More Law or More Ingenuity?

The Iowa City city council is considering a more restrictive aggressive solicitation ordinance that would keep panhandlers and street musicians at least 15 feet from each other, would limit the area within the Ped Mall to something like a putting green on a miniature golf course for them to ask for help, and disallows the use of obscene language on solicitation signs. In asking the city council to reconsider the need for the more restrictive ordinance at their last meeting, I asked the members to look at current data to drive their decision, as they typically do when considering fiduciary matters. By a couple of the city council members’ own accounts they have been given no data that indicates any arrests or citations have occurred since the original aggressive solicitation ordinance was put in place over six months ago. That ordinance already prevents panhandlers from being within ten feet of store entrances and exits, fifteen feet from crosswalks, and twenty feet from ATMs, among other things.

Given as reasons to support the new ordinance is the request coming from the Downtown Association that there have been complaints by customers concerning some of the panhandlers bothering their customers and the effect is this hurts DTA businesses. Not to second guess the council or the DTA, but if there is a "problem" with aggressive panhandlers and street musicians on the Ped Mall, why aren't current laws being enforced?

The goal the City seems to be leaning toward is the systematic eradication of (or vastly limiting Ped Mall access to) those seen as "undesirable" by the business/real estate owners and others, whether they are acting in accordance with the current law or not. If the “data” that is driving their decision are the potential dollars and cents that businesses feel would come from a Disney-like public center, they should be straight forward and say so. If that is the intent, I’d go so far as suggesting that the City sell the Ped Mall to a real estate developer who could then privatize the space formally. At least then the real costs of doing business would not fall on the taxpayers.

As far as the notion that downtown is somehow unsafe? Why send the message to be afraid of downtown or the people in it. There is an old adage that works: “there is safety in numbers.” To ensure the numbers of people that are needed to support local businesses, incentive is needed to keep locals and out-of-towners discovering the specialness of downtown Iowa City. Look at what already brings people downtown: Friday night music, Saturday and Sunday night movies, art walks, theater, and festivals are all crowd pleasers. Why not work smarter to harness the power of individual creativity and community resources to convince any doubting Thomases that our downtown has a lot to offer and to support? Bring in a crowd and you won’t have to worry about a relatively small number of people.

To be clear, every businessperson is looking for a way to boost their bottom-line and that is her or his individual right. Panhandlers and business people probably at least this in common; they both want to make a living. But, as long as the Ped Mall is a public commons, the rule of law should balance a private request with the public good. The Iowa City bottom-line, in this case, should be to leave well enough alone.

Garry Klein is a member of FAIR! and Citizens for Community Improvement

Manhandlers or Panhandlers?

As the Iowa City Council will have one more vote on the extended panhandling ordinance tentatively on June 1st. Fair-minded people should ask: which is more dangerous, a panhandler with a sign or a city council that can't be swayed from a decision that they clearly do not have evidence to support the need of? The violations of the current aggressive panhandling ordinance has been numbered at zero--ZERO. This is governance of the worst sort: a solution seeking a problem.

Thankfully there are others in the Iowa City Community who share this concern and continue to organize around defeating the proposition.

If you are a resident of Iowa City or a visitor who has been on the Ped Mall, drop a note to the city council, if you share the concern that the city government is over-stepping it's bounds. Further, write a letter to the local papers and show up at the meeting. Let the government know that Iowa City is for everybody.

Editorial: Iowa City Peddling Business in the Ped Mall

I attended last night's City Council meeting and it brought out a new understanding of how Iowa City's "diverse" downtown commercial interests are ruling the roost in Iowa City. In discussing the second reading of a more stringent ordinance to limit panhandling on the Ped Mall, the majority of city council members pooh-poohed 1st amendment concerns in supporting the ordinance, the current version of which has yielded zero citations or arrests by Iowa City's Police Department. An ordinance which has resulted in council member and Ped Mall business owner, Terry Dickens in saying "things have gotten much better".

However, in the effort to continue aesthetically purifying the Ped Mall, the city council continued to support this measure to save "fragile businesses" in Iowa City, in the words of Regenia Bailey from people who are scary to their customers. And yet, DTA members also tout how safe downtown is and kid-friendly, as they did on a recent community program. Apparently taking the tack, the business of city government is business, the council voted 4 to 1 with Dickens "abstaining," Connie Champion going home sick, and Mike Wright reconfirming his vote in the negative.

In my call to make a more data driven decision, the council elected to vote with the DTA, which will not release the vote they took of their membership to push for additional restrictive measures on the public space or "commons" as David Smithers referred to them in his call for the council to reject this measure. This type of blind obedience would be par for the course several years ago, but with at least three self-described progressives on the council, it defies logic.

This defies logic in that the Ped Mall itself is a public space that has been developed as a for-profit center by the city in cooperation with business owners. By continually allowing businesses to sprawl out into the walkway area and permitting food carts, the overall effect is to limit the walking area. In so doing, the city and the businesses have, in part, been responsible for the environment they are now convinced needs to be changed.

Despite the efforts of several people, including US Senatorial candidate Tom Fiegan, the city council, members of ICCI, student organization members from the University of Iowa, the council chose to ignore the unwashed masses to dance with the ones who brung 'em. Oddly they were able to ignore the charge that other downtown businesses are equally challenged and that a likely outcome of this ordinance is to send panhandlers to other areas of the city where they are less likely to be hassled.

However all is not lost, the third and final vote will take place at the next scheduled formal council meeting which is June 1. This allows those who have been sitting on the sidelines to jump into the fray and contact their city representatives with their comments and to show up at the final vote to stand and be counted. By creating a solution in search of a problem, the city will likely get what they are saying they want to avoid--a downtown devoid of vibrancy.

"End the War" Signs at Friday Night Concert in Iowa City Tonight

From Americans Against Escalation in Iraq


The "Support the Troops, End the War" yard sign drive sponsored by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq's 'Iraq Summer' Campaign will come to Iowa City on Friday and Fort Dodge, Mason City, and Marshalltown on Saturday as part an ongoing effort to convince Senator Chuck Grassley and U.S. Representative Tom Latham to change course and vote for the safe and responsible redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq. With the goal of planting over 6,000 yard signs throughout Iowa, 'Iraq Summer' officially launched the effort in Altoona last month in the yard of Dr. Larry Koenig, a lifelong Republican who served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and whose daughter and son joined the United States Army.

"Iraq Summer" is a nationwide, 10-week long campaign with nearly 100 organizers in 15 states and 40 congressional districts to turn up the heat on Members of Congress who have opposed setting a timeline to bring a safe and responsible end to the war in Iraq. The effort will culminate with a national "Take a Stand" day on August 28th, when Members of Congress will have the opportunity to explain their stance on the war to their constituents in a town hall setting.

WHO: Americans Against Escalation in Iraq's 'Iraq Summer' Campaign

WHAT: "Support the Troops, End the War" Yard Sign Drive Comes to a Town Near You

WHERE/WHEN:

1) Friday, August 17: 6 -9 pm

Iowa City - Ped Mall at the Friday Night Concert Series (Corner of Dubuque and Washington Streets) 1000 signs expected to be distributed at this event

2) Saturday, August 18: 11AM – 2PM

Fort Dodge: City Square, 424 Central Avenue, Fort Dodge, IA

John Slaight 202-423-5693

3) Saturday, August 18: 11 am – 1 pm

Mason City: Labor Temple, 510 South Pennsylvania Avenue, Mason City, IA

Liam Gallagher 202-904-7212

4) Saturday, August 18: 10 am – Noon

Anson Park, 301 E. Anson, Marshalltown, IA

Amethyst Polk, 202-423-3542

5) Every day, August 15 - 19 4-8 pm

3214 University, Des Moines, Iowa

Across from the State Fairgrounds

Iowa City Cafes Go to Pot (Actually to Planters)

From The Gazette

IOWA CITY - The City Council unanimously approved Thursday the second and third votes necessary to change an ordinance to allow sidewalk cafes that encompass the Pedestrian Mall's planters.

It also voted 7-0 to grant a permit to Saloon to become the first restaurant to put a cafe in a planter, which are the raised sections of the Pedestrian Mall that have trees and other greenery. Other permits will be granted on a case-by-case basis and reviewed annually.

There had been some opposition to the plan by people who feared losing green space in the Pedestrian Mall and the possibility of the cafes turning into beer gardens. But the council ultimately endorsed the concept as innovative.

The end game is that the city makes money from leasing the space. I'd like to see that money earmarked for an extra public safety officer, as I'm guessing the change to the Ped Mall is going to call for it. I'm mixed about this decision, but I'd say give it a year and then let's decide if this was a good idea.