Got Change? Panhandling ordinance back on Arcata council's agenda

White, Allison; "The Times Standard"; 3/2/10; local news; A3

How and where people ask for money in Arcata is up in the air again Wednesday as the Arcata city council takes a look at the new and revised panhandling ordinance. The gist of the ordinance is the same - to prohibit panhandling aggressively and in some areas of the city. The first proposed bill was in October but the council wanted clarification on some topics. Aggressively panhandling is defined in the ordinance as following or touching someone intentionally, using profane or aggressive language, or blocking traffic while asking for goods or money. The ordinance would also restrict where people could panhandle such as a pedestrian bridge and within 20 feet of a supermarket, intersection, ATM, parking lot, restaurant, bus shelter, retail store, or cash checking business. People who appose the ordinance make the argument that it restricts the right to freedom of speech established in the constitution. "Is there a fundamental difference between asking the time of day and asking for a dollar?" asks councilman Shane Brinton.

I don't think that the ordinance is necessary. In my limited experience, I have not seen or experienced aggressive panhandling. I have seen panhandling at intersections but it hasn't seemed to make traffic problems. If the business doesn't want to have panhandlers outside, the employees just have to ask and the panhandlers will most likely go away. I have seen this before. I actually think that panhandling outside of a store gives the panhandler an advantage because you trust them more that they will actually go and get food. If you really want to, you can watch them go into the restaurant and come out with food. Also, It seems like if you can't panhandle within 20 feet of all those businesses, there wouldn't be many places available to panhandle in. Only residential areas and I wouldn't want my neighborhood full of panhandlers.

1.) Do you think the ordinance is necessary?
2.) Have you ever seen or been aggressively panhandled?

California Appoints New Secretary of Education

Davis, Susan; Alameda Blog; February 25, 2010; Education/State
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inalameda/detail?entry_id=57951

Governor Schwarzenegger has appointed a new Secretary of Education after three weeks of the spot being vacant. The old Secretary, Glen Thomas, resigned and in the past the spot sometimes stayed vacant for months. Bonnie Reiss is a democrat and a long-time friend of governor Schwarzenegger. She was The governor's advisor from 2003 to 2007 and a State Board of Education member from 2004 to 2006. "I enthusiastically support the governor's priorities for education and his commitment to see that every child receives a great education that allows them to achieve their dreams." Reiss said.The U.S. department of Education awarded Reiss the William S. White Lifetime Achievement award in 2007 for her support of public education. She was sworn in on the 24th of February.
When Reiss says, "the Governor's priorities for education and his commitment to see that every child receives a great education." who is she referring to? Our governor has cut the education funding way, way too much already and is now proposing to cut even more. He is the last person that I would say has a priority in education. I am hoping that the new secretary will pull us out of this hole or else our generation will end up leading our whole country into a huge hole.
1.) What do you think the consequences of cutting the education budget so much?
2.) Do you think that Bonnie Reiss sounds like a good person to fill the vacant spot?