Homelessness, Panhandling and Vagrancy

Homelessness, panhandling and vagrancy have dramatically increased in the city of Huntington during the past year. The reasons are many, but the failure of our city government to protect the city's merchants and their customers from aggressive panhandlers has allowed this issue to become much more intolerable.

Our city government must get a handle on this issue or face the potential loss of businesses whose owners must consider whether, or not, to continue tolerating the panhandlers and their socially unacceptable behavior. Homelessness is not a crime, and we do have excellent social services being delivered to these folks. However, they do have an obligation to conduct themselves in a civil manner as they move about our city. If they do not, it is the responsibility of our government to enforce all current ordinances and laws that are in place to protect our businesses and citizens.

"No one can solve the problems; we must do it ourselves."

(The following are excerpts from a news article written almost fifty-years ago. It reported on the awards banquet held to celebrate Huntington's designation as an All-American City.)

[EDITED]

Herald-Dispatch. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1959

Governor Lauds Do-lt-Yourself Effort
Spirit of City Acclaimed

By BILL WILD

A look ahead at what Huntington citizens have selected as the five top projects they want tackled first climaxed last night’s All-America City Award dinner in the ballroom of the Hotel Prichard. As each project was announced by J. Thomas Campbell, chairman of the celebration committee, a youngster from the Cammack Children's Center carried a poster through the audience to the speaker's table. From a newspaper poll the five most important items are: A new bridge, new industry, a street improvement program, slum clearance and low cost housing, and more aid for education at all levels. This ending for the banquet summarized the spirit that while Huntington won an award for progress in the past 10 years the city's future depends on further achievements.

Governor Cecil Underwood, who said he might move here "because I'll be unemployed in a couple of years," stated that "for too long the people of West Virginia have been content either to just talk about our problems or else close their eyes to them."

"No one else can solve the problems," he said. "We, the people, must do the job." The governor added, “Last night’s event shows the promise of the state and heralds a new era of progress for Huntington, the Ohio Valley and West Virginia."

Fourth District Representative Ken Hechler noted the proximity to Lincoln's birthday and said "the spirit of Lincoln must have dominated those who pulled together to win this award." National Broadcasting Company newscaster David Brinkley, who delivered the main address, captured his audience immediately with the first of a series of humorous remarks. He said. "If Huntington wants to retain its standing as the state's largest city, you'll have to keep busy because from what I hear Charleston is getting ready to annex Wheeling and Cincinnati." Mr. Brinkley also said that he was in Huntington principally "to prove that there is a man left on television who does not carry a gun."

In between the laughter, however, he put across a message that the sometimes irksome “do-gooders" are the ones who “needle, encourage and goad people to do things nobody can do for you, things which you have to do yourself." "From what I have read and heard about Huntington's achievements, "the credit goes to the "do-gooders.”

Huntington's award, announced January 21, but not formally celebrated until last night to permit ample time for preparations for the event, was won on the basis of civic and governmental achievements over a decade, including a shift from Council mayor to Council-City manager form of government, construction of an airport, hospital, four public swimming pools, the cultural center which is the Huntington Galleries, school improvements and street projects, etc.

Among those at the banquet head table last night were Lawrence H. Rogers, president and general manager of WSAZ-TV, who introduced Mr. Brinkley; Mrs. Kirk Heckmann, president of the Huntington Woman's Inter Club Council; Robert R. Tincher, president of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce; Attorney E. Henry Broh, general manager of the city award committee, and Mrs. Harold Frankel, wife of the mayor.

Introductions included the members of City Council, Manager and Mrs. Robert M. Hoisington, Paul G. Blazer, chairman of the executive committee of the Ashland Oil & Refining Co., and M. I. Dunn of Cleveland, vice president in charge of operations of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway.

Greetings to the city were sent from a number of communities in the state. Out-of-town officials who were present for the celebration included a Ravenswood delegation of Mayor W. S. Ritchie and City Administrator Frank Sohn, Logan Mayor Litz McGuire, and Miller Porterfield, president of the Logan Chamber of Commerce.

Marshall College President Stewart H. Smith won applause for his deft work as "coordinator" and master of ceremonies. It was he who kept the balanced program moving at its intended pace to accommodate the split-second timing of the gathering's television schedule.

Let the Debate Begin!

In a guest column appearing in this morning's Herald-Dispatch written by Mark B. Bugher, president and chief executive officer of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce, he stated that a recent guest column I wrote, in which I suggested that the city government be cautious while considering the outsourcing of the City of Huntington's Sanitation Department, "does a great disservice to this community." Mr. Bugher has taken my comments out of context. My intent while writing the column was to illustrate how important thorough investigation and writing the "scope of services to be performed" are and how imperative it is to consider the good/bad results experienced by municipalities that have decided to privatize their solid waste and/or sanitation services. He suggested that I was "uninformed", and he stated that "a one-sided discussion of the potential "evils" of privatization before any real proposal is on the table is a thinly veiled attempt to influence the outcome before the debate even begins." What Mr. Bugher did not know is that the column I wrote was twice as long as the one that was published, and it was edited to substantially reduce the length. The redacted part stated that the main reason cities consider privatization is reduced costs, but that their are other advantages. However, "pitfalls" have been experienced in many cases.

It is obvious, if you participate in this “Neighborhood Issues” blog, that I am committed to finding solutions for the endemic litter and solid waste disposal crisis in our city. I continue my extensive research to ascertain what other municipalities are doing to ensure quality household solid waste disposal, which in turn goes a long way in reducing and eliminating street litter. Huntington continues to be one of the most littered cities in the state.

According to one source, about half the cities in America do not own garbage trucks or employ sanitation workers. Instead, they have privatized solid waste collection by contracting with private sector companies for this service. Even fewer cities own landfills, opting instead to dispose of their community's solid waste in a facility serving a broad region. Every controlled study comparing public versus private service delivery shows lower costs (for a given level of performance) for private enterprise. The key phrase here is “for a given level of performance."

The City of Huntington’s government must consider attendant costs of privatization. The cost of a privatized operation always exceeds the amount specified in the city's contract with the private-sector provider. Any realistic analysis of a privatization proposal must take into account such additional costs as bid preparation and advertising, contract administration, performance monitoring, etc. Otherwise, it is entirely possible that the total cost of a privatized service will exceed the cost of in-house operation even though the contractor's fee is less.

In short, I am not for, or against, privatization. I am for a reasoned and thorough investigation and debate about the pros and cons of outsourcing city services and that it is done in a timely manner - and with the final goal of optimizing the services to the citizens of our city. Let the debate begin!

(If you wish to comment, click on "Post Comments" at the end of this posting. You can do it without mentioning your name by clicking the "Anonymous" button - then have your say.

You Haven't Earned the Right to Complain!

I read a citizen's comments in the Reader's Forum section of the morning paper. They mentioned the fact that a lot of folks in our area criticize the City of Huntington and Cabell County governments for not resolving a lot of our county-wide problems. The writer followed up by suggesting that merely complaining that "somebody should do something" begs to ask the question, "Why don't YOU do something, Mr. and Mrs. Citizen?"

When is the last time you voted in our city and county elections. When is the last time you did something for your community, without expecting anything in return? When is the last time you helped someone, without expecting anything in return? What is our responsibility to do our share to make our communities better? You say you're too busy, or too old, or too disgusted with our governments to do anything?

Why not look around and fix what you are capable of fixing. There is litter blowing in everyone of our neighborhoods. Why not pick up what you can within your physical limitations and time constraints? Why not volunteer at one of the many organizations that are working on the area's homelessness and drug problems. Why not, at least, make sure that the area around your very own residence is neat and tidy. Why not vote?

You are somebody! I am somebody! I choose to do something to make a difference. Will you? Look around - there is plenty we can all find close-by that we can do, and pitching-in by each of us can make things better.

We ARE ... somebody! And, remember, if you don't vote and you don't help in some small way to make your community better ... don't complain! You haven't earned the right!

Risking Life and Limb - again.

Why would any sane person walk through one of Huntington's six viaducts to pick up litter on the sidewalk and in both lanes of traffic?

Today, I will clean the 10th Street viaduct, as I have done with the city's other five, at one time or another, this summer. The picture at the left is the "after" photo I took of 10th Street's viaduct when I last cleaned it on May 27th.

I was going to ask, "Have you driven through it in the last week, or so?" But that is a silly question, as thousands of city residents and visitors drive through the various viaducts every day, and they can't help noticing their squalid condition.

So, I will ask this question, "If the viaducts are such focal points, why are they not kept clean by the Huntington Street Department?" Beats me.

So, later this morning I will risk life and limb (for the 10th-time this summer) to clean up the one at 10th Street.

I'm sending a link for this blog to Mayor David Felinton and members of Huntington City Council. I want them to know that it only takes one-65-year-old private citizen approximately 47-minutes per viaduct to render them litter-free, and that is without a protective vehicle escort. I sure hope the cars and trucks traveling through there will slow down and yield some room for me. I'll be the white-bearded old man with the bright lime-green vest that is emblazoned with "VOLUNTEER" on the front and back.

Street Litter Continues to be a Major Issue

Because our sewer system is a combined system, meaning that storm water and sanitation sewage use the same drainage system, Huntington's endemic street litter problem is even more of a health and safety issue. Our city government must get control of street litter! Education and enforcement must be initiated now!

Street Litter

Street litter, such as plastic bags, cups, candy wrappers and cigarette butts, are washed from the street by storm water and end up floating in area streams and lakes. Many animals mistake plastic for food and, as a result, become ill. Plastic can take hundreds of years to degrade and so will continue to contaminate our waterways and threaten their inhabitants.

Solutions:

• Never throw garbage into the street or down storm drains.
• Dispose of all garbage, including cigarette butts and fast food containers, in garbage cans or waste receptacles.
• Adopt your own block and periodically collect any garbage that might be washed into a storm drain.
• Ask your family, friends and neighbors to do the same.

Do your part, and demand that our city government does its part! The future of our hometown is dependent upon our elected officials having the will and political courage to solve this, and other, long-standing community issues.

Call your City Councilperson and tell them you want the littering laws enforced now!