By Ernest Hooper, Metro Columnist
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The more panhandling bans become the ordinance du jour in the Tampa Bay area, the more the phrase "unintended consequences" rises to the forefront.
Already, newspaper hawkers and charity solicitors have become collateral damage even though there are provisions that could be made to accommodate their legitimate efforts.
Panhandling problems are real, but expedient actions more influenced by political popularity than thoughtful approaches will not yield long-term solutions. …
As a comical aside, it's worth nothing that my friend's daughter thought the whole panhandling debate was about people from Tallahassee and northwest Florida. Think about it. …
The Better Business Bureau says scammers are targeting area small businesses by overpaying with a credit card or check and then asking for the extra money to be wired to a third party. They tend to focus on caterers, including a friend in Tampa ...