Every few weeks when I’m shopping at the Trader Joe’s at Stonestown I get panhandled by this same guy.
Very annoying. He’s young, big and strong, and his eyes twinkle with a mix of intellect (plenty), mischief and malice. He is clearly both physically and mentally fit to hold down a real job. Yet here he is, if not threatening, then at least annoying hard working clean living people going about their daily business.
What is the thought that goes through my mind when I see him? Well, of course, the thought is “get a job!”. Not a very fashionable thought, perhaps. But I’ll bet most voters would agree with me, at least quietly, if they saw him. Especially in these times, when many, many employers are crying out for people to hire.
So – two things about this:
THING ONE
I want us, as a city, to bring panhandling to an end. Along with living on the streets in general.
But what does this mean? What do we do, exactly, when we bust somebody for panhandling? Or find them living on the street? Tell them to “move along”? Move along to where, exactly? Somewhere else, where they will just resort to more of the same?
Issue them a citation? We know that isn’t going to accomplish anything postive.
Put them in jail? That’s not very fashionable these days. And actually kinda overkill, in most cases anyway.
Or put them in a “tiny house” or a filthy former hotel room and then let them try to figure things out all on their own?
That brings me to the other thing.
THING TWO
So, I propose that as a citizens’ collective, we do indeed say something to this person. But instead of “get a job”, we tell them that they must “get with the program”.
Or more precisely, that they must get with The Program.
So now you may be wondering, what exactly is “The Program”? Is it a thing?
Well, if I’m elected mayor, it will indeed become a thing.
The Program will be a non-profit organization that will serve as the place that we send people when we tell them that they can no longer live or hustle out on the streets and they need to “move along”.
Now, to paraphrase Harry Callahan, “I know what you’re thinkin’. Yet ANOTHER non-profit organization? In this town, already over-saturated with like 600+ NPO’s ?! Are you crazy?!”
Well, I can tell you, this NPO will be different. To start with, I will personally run the place. Meaning I will found it, and be the CEO.
Now of course, since I will already have one full-time day job I won’t be able to run the NPO on a day to day basis. We’ll get a Chief Operating Officer and other managers for that. But as CEO I will be personally responsible for how this NPO performs. Voters will clearly know who is in charge, who is responsible, and in my case, will be able to hold me personally accountable.
The Program is a big idea, and it will take a good deal of explaining to articulate the breadth of it. I’ll be covering this idea in numerous posts over the next few weeks and months.
But to wrap up this introductory post, let’s go back to my annoying guy at Stonestown. No panhandling, dude. Knock it off. The City doesn’t allow that anymore. Can’t you get a real job? You look like you could. If you showered off and cleaned up, put on a clean set of clothes, and put a sincere smile on your face, you’d actually be kinda handsome. And obviously you are clearly not afraid to make a sales pitch. You might actually make a pretty decent salesman, if you tried.
What’s that? Don’t got any clean clothes. Or a shower? Or a resume? Or, actually, the self-confidence to present yourself to a potential employer, even if you didn’t smell?
Well, that means – if you want to stay in San Francisco, you need to get with The Program. We’ll give you access to that shower. We’ll find you some clothes. Pretty decent ones, too. We’ll feed you also, with good nutritional food that will help you feel and look and think better. And we’ll give you a hug, too. Maybe not literally? But we’ll make you feel welcome, and feel like you’re a valued part of The Program family.
But besides that easy stuff, we’ll also work with you to explore what you have to offer, and give you the assistance and the tools and the counseling and the support necessary to get you on your feet, feeling much better, and providing for yourself.
One thing, though – once in The Program, always in The Program. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. The Program will always be there for you, if or when you need it.
But know this, too – once The Program helps you, you will be expected to give back to The Program by helping those that come in after you. You get helped, then you help others. Then in turn they go on to help others as well. And so it goes. You get help, you give help, you grow to feel good about yourself, and the world becomes just a little bit better place to live. For everyone.
More to come about this. Much more.