Panhandler feud a farce
It's quite a pissing match the city has going on with panhandler Paul Braun and his lawyer. We called it a feud in a story on the latest development that ran in Wednesday’s edition of The Herald and that is also an accurate description of it – so is bizarre.
One almost has to laugh at the decidedly low-tech solution implemented this week by the city, that being placement of two waste bins where Braun likes to panhandle, except it didn’t deter him.
One can’t laugh, however, because Braun is a human being and deserves to be treated with respect. Also, this debacle is costing taxpayers thousands in legal fees, staff time and more.
It’s clear the city has bent well past backwards in an attempt to cut a deal with Braun instead of going to trial against him in September.
Offers of food vouchers, bus passes and a bed in a local shelter go well beyond what is expected of the city. But those overtures also show how desperately city staff and council want to avoid going to trial and getting buried by the avalanche of bad publicity that will accompany it – and just weeks before the next municipal election.
How else to explain the unprecedented release of the city’s final settlement offer to Braun’s lawyer? It’s unprecedented, because governments and politicians of all stripes usually take delight in clamming up about important matters ostensibly because they’re before the courts.
Clearly the city doesn’t believe its message is being heard about how it’s not the bad guy in all this.
People need to realize, however, that the city needs to be the bad guy sometimes. What’s the point of having rules if they aren’t enforced? It’s no different than letting property owners slide on the requirement to keep their sidewalks clear of ice and snow.
And this whole thing could have been avoided if the bylaw department enforced its own rules in the first place.
Are those rules fair? Probably. Were they applied fairly? Probably not. But that’s for the judge to decide.
The sad part here is Braun has been caught in the crossfire between two hard-headed lawyers who have already demonstrated in court and in the press they’re prepared to do whatever it takes to win – as they should be if they’re doing their jobs.
But releasing the plea deal and installing new waste bins hasn’t helped the city’s case, it’s only added to the farce.
While it makes for great news copy, the city should leave Braun alone until the case gets to court, which is where adults go to settle disputes.