Miami's No-Panhandling Zone

(Pictured above, ticket sales staff of the Miami Heat that were laid off once season tickets were sold out)

Living just an hour North, my reason for visiting Miami would often be for Heat games at the American Airlines Arena. I distinctly remember one home game when a homeless man sat outside and played beats on an array of pots and pans. I recently found this article on drifters in that area and the enforcement of a "no-panhandling zone" that I wasn't aware of until now. The article dates back to December 2010, but it really stands in support of the argument that the locals of Miami really are the most neglected. In fact, one statement in particular, provided by a local Miamian herself, is a comment on the law to ban drifters in the area. "About time" the article quotes, "they scare the tourists."

I think this simple sentence really summarizes the intent of this law: to prevent the ruining of downtown Miami's image, to keep the tourists happy, and to keep people attracted to the Triple A so they will pay to see the Heat play. What I asked myself while reading this article was whether the end result of sweeping the homeless people off those specific streets and out of the way would be reality or spectacle. Spectacle in the sense that Miami would seem free of unemployment and perhaps a lot less shady, but reality in the sense that yes, there is a massive population of unemployed drifters in the area, homelessness is an issue that has been affecting the locals and isn't something you can just sweep under the rug.

The law hasn't gone unnoticed by organizations, and the article recognizes this:

"There are ethical and constitutional concerns with the no-panhandling zone. Some folks view begging for change in a nonaggressive manner as an extension of free speech. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida's director, Howard Simon, says the city commission 'has gone too far and perhaps further than permitted by law.' The Miami Coalition for the Homeless's Rita Clark calls the law a 'criminalization' of living on the street."

You can read the rest of the article to see what others have said on the issue. I find it very relevant on the discussion of treatment of locals in Miami.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-12-02/news/downtown-miami-s-no-panhandling-zone-displaces-homeless/

The image was taken from this article:

http://deadspin.com/heat-sell-out-victims/