. Where there are appeals for people to give to charities instead of directly to the homeless, do studies show that charitable contributions increase as personal handouts decrease, or do the charitable contributions stay pretty much the same when the personal handouts decrease? ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/144 "2011-10-02T01:33:50Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Yes it is a great new age. One in which those with money can justify keeping it all to themselves . The Republican Party has spent a lot of effort convincing people that the rich are special and deserving. The poor are lesser people who deserve to suffer. > It was a tough mantra to maintain without the obvious criticism that it would receive. So they dreamed up a new term’ compassionate conservative’. It is a ridiculous concept, like calling someone "tall short’. The terms do not belong together, but it was necessary to pretend they were not all about selfish money grubbing. > I want to kill Social Security to help you. You should have saved enough to last 40 years. > I want to end welfare so the poor will learn to help themselves and become special like me. > I want to end unions because they make work appear too important. The workers deserve no rights . They are doing silly little jobs and should be paid whatever I want to give them. It won’t be much. > Medical care? Why do poor deserve medical care?. it will encourage them to live and use up resources that belong to me. > Street people, homeless people. Just annoyances. They are weak people who obviously are getting what they deserve, which is nothing. Lol, and don’t forget that they are racists and anti-Semites. [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jI0OIk6yp_Q/TnfJSadia_I/AAAAAAAAExE/KDG3pwTLd00/s1600/wallst.jpg) ](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jI0OIk6yp_Q/TnfJSadia_I/AAAAAAAAExE/KDG3pwTLd00/s1600/wallst.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/145 "2011-10-02T01:40:37Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > Lol, and don’t forget that they are racists and anti-Semites. > > [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jI0OIk6yp\_Q/TnfJSadia\_I/AAAAAAAAExE/KDG3pwTLd00/s1600/wallst.jpg](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jI0OIk6yp_Q/TnfJSadia_I/AAAAAAAAExE/KDG3pwTLd00/s1600/wallst.jpg) What does that link have to do with anything we’re talking about here? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/146 "2011-10-02T13:05:35Z")
It’s a demonstration of how ridiculous **gonzomax** ’s post is. Obviously. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/147 "2011-10-02T14:21:27Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > [http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/01/fox-host-occupy-wall-street-protestors-are-dirty-and-useless/](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/01/fox-host-occupy-wall-street-protestors-are-dirty-and-useless/) here is one of your TV people doing the same right wing crap. Thousands of people marching are declared dirty and useless by a conservative on TV. That’s the spirit. They are not even homeless. think how dirty and useless they must be? I walk past them on my way to work. They do seem dirty and useless. > [@gonzomax](#): > > It is an excellent one. Your boss should give you a drug test once a month to make sure you are worthy. Those are the conditions you should expect for him giving you a job. > Note the term “giving” . That makes clear that you are being treated generously by a person more powerful. That is what you do when you judge a homeless or needy person. > Give him money or don’t, but don’t decide whether he reaches your standard of worth. My boss “gives” me money because I perform work that he needs doing to run his business. I’m not expecting him to hand me cash so I can sit around doing nothing and getting drunk all day. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/148 "2011-10-02T17:31:31Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > It’s really not that hard to understand. Where there are appeals for people to give to charities instead of directly to the homeless, do studies show that charitable contributions increase as personal handouts decrease, or do the charitable contributions stay pretty much the same when the personal handouts decrease? I literally don’t get your point at all. I understand the words but there’s no point behind them. If the First Lady suggests a course of action in a public service message does anyone listen? And you need proof of this against… what exactly? I really want to understand your point so I can address it. Beggars are generally not on my radar because I don’t frequent the “big city”. So while I am aware of their existence I need reminders to donate money because the organization I donate money to doesn’t solicit directly and I no longer belong to the organizations that would ask on their behalf. There’s nothing like TV footage of a tsunami or an earthquake to get people to send money. By that same nature, a famous person can narrate a few images and accomplish the same thing if not on the same scale. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/149 "2011-10-02T17:59:58Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Yes it is a great new age. One in which those with money can justify keeping it all to themselves . wow I had no idea the rich didn’t pay taxes. I thought it was just [Democrat](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/29/charlie-rangel-faces-jury_n_663279.html) [politicians](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38378992/ns/politics/t/sen-kerry-docks-yacht-ri-saves-taxes/) [taxing](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/30/tom-daschle-tax-problem_n_162708.html) [the](http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/alexspillius/8174427/Tim_Geithners_tax_evasion_/) [rich](http://www.brookesnews.com/theresa_heinz_kerry.html). (fill in your favorite Republican here) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/150 "2011-10-02T19:08:11Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Even better to teach people how to spend money wisely so it goes further. > > Give money directly to panhandlers and you encourage the activity. That in turn harms businesses where they frequent which lowers tax revenue. As revenues fall the first people hurt are those in social programs. > > Give the money to organizations dedicated to helping those on the street improve themselves and you encourage that activity. > > If you want to look at it from a judgment point of view then it’s better not to consider how a beggar judges you and do what is best for that person. You encourage bad activities like eating. Here we go again, presuming to teach people how to spend money wisely. They obviously are on the street because they wasted lots of money. They don’t have your understanding of handling money. perhaps you should teach classes. There were people who lost their family wealth with Madoff. Rich people were fighting to get him to agree to handle their money. Lots of them lost everything. Some of them wound up homeless. I suppose your superior wisdom would help those people out too. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/151 "2011-10-02T19:36:51Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > You encourage bad activities like eating. > Here we go again, presuming to teach people how to spend money wisely. They obviously are on the street because they wasted lots of money. They don’t have your understanding of handling money. perhaps you should teach classes. Actually I have taught people how to spend money. specifically how to buy a house and pay it off in 10 to 15 years starting from scratch. My parent taught me well. It won’t be the Taj Mahal but it will keep the rain off you when you’re unemployed. > [@gonzomax](#): > > There were people who lost their family wealth with Madoff. Rich people were fighting to get him to agree to handle their money. Lots of them lost everything. Some of them wound up homeless. I suppose your superior wisdom would help those people out too. Yes, the streets are full of panhandlers who lost their investments with Madoff. :rolleyes:. Mental issues, alcoholism and drug abuse had nothing to do with it. But I’m glad you care so much about rich people, especially when they invest in an obvious ponsi scheme out of sheer greed. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/152 "2011-10-02T19:54:18Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Actually I have taught people how to spend money. specifically how to buy a house and pay it off in 10 to 15 years starting from scratch. Generally speaking that is a really bad thing to teach someone. A mortgage is good debt, and should be kept as long as possible Of course there are situations where paying off a mortgage makes sense, but it should be the last debt to go in almost all situations, if it is paid off early at all. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/153 "2011-10-02T19:55:30Z")
All that and more MAGIVER. The streets have people who are mentally ill and can not get help. I bet they would do well with your special knowledge. There are people living in tents in lots of places. Their homes were foreclosed on. You could teach them too. Perhaps the children on the streets would do well if you held classes to teach them the special knowledge you posses. Over half the people in bankruptcy were put there due to illnesses. I bet you could teach them how not to get sick. People who worked for a company for a long time lost out when their company relocated to China. I bet you could make it swell for them too. Older workers have a very difficult time getting jobs now. But I am sure you have an answer. What" don’t get old". Don’t work for a company that offshores. or goes out of business. Your ego is misplaced and you should be embarrassed. But that can’t happen. [http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Tent-Cities-in-America-A-Lisa-Ling-Special-Report](http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Tent-Cities-in-America-A-Lisa-Ling-Special-Report) I hope it does not happen to you. It is mentally crippling and terrifying. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/154 "2011-10-02T20:44:32Z")
I don’t usually. Most of the time I don’t have the money to give them. Usually this is because my money has all gone on essentials like rent and utilities, but I also don’t feel the need to give extra when I have no money because I bought one bottle of cheap wine this week or took my daughter to the fair. This is because, when I was homeless, I would have been OK with that; just having a home is not quite enough. What I was hoping for was the chance to have a home and be able to have little luxuries like that. When my income goes above that I sometimes give to people on the street. I don’t really care if they’re going to spend it on booze or something non-essential - that’s what I would have spent it on anyway, or I couldn’t have given it, and if they choose booze over food then they clearly need it more than I do. It depends, though. Recently there’s been a man begging right next to the cashpoint next to the supermarket opposite my house. I’ve never liked begging by cashpoints - it feels overly hostile - and also, if I did give to him once he’d pester me more every time. There’s also a woman who begs by my nearest tube station that I know has a home nearby; I saw her in a shop complaining about the milk delivery to her house. they had a long discussion about it being left on her doorstep at the wrong time of day and being taken by other people. Having a _house_ where I live is actually a bit privileged, and it was definitely the same woman; exactly the same face and voice, although her accent is different when she begs, and, because I wasn’t sure and was so annoyed, I noted the clothes she was wearing, and they were the same she wore later at the tube except for a ragged blanket she holds partially concealing her quite ordinary clothes. This does not put me off giving money to other people on the street, because from past experience I know she’s atypical, but I’m never giving her another penny. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/155 "2011-10-02T20:52:34Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Generally speaking that is a really bad thing to teach someone. A mortgage is good debt, and should be kept as long as possible > > Of course there are situations where paying off a mortgage makes sense, but it should be the last debt to go in almost all situations, if it is paid off early at all. HHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaaHaHaHaHa. OMG, that is funny. If only you could have been there in 1985 when I argued with a workmate over the coming housing bubble. The people who listened to me are almost bullet proof. The world of finance is bigger than interest rates and tax deductions. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/156 "2011-10-02T22:30:25Z")
Whenever you’re trying to ‘teach’ another adult something, with instructional actions, it’s always a good idea to remind yourself that you’re not their Mama, and they’re already raised up! Seems to me, we were sent here to learn, not to instruct others to be more like us. Just my opinion, of course, could be just me. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/157 "2011-10-02T23:13:01Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > HHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaaHaHaHaHa. > > OMG, that is funny. If only you could have been there in 1985 when I argued with a workmate over the coming housing bubble. The people who listened to me are almost bullet proof. The world of finance is bigger than interest rates and tax deductions. I’m curious. What was the basis of your argument predicting an event still 23 years away? Do you have any interesting predictions for the next 25 years that we can all get rich off of? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/158 "2011-10-03T02:11:25Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I’m curious. What was the basis of your argument predicting an event still 23 years away? The price of houses rose faster than the inflation rate. Loans were being made with little down payment. Houses were being built at a rate that created a glut. > [@msmith537](#): > > Do you have any interesting predictions for the next 25 years that we can all get rich off of? invest in new skills. ---
**Author:** ![Naxos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Naxos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naxos)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/159 "2011-10-03T02:23:40Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > … Yet many people must think differently than me, because lots of people do stop to give money to these folks. > > What is your way of thinking on this? They stop and give because it’s an ego gratification gesture. They learned how to declare their superiority to others by giving money or things, from their mainly conservative and religious social groups. All conservative ideology supports this type of behavior because it helps to solidify the the status of privilege and undesirability in society. I probably have to include disclaimers like “not all… blah blah blah blah…”. The fact remains… giving handouts in our times is a direct gesture of re-enforcing inequality. Giving handouts in other times, like ancient Greece, for example, is a different story. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001/160 "2011-10-03T02:31:40Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Whenever you’re trying to ‘teach’ another adult something, with instructional actions, it’s always a good idea to remind yourself that you’re not their Mama, and they’re already raised up! A number of things wrong with this: -Information isn’t taught, it’s learned. Teaching is secondary to the event. someone has to want to learn first. -age does not make someone an adult, it just makes them eligible to vote. -you’re never “raised up”. If you’ve stopped learning you’re dead. > [@elbows](#): > > Seems to me, we were sent here to learn, not to instruct others to be more like us. Just my opinion, of course, could be just me. Seems to me we’re suppose to be responsible for ourselves at the very minimum and then work towards helping others out. Learning to be self sufficient allows someone to be independent of others and not more like them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-money-to-panhandlers-beggars-homeless-on-the-street/598001.md?page=9)