KEY POINTS:
Paul Goldsmith's like a dog with a bone when it comes to homeless people. Backed by his fellow Citizen and Ratepayers councillors, he wants to introduce a bylaw forcing homeless people off Auckland's inner-city streets.
Remember back in September when Paul first started banging on about the bag people? He felt it was unacceptable for vagrants to be seen on the streets, and that he was acting on behalf of Aucklanders who considered them a blight on the city.
Please don't bother acting on my behalf, Paul. I don't want a bylaw to be introduced that will punish people for sleeping rough. There are already laws to cover antisocial behaviour, so if some of the boys and girls do anything silly or nasty, then they will be dealt with by the police.
Goldsmith says it's not about demonising the homeless or punishing them. Really? I thought if bylaws were breached, people were punished, usually in the form of a fine. And if the council tries to impose fines on the 100 or so homeless they estimate roam the city, then all that will happen is that the unpaid fines tab will rise and the homeless will continue sleeping rough.
According to the Auckland City Council's website, the homeless are some of the most vulnerable people in the city and need support and practical help to find a more secure way of living. How does a bylaw banning people from sleeping rough fit into the council's blueprint?
Goldsmith says there are numerous complaints about the tramps from Aucklanders, and they have a duty to respond to those complaints. I'd love to know what, exactly, the complaints consist of. I bet most of them are complaints founded on prejudice.
These men and women don't look nice or tidy - some of them pong a bit, and occasionally they'll shout out the odd comment that may or may not make sense.
So what? They're a part of our community and a reminder that living in the city is not all about corner offices in 20-storey buildings and designer clothes on High St.
* www.kerrewoodham.com
