Letter: Why does Richland allow panhandling?

Why does the city of Richland allow panhandling? If you offer any of those panhandlers dog food when they have a pet with them, they say no. I have offered them loaf of bread and lunchmeat and chips and bottle of water when coming out of a grocery store and been told no every time.

All they want is money. So shouldn’t they have to get a business license to panhandle? Looks like a scamming business to me. If you watch most of them closely they will get in nice cars and drive off when done for the day. I’ve seen the lady up at Walmart get up and push her wheelchair over to another spot or across the street by McDonalds, then sit back down and put out her sign. The panhandlers with pets, where is the animal control when they have their pets out in that super cold weather or in the summer in the hot heat.

I guess it’s much easier to stand or sit all day long with a sign than to get a job. Oh and don’t have to pay taxes either.

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Letter: Why does Richland allow panhandling?."