City Limits Mass Feedings Of Homeless In Parks
POSTED: 6:34 pm EDT July 24, 2006
UPDATED: 11:17 pm EDT July 24, 2006
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando City Commissioners debated whether to limit large group feedings of the homeless in downtown parks on Monday.
Declaring that food is a "right not a privilege," the homeless and their advocates rallied outside City Hall on Monday, WESH 2 News reported.
"They're declaring war on us," said Dennis Shell, who is homeless.
Shell and dozens of other homeless people said they are grateful for daily meals at Lake Eola Park provided by a group called Orlando Food Not Bombs. They said a proposed law to limit group feedings removes their rights.
"Recently, the Supreme Court ruled being homeless is not a crime. So, that makes the Orlando City Council the criminals by passing illegal legislation," Shell said.
But city leaders said others complain the feedings leave the parks littered and promote crime.
"To not just protect one group, I have to make sure that things are fair to everyone," said Commissioner Patty Sheehan.
A rowdy, jeering crowd gathered in the commission's chambers and blamed Sheehan, the ordinance's sponsor, for trying to criminalize homelessness, but many also lined up to support it.
"They have slept on my property. They have defecated in my shrubs and urinated on my porch," said attorney Bill Scheaffer.
"I would like to enjoy the park without being harassed or wondering if I'm going to be robbed and murdered," one man told commissioners.
Others called it a bandage for a wound that needs major surgery to battle homelessness and urged a delay.
"We need to be talking about providing self-sufficiency tools to enable the homeless to become productive citizens," said Elliot Kerlin, who spoke out on behalf of the ordinance.
"The people who are being hurt the most are the ones who are least able to defend themselves," said Bob Decker of the group Ripple Effect.
The commissioners voted 5-2 on Monday night to approve the ordinance.
The city's new ordinance will limit group feedings in city-controlled parks within a two-mile radius of City Hall. It will limit those feeds to 25 people and a permit would be required, but no more than two permits will be granted to any one group.
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Central Florida News 13--July 25
Feeding The Hungry
A local group is vowing to defy Orlando's new rules against feeding the homeless.
Last night, the City Council passed new rules that require permits for anyone who wants to feed the homeless [at a public park] within two miles of City Hall.
Commissioners made the move after business owners near Lake Eola complained large homeless feedings were bringing too much crime to the area.
The group [Orlando] Food Not Bombs, which serves food every Wednesday, says it is going to ignore the new rules.
Homeless advocate [and Orlando Food Not Bombs participant] Ben Rudolph said, "We're going to keep feeding. If they pass the ordinance, we are still going to be here every Wednesday at five. Obviously, the city or law could get involved but it won't be a problem for us. We're just trying to make a stand and say, well this is what we do and this is what we're going to keep doing."
Those who violate the new law could be arrested.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is also vowing to sue the city over the new restrictions.
It looks like a good number of you do not agree with a decision by the City of Orlando.
Last night in our exclusive News 13 I-Poll we asked, "Should cities restrict the feeding of the homeless in public places?"
Of those of you who voted using your Bright House Networks Digital Remote control, or online at www.cfnews13.com, only 31 percent of you said yes.
Sixty percent said that the feeding of the homeless in public places should not be restricted.
Nine percent said it did not matter.