Criminal tools
Living in Vegas myself, I see the homeless all over. But this is just stupid. If they’re homeless, they aren’t going to be able to pay to get out of town and walking 100 miles through the desert in 100 degree temps to go somewhere less hostle ain’t gonna happen either.
Las Vegas Criminalizes Feeding the Homeless in Parks
What an outrage! Las Vegas has made it a crime to give food to the homeless in city parks. Primarily aimed at soup kitchens, the law carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000.00 fine.
In an effort to curb charity that is having unintended consequences, the City Council has made it illegal to give food to homeless people in city parks. Residents complained that the large numbers of homeless gathering in the parks make it impossible for others to use them, said city spokesman David Riggleman.
Not only that, but check out the definition of “homeless person.”
The law defines a homeless person as an indigent “whom a reasonable ordinary person would believe to be entitled to apply for or receive assistance.”
So the test is whether someone looks poor enough to be on welfare?
American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada lawyer Allen Lichtenstein said the lanuage makes the law unenforceable. “The ordinance is clearly unconstitutional and nonsensical,” he said. “How are you going to know without a financial statement who’s poor and who’s not poor?” “It means they can discriminate based on the way people look,” Lichtenstein said.
