Panhandling and harassment downtown (Atlanta, Stone Mountain: high crime, Home Depot, neighborhoods)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Do you know the definition of perception?

Whose perception are you talking about? The blacks who have been steadily moving out of the city of Atlanta for the last 30 years? The hundreds of thousands of blacks who have come to the Atlanta area in the last few decades but settled outside the city? It's pretty hard to argue that the city of Atlanta proper is perceived as a black mecca when for the last several decades black residents have been leaving and new folks are making their homes elsewhere, too. There's a strong case that the suburban counties around Atlanta have been a huge drawing card for African Americans, but that hasn't been true for the city itself.

The point I'm making is that it's hard to believe officials in the city of Atlanta have gone easy on aggressive panhandling because they are black. Frankly, that's insulting to our mayors, council and police department and it simply doesn't match the facts. Again, watch the video I posted and you can see how passionately some of our city council members feel about this problem. It's driving them nuts, too.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Whose perception are you talking about? The blacks who have been steadily moving out of the city of Atlanta for the last 30 years? The hundreds of thousands of blacks who have come to the Atlanta area in the last few decades but settled outside the city? It's pretty hard to argue that the city of Atlanta proper is perceived as a black mecca when for the last several decades black residents have been leaving and new folks are making their homes elsewhere, too. There's a strong case that the suburban counties around Atlanta have been a huge drawing card for African Americans, but that hasn't been true for the city itself.

The point I'm making is that it's hard to believe officials in the city of Atlanta have gone easy on aggressive panhandling because they are black. Frankly, that's insulting to our mayors, council and police department and it simply doesn't match the facts. Again, watch the video I posted and you can see how passionately some of our city council members feel about this problem. It's driving them nuts, too.

I think it's obvious that people who claim the city is ignoring the problem are simply not very well-informed.

[ATLTJL]

Why don't you post the time codes for some of the reaction you are talking about?

Most people aren't going to watch a 3 hour low quality video all the way through. On a tangent, I never understood why the video prodution on Atlanta city council meetings was so horrible. I know it's not going to be Hollywood, but how about some decent microphones at least?

[jsvh]

Update: Flap over panhandling back before Atlanta City Council - Atlanta Business Chronicle

New panhandling ordinance has been introduced to committee for Atlanta City Council.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Why don't you post the time codes for some of the reaction you are talking about?

Michael Bond 2:08
Joyce Shepherd 2:13
Ivory Young 2:19
Cleta Winslow 2:26

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Whose perception are you talking about? The blacks who have been steadily moving out of the city of Atlanta for the last 30 years? The hundreds of thousands of blacks who have come to the Atlanta area in the last few decades but settled outside the city? It's pretty hard to argue that the city of Atlanta proper is perceived as a black mecca when for the last several decades black residents have been leaving and new folks are making their homes elsewhere, too. There's a strong case that the suburban counties around Atlanta have been a huge drawing card for African Americans, but that hasn't been true for the city itself.

The point I'm making is that it's hard to believe officials in the city of Atlanta have gone easy on aggressive panhandling because they are black. Frankly, that's insulting to our mayors, council and police department and it simply doesn't match the facts. Again, watch the video I posted and you can see how passionately some of our city council members feel about this problem. It's driving them nuts, too.

The perception of the visitors from out of town. The conventioners who are making the complaints.

You know, the people we want to feel safe so they keep bringing events and tourist dollars here. Who do you think we have been talking about?

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

The perception of the visitors from out of town. The conventioners who are making the complaints.

You know, the people we want to feel safe so they keep bringing events and tourist dollars here. Who do you think we have been talking about?

Well, I was thinking about local people as well as visitors. I would be surprised if visitors have a different view of Atlanta in terms of race than folks who live around here.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, I was thinking about local people as well as visitors. I would be surprised if visitors have a different view of Atlanta in terms of race than folks who live around here.

Visitors aren't gonna have indept knowledge of migration patterns like locals. The just know what they see panhandling them and on the media.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Visitors aren't gonna have indept knowledge of migration patterns like locals. The just know what they see panhandling them and on the media.

I was addressing your assertion that Atlanta is "perceived as black by outsiders that we have work twice as hard on the issue just like anything else blacks do to be seen as equal."

I don't hear visitors talking about perceiving Atlanta as black. Yes, the population in the city proper is a little over 50% black, but it's hardly as if all those folks are hanging out downtown or hovering around convention centers and pestering people.

As I posted earlier, many U.S. cities have a large black population in the central city. Here in Atlanta, our black population is 225,000. However, Philadelphia proper is about the same size as Atlanta but has three times as many black residents. Chicago is about a third larger than Atlanta but it has nearly 900,000 black residents. Baltimore is considerably smaller than we are but it has 400,000 black residents to our 225,000. Milwaukee is considerably smaller than us but has a larger black population.

So Atlanta is hardly unique in that respect.

Our panhandling issues are not limited to any particular ethnicity. In my opinion, they are not perceived as worse because of the city's demographic factors. Nor do I believe our response to the problem has been lackluster because of our officials.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I was addressing your assertion that Atlanta is "perceived as black by outsiders that we have work twice as hard on the issue just like anything else blacks do to be seen as equal."

I don't hear visitors talking about perceiving Atlanta as black. Yes, the population in the city proper is a little over 50% black, but it's hardly as if all those folks are hanging out downtown or hovering around convention centers and pestering people.

As I posted earlier, many U.S. cities have a large black population in the central city. Here in Atlanta, our black population is 225,000. However, Philadelphia proper is about the same size as Atlanta but has three times as many black residents. Chicago is about a third larger than Atlanta but it has nearly 900,000 black residents. Baltimore is considerably smaller than we are but it has 400,000 black residents to our 225,000. Milwaukee is considerably smaller than us but has a larger black population.

So Atlanta is hardly unique in that respect.

Our panhandling issues are not limited to any particular ethnicity. In my opinion, they are not perceived as worse because of the city's demographic factors. Nor do I believe our response to the problem has been lackluster because of our officials.

The media makes Atlanta a black city. Ask the opinions of people who don't live here.


As for those other cities , those cities have much more to offer visitors so even if they are mostly black, white visitors will be more willing to put up with the panhandling.

Atlanta is just Atlanta. A great place to live but kinda lacking in the tourist/ things to do while visiting factor unlike those other cities you mentioned , especially Chicago.