Round up the Usual Squeegee Kids

"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." -- Anatole France
 
 . . . and now,  in British Columbia, “to squeegee a car windshield.”
 
It was the last session of the B.C. Legislature before the Thanksgiving Day weekend.  Unbelievably the Campbell government chose that session to turn a spotlight on the problem of extreme poverty in the province.
 
But they didn’t announce a roll-back of the last three years of harsh cuts in support for the most needy in our society.  Nor did they spend any of the province’s huge budget surplus on assistance for the province’s food banks and homeless shelters, which have been overwhelmed by increased demand.
 
Instead the Campbell government introduced the “Safe Streets Act,” perhaps the most cynical abuse of the poor for political advantage ever seen in our province.

Where’s the safety?
 
Everybody, of course, is in favour of “safe streets.”  But the new legislation wasn’t designed to cope with the growing presence on our streets of organized crime—including expanding chapters of the Hells Angels.  Nor did it target the young fools with more horsepower than brains who use public roads as their speedways. 
 
Nor was the legislation written to clamp down on car theft, or deal with the disappearance of women at risk, or reduce the incidence of home invasions.  And it certainly wasn’t intended to deal with the unclear but looming threat of international terrorism.
 
According the Campbell government, the criminal masterminds who most threaten the peace of our streets are panhandlers and squeegee kids.  And the government is determined to crack down on the dirty rascals.
 
While repeated requests for spare change can become obnoxious, and “volunteer” windshield washing is often unwanted, the proposed law will do almost nothing to alleviate the annoyance to pedestrians and drivers.

Police already stretched
 
For one thing, the penalties for breaking the law are ludicrous; in fact, no penalties are specified in the bill.  At a later date the government may put a fine in place by regulation, but the chances of collecting the money are slim.  Is someone on the corner asking for a loonie or a quarter likely to care about the threat of a $100 fine?  And are we going to fill up our jails with panhandlers if the fines aren’t paid?

For another thing, the law won’t be enforced.  Our police are stretched to the limit dealing with serious criminal activity. After an initial spate of high profile police sweeps designed for media consumption, enforcement of this ill-conceived (and possibly unconstitutional) law will quickly become a non-priority. 
 
Many people find dealing with importuning panhandlers stressful and unpleasant.  And a receptive audience for politically harassing the poor and simply getting them out of sight exists in BC. 
 
Last week the Campbell government decided to pander to that audience. The attitude which government spokespeople displayed towards the people targeted by the legislation was downright disgusting.

Mayencourt’s myopia
 
Lorne Mayencourt, the MLA who originally proposed the legislation, seems to believe that panhandlers and squeegee kids are mostly middle income youth out begging for a lark. In his view, they’re not really poor; what they really need is to take a bath, get a haircut, and find a job.
 
However, the life they’re living seems one that few would choose.  I’ve never met a child who wanted to grow up to be a squeegee kid—it’s not a career goal.
 
The government MLAs looked ridiculous casting their votes.  Few, if any, have ever had to struggle to find a meal, a warm, dry place to spend the night, or a way to cut through the confusion and despair of chronic mental illness or drug use.  Surrounded by the comfort, pomp and ceremony of the Legislature, offering a few comments for the TV cameras before heading down to the warm, dry, and heavily subsidized dining room, our elected leaders looked like cynical jerks.
 
A government’s ethical fibre is not measured by how it treats the well-off; they can generally take care of themselves. How it deals with the most needy in society is the true test. On the day before Thanksgiving, B.C.’s government failed.  

Paul Ramsey is a former NDP MLA and Cabinet Minister.  He now teaches at CNC and is a Visiting Professor in the Political Science Program at UNBC.