October 19, 2009
www.theAccent.org
New regulations proposed on downtown panhandling
Hanlly Sam • Photo/Web Editor
PANHANDLING ORDINANCE — A young man that prefers not to reveal his name stands at the corner of Parmer and Metric hoping someone can spare some change. When it is 90 degrees outside and with an empty stomach “anything helps”.
Ordinance would ban panhandling at all times in a greater area of town Jason Haydon Staff Writer
The Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA), along with several residential groups and downtown churches are proposing an extension of the existing ban on night time panhandling. Austin’s current ordinance that regulates panhandling, the Austin City Solicitation Ordinance 9-4-13 originally adopted in 1992, allows non-aggressive panhandling, but includes restrictions on the time, place and manner in which solicitation may legally occur. In December 2005, the Austin City Council amended the Solicitation Ordinance to make panhandling illegal between the hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the downtown business district, basically banning the activity at night. The area where the DAA is asking for a full ban on panhandling would cover from the IH-35 frontage road to San Antonio Street, and 11th to Cesar Chavez. The affect panhandling could have on downtown businesses is another reason the DAA is proposing the ban. “We looked at things like does 6th Street live up to its international brand. What could be done to help improve the
safety of the down town area, to make it more attractive to visitors and conventioneers? One of the ways to improve this is to reduce panhandling,” said Lacy Laborde, Marketing and Communications Director for the DAA. “The human services groups all say the same thing, that if people who are homeless want food or shelter, it is available. Often times panhandling is not because of desire for food, but because of addiction problems with alcohol and drugs. One of the things we will be working on is educating the public on what local social service and charity groups to donate money to or volunteer with to help people that are actually seeking help.” Front Steps, which manages the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), is supportive of the ban because panhandling doesn’t actually serve the best interest of those asking for money on the street. However, general public reaction is mixed. Many feel that if panhandling is banned it may lead to even worse actions. “If panhandling is banned it could easily lead to other things, like theft, and robbery,” said Gary Smeltzer, English Professor at ACC’s Northridge Campus. “If they aren’t hurting anyone, then
the city should leave them alone, and it should be an individual’s choice to give to them, not the city saying they can’t even ask.” The Texas ACLU has not said if they would fight such a ban in the courts, however, they have stated opposition to such an ordinance. “Someone asking for money, or assistance, regardless of how they are dressed, or where they do it is protected as free speech. If they are aggressive about it, that can be another matter, but otherwise, if someone is asking for change to go and get something, say a cup of coffee, they have a right to do that, no matter where they are,” said Dotty Griffith, public Education Director for ACLU of Texas. Many other cities have placed bans like the current proposal into effect. The Austin city council has seemed to be receptive to the idea of extending the current ban. “They came as a conversation, not with a hard copy proposal. We meet with groups all day, every day, to talk about ideas for the future, but until we have something like that in writing with cost and how it will make an impact on the city, it is very had to form an opinion,” stated Matt
David Saenz • Staff Photographer
Austin's Homeless — Auk, a homeless Vietnam veteran sits on the corner of Guadalupe and 29th street. Auk, like many other panhandlers, will be affected by Downtown Austin Alliance’s proposed panhandling ordinance. Curtis, communications director for Mayor Leffingwell. “The panhandling issue downtown is something that causes concern because of aggressive panhandling.” The DAA says that they and other groups will be in continued pursuit of this initiative.
Volume 12, Issue 3
Veteran’s GI Bill benefits delayed Christopher A. Smith Campus Life Editor
Many veterans attending ACC have found it difficult to pay for books, rent and tuition this semester. Distribution of GI Bill benefits by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has been delayed and many ACC student veterans, as well as student veterans across the country, have yet to receive the money they are entitled to. ACC has been doing what it can to help those veterans. Tuition payments for veterans who are still waiting on their benefits have been put in a shelter so that they will not be dropped for non-payment. To try and alleviate the problem, the VA began handing out emergency checks of up to $3,000 this month to student veterans who are still waiting for the GI Bill benefits to be approved. Veterans can apply for the check online and receive a check in the mail, or they can drive to the Waco or Houston VA office to pick up the check in person. “Unfortunately there are a lot of guys for whom this is their sole income. They planned on coming back to school, and they banked on receiving this money. Their rent and all of that stuff doesn’t stop just because they are not getting money,” said Randall Luce, an Army veteran and ACC student. Luce is a work study in the ACC office of veteran affairs, and he has talked to and helped many of the veterans coming through the office wondering when their money would come in. The emergency checks have come in just in time said Luce. “If (the VA) hadn’t come out with (the emergency checks), I really think a lot of people would have had to drop out.” “We knew this was coming. We all knew this was going to be an issue,” said Mark Harden, the manager for veterans affairs at ACC. Harden has been working continuously since the start of the fall semester getting veterans registered with the school and all the appropriate paperwork sent to the VA office. He says the increase in student veterans, the popularity of the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, and an overwhelmed VA have led to the delay in benefits. “I’ve had a lot of calls from students distressed. What I’ve tried to do is provide them what I knew,” said Harden. This is the first semester the new Post 9/11 GI Bill has been an option for veterans. The new benefits package pays tuition directly to the school and then gives veterans the money they need for books and a monthly housing allowance. To qualify for the new bill, a veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty beginning on or after Sep. 11, 2001. However many student veterans have yet to
Teodora Erbes • Staff Photographer
VETERAN AFFAIRS — Terry Cotton, veteran affairs specialist, advises students at her office. Cotton has been helping vets attending ACC deal with the delay in GI benefits. receive their benefits. ACC student and Navy veteran Sean Saenger has been waiting for his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to come in since the start of the semester in August. Saenger served in the Navy from 2003 to 2007 and then worked at various odd jobs before enrolling at ACC. “I decided to go back to school because it was the original plan seven years ago, and because I was in between jobs, and I needed the money (from the GI Bill),” said Saenger. “They were supposed have our first check at the end of August, which turned into mid-September, which turned into end of September, which has now turned into Nov. 1,” said Saenger of the delays. “Obviously none of us budgeted for that.” To get by, Saenger has had to borrow money from his parents and his girlfriend. On Oct. 14, he drove up to Waco and got one of the emergency checks and was able to start paying them back. Saenger, and many other veterans in the same position, have been going weekly to the Riverside campus office of Terry Cotton, Veteran Affairs Specialist at ACC. “The new GI Bill, it’s a sweeter deal…and the vets are coming home, so more vets are using this resource. Plus with the economy, even the ones that may not have thought about using their benefits, but now are out of work, realize that, ‘hey I’ve got this GI bill that I can fall back on,’” said Cotton of the reasons for the high number of veterans applying for the new GI Bill. Cotton is now advising the veterans that qualify to sign up for the emergency $3,000 checks. In a press release, VA Secretary and Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki explained that distributing the emergency checks was an extraordinary action, “but it’s necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face.”
Students voice complaints, ideas at trustee forum Michael Needham Staff Writer
ACC students at Riverside Campus advised college leaders on Oct. 13 as part of the ACC Student Forum hosted by the Student Government Association. The college representatives who attended were Trustee member Barbara Mink, Dean of Student Services Virginia Fraire, and Campus Manager Frank Taylor. “It was a good opportunity for students to speak out,” Peter Ramirez, an ACC Student, said. The topics discussed included student desk size, computer availability on campus, Capitol Metro bus
routes and parking. There were some questions that were answered at the forum. Taylor explained that the school is currently in the process of purchasing new desks. The type of desk has already been chosen, and the information is currently being sent to the Facilities and Operations Department for processing. “Ideally I would love to have it by the start of spring,” Taylor said. “Hopefully within this academic year for sure.” On the topic of computer availability on campus, Mink suggested that there should be some ground rules that would prioritize which students could use the computers.
“If people are checking their e-mail, they can have 15 minutes,” Mink said. Other questions were not as easy to answer and will require further attention. Mink explained that she and the other campus leaders couldn’t decide on anything at the meeting. “I’m one of the board members, so I can’t say the board will do this or that,” Mink said. “That’s why we’re all taking notes: to get it to its specific place.” Not all topics discussed were serious ones. One student complained about the toilet paper being positioned too low in the bathroom stall. Mink tried to get things back on
track. “I have to make a report of this,” Mink said. “I’m not going to sit in front of the board and report about toilet paper.” Students who were unable to attend the event can still voice their opinions before the board. Mink explained that once a month the Board of Trustees opens the floor to anyone who would like to speak. These meetings are held at 6 p.m. at the Highland Business center on the first Monday of each month. Overall Taylor felt the forum was a success. “It definitely helps us as a college to know which direction we should go to resolve the issues.”
Jose Padilla • Staff Photographer
TRUSTEE MEETING — Director of Student Life Cheryl Richard,
Campus Manager Frank Taylor, Dean of Student Services Dr. Virginia Fraire, and student Malinda Echert listen Tuesday September 13th at the Trustees Meeting at the ACC Riverside campus